Overview
Type: Vanderbilt Reinvestment Award (VRA)
In living organisms, several single cells interact in non-intuitive ways to support complex functions such as cognition, cardiovascular integrity and immunity. Rare single cells often maintain tissue health or, conversely, drive disease. A current challenge is to understand how large ensembles of single cells accomplish these complex functions. Next generation technologies and computation have spawned the field of Single-Cell Biology (SCB), penetrating the complexity of life originating from the single-cell level. Six centers from across the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and VUMC have succeeded in introducing S-CB technologies on campus. In order to build upon the success generated by these six centers, this project will support the formation of a S-CB Consortium of Centers that will transform existing S-CB investments into a coherent infrastructure. The consortium will coordinate efforts and investments in S-CB in a bottom-up strategy to support and shepherd technological advances and expand access and education to the whole community. This infrastructure will enhance the already tangible return on current S-CB investment, enable accessibility by interested investigators and position Vanderbilt as a S-CB world leader. The group will capitalize on singular capabilities that exist at Vanderbilt among a cadre of uniquely qualified investigators with expertise in distinct disciplines that share common challenges in S-CB.
Faculty Participants
Lead Faculty in bold
School of Medicine (Basic Science)
- Vito Quaranta, Professor of Cancer Biology
- Carlos Lopez, Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology
- Ken Lau, Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Gregor Neuert, Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- Jonathan Irish, Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology
School of Medicine (Clinical)
- Qi Liu, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics
- Mark Pilkinton, Instructor of Medicine
- Elizabeth Phillips, Professor of Medicine
- Mary Zutter, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
College of Arts & Science
- John Capra, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
School of Engineering
- Theodore Bapty, Research Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering