Research Enterprise Newsletter - April 2008: Faculty News
Gabbe to step down as Medical School dean
Steven Gabbe, M.D., will leave after seven years as Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine to become the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and the Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center at Ohio State University. Gabbe will remain at the School of Medicine until the end of the academic year, then will assume his new duties at Ohio State. Gabbe came to Vanderbilt in March 2001. Under his leadership, the School of Medicine jumped from 21st place in 2001 to 10th place in 2007 in National Institutes of Health research funding. VUSM also rose in the U.S. News and World Report medical school rankings, from 18th to 16th place. During Gabbe's seven years at the School's helm, the number of faculty went up 66 percent, to more than 1800.
Study Shows Protein Helps Starve Staph Bacteria
A team of Vanderbilt investigators led by Eric Skaar, Ph.D., assistant professor of Microbiology, has discovered that a protein inside certain immune system cells blocks the growth of "staph" bacteria by sopping up manganese and zinc. The findings, reported Feb. 15 in Science, support the notion that binding metals - to starve bacteria - is a viable therapeutic option for treating localized bacterial infections. New treatment strategies are urgently needed to combat the surging number of infections and deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant forms of Staphylococcus aureus (staph), such as MRSA. More information.
New Genome Technology Core (GTC) accepting projects
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has invested in a next-generation DNA sequencing platform (Illumina Genome Analyzer). This new instrument has the capability of producing up to a gigabase of DNA sequence per run and offers a broad range of scientific applications including microbial genome re-sequencing, targeted gene re-sequencing, whole transcriptome analysis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq). This new resource will greatly expand scientific opportunities for many investigators and should enhance competitiveness for extramural funding. This sequencing technology is available through a newly created shared resource called the Genome Technology Core (GTC) operated jointly by three existing core facilities: the Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource, the Vanderbilt DNA Sequencing Facility, and the Computational Genomics Core in the Center for Human Genetics Research. The core welcomes applications for projects designed to fully develop and utilize this technology. Because this instrument represents a substantial investment by the Medical Center, faculty in the School of Medicine will have priority access; however, faculty from across Vanderbilt campus are encouraged to submit project applications. Projects will be evaluated based on several criteria including feasibility, scientific impact and anticipated benefits for obtaining extramural funding. The costs of these new services will be determined after the instrument has been implemented and protocols adopted. Contact Christie Ingram for the project application format and sample requirements. Applications are to be submitted via e-mail to Ms. Ingram.
OB-GYN Departmental Research Symposium honors Orgebin-Crist
The Department of OB-GYN is honoring the many contributions made by Dr. Marie-Clair Orgebin-Crist to the understanding of reproductive biology during her tenure at Vanderbilt with a scientific symposium on April 25, 2008 from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm in Room 1220 MRB III. Speakers will be:
- Bert O'Malley, M.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Nuclear receptor coactivators: keys to genomic mechanisms of biology and disease - Daniela Drummond-Barbosa, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Alpha-endosulfine, a conserved protein required for meiotic maturation in Drosophila - Raymond F. Burk, Jr., M.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Selenium and spermatogenesis - S. K. Dey, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Aberrant endocannabinoid signaling compromises male fertility
Diabetes lecture, seminar on tap
The Annual Albert & Miriam Weinstein Lecture will be held Thursday, April 17, 2008, 8:00 - 9:00 AM, 208 Light Hall. Domenico Accili, MD, will present on "Insulin Action, Forkhead Proteins and Diabetes." Dr. Accili is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center at Columbia University in New York City, NY. The lectureship is part of the Department of Medicine's Grand Rounds program and may be attended for CME credit. For more information, please contact Jan Hicks at 936-1649 (6-1649).
A Medical Research Seminar in Diabetes, featuring Dr. Domenico Accili, will be held Friday, April 18, 2008, 12:00 - 1:00 PM, 206 Preston Research Building. Domenico Accili, MD, will present on "Beta Cell Failure in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes." Dr. Accili is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center at Columbia University in New York City, NY. The lecture will be given during the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center Friday Seminar Series. For more information, please contact Jan Hicks at 936-1649 (6-1649).
Guengerich grant funds med student training in research
Dr. F. Peter Guengerich has been awarded a short-term summer research and training grant to support medical students involved in a Summer Research and Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences. Preceptors includes 28 faculty members representing basic and clinical research disciplines. Students will have the opportunity to participate in research projects in a variety of areas, including mechanisms of cell damage by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, biological intervention by antioxidants, chemical damage to DNA and genetic stability, signaling pathways induced as a response to genetic damage, structure-function relationships in mutagenic events, roles of enzymes in influencing damage from chemical agents, and mechanisms of neurological and renal damage induced by metal.
