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Ann Tate

  • A man with short dark hair, a beard, and glasses sits at a lab workstation. He wears a black hoodie and looks toward the camera with a slight smile. Behind him are two computer screens—one showing a terminal with lines of code and the other displaying a flowchart with scientific diagrams. Shelves above the desk hold plastic lab containers labeled “200 uL Filter” and “1000 uL Filter.”

    A Conservative Defense: Downstream NFLs Resist Evolutionary Blitzes

    By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator In football, defense keeps the opposing team in check. A similar strategy is at play inside our cells. Negative feedback loops (NFLs) help regulate how cells respond to signals, for example, dialing down activity when things get too intense. A new study from… Read More

    May 9, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt Researchers Find Warming Quickens Aging-Related Mortality in Mosquitoes

    By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Barr (left) and Hillyer in the lab. Submitted photo Mosquitoes tread a thinning line in warming climates, where aging accelerates and infections intensify. New research shows that warming and aging act as a one-two punch, lowering mosquito lifespans and fanning the flames of… Read More

    September 19, 2024

  • A young man wearing glasses is seated at a desk, working on a computer. He is typing on a keyboard and looking at the code displayed on the monitor. The desk has shelves with various items, including a framed certificate, a potted plant, and some personal belongings. Another laptop is open on the desk, displaying a different screen.

    Analyzing Evolutionary Trade-Offs in Immune Systems: Computational Biology with Reese Martin

    By Nick McCoy, Evolutionary Studies undergraduate communications assistant  Reese Martin has always been drawn to biology and exploring the behaviors of different organisms. During his childhood, he dug in anthills, and now he observes the life history traits of flower beetles and other taxa. Martin’s new… Read More

    July 22, 2024

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt Researchers find Evidence for Evolutionary Constraints on Immunity

    By Dr. Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Alissa Williams A new study led by members of Ann Tate’s (Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences) lab found evidence that pleiotropy may slow down evolution of genes involved in immunity. Alissa Williams, postdoctoral researcher, and Thi Ngo, lab alumna, equally contributed… Read More

    March 18, 2023

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt Team finds Evolutionary Support for Induced Defenses

    By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Graduate student Reese Martin and his doctoral advisor, Ann Tate, assistant professor of biological sciences, used theoretical modeling to identify a potential relationship between genetic pleiotropy and the evolution of immune responses. The pair authored a paper titled, “Pleiotropy promotes… Read More

    March 16, 2023

  • Hands clapping with the word congratulations at the top

    Trainees of ESI receive high praise

    By: Andy Flick Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator We congratulate all trainees who applied for grants this cycle regardless of the result. Putting together major grants is hard work and a feat in and of itself. So, for those that didn’t get funded, keep your heads up, we still think… Read More

    April 8, 2022