Research Enterprise Newsletter - February 2009: Faculty News
Brown named chief of Clinical Pharmacology
Nancy J. Brown, M.D., associate dean for Clinical and Translational Scientist Development, has been named chief of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. As a specialist in vascular biology and hypertension, Brown has focused on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, one of the body's blood pressure-regulating systems. Her discoveries have had major implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
DNA Databank, Synthetic Derivative update
BioVU, the Vanderbilt DNA Databank, is up to nearly 50,000 samples from adult clinic patients. BioVU enables exploration of the relationships among genetic variation, disease susceptibility, and variable drug responses. BioVU uses discarded blood samples collected during routine patient care, linked to de-identified data extracted and continuously updated from VUMC's electronic medical record (EMR).
The Synthetic Derivative database is a research tool developed to enable studies with de-identified clinical data. The SD collection of 1.7 million records includes information extracted from the EMR systems described above, and indexed by the same one-way RUI used to track samples. The Synthetic Derivative is available for investigator use now, while BioVU will be available to investigators in late 2009.
McLaughlin to edit Journal of Neuroscience section
BethAnn McLaughlin, assistant professor of Neurology, has been named associate editor of the Cellular and Molecular section of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Robertson textbook on clinical and translational science published
Clinical and Translational Science: Principles of Human Research, co-edited by David Robertson, director of Vanderblilt's Clinical Research Center, was published in December 2008. The textbook surveys the landscape of this emerging discipline via broad authorship but with an emphasis on Vanderbilt and Harvard contributors. The book is available on Amazon.com.
Eichman wins Scientific Research Society young investigator award
Brandt Eichman, assistant professor of Biological Sciences, has won the 2009 Young Investigator Award in the life and social sciences from Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society. He will accept the award at the 2009 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting.
VICC adds prominent investigators
William Pao, M.D., Ph.D., has accepted a new post as associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, with secondary appointments in the Departments of Cancer Biology and Pathology. Joining him is William Tansey, Ph.D., professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and co-leader of the Genome Maintenance Program. Tansey also has been named an Ingram Professor of Cancer Research. His research will focus on the regulation of gene activity in normal and cancer cells.
Noted pediatric vaccine investigator joins VUMC
Noted pediatric vaccine researcher Fernando Polack, M.D., has joined the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and the Program in Vaccine Sciences at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Polack was recruited by James Crowe, M.D., director of the Program in Vaccine Sciences. Crowe was on the selection committee in 2006 when Polack won the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Pediatric Research.
