John Wikswo
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John Wikswo: Transforming small-scale science into planet-sized impact
When an “unsolvable” problem needs solving, put John Wikswo on the team. As director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and University Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Physics, Wikswo is tackling questions crucial to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, now with support from Vanderbilt's Innovation Catalyst Fund. Read MoreSeptember 26, 2025
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Seven Vanderbilt faculty research projects get innovation catalyst funding
Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund has awarded seven new faculty-led projects, advancing translational research and innovation in health care, engineering and AI-driven solutions. Read MoreFebruary 17, 2025
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Wikswo, VIIBRE team on track to build third-generation ‘self-driving lab’ with $1M from NSF
John Wikswo, founder and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Gordon A. Cain University Professor, is the principal investigator of a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation. The object is to build a pathbreaking “robot scientist”—a fully automated microfluidic system for parallel, independent, long-duration, machine-guided experiments. The... Read MoreMarch 5, 2022
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Vanderbilt researchers develop publicly available COVID-19 animal susceptibility prediction tool; suggests increased risk to horses
All-remote collaboration results in free animal susceptibility tool to help prioritize research and closer examination of at-risk species. Read MoreOctober 6, 2020
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EPA-funded study aims to create novel platform for research into long-term neurotoxin exposure
A new Vanderbilt study funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to construct a new platform and reliable approach for future studies into organophosphate compounds, such as pesticides, insecticides and similar nerve agents. Read MoreOctober 16, 2019
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Organ-on-a-chip mimics heart’s biomechanical properties
Scientists at Vanderbilt University have created a three-dimensional organ-on-a-chip that can mimic the heart’s amazing biomechanical properties in order to study cardiac disease, develop heart drugs. Read MoreFebruary 22, 2017
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Blood-brain barrier on a chip sheds new light on “silent killer”
A new microfluidic device containing human cells that faithfully mimics the behavior of the blood-brain barrier is providing new insights into brain inflammation, the silent killer. Read MoreDecember 6, 2016
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Weird Science: Kit Parker’s breakthrough work on artificial hearts and brain injuries
Expect the unexpected when you walk into Kit Parker’s biophysics lab at Harvard. From cuttlefish skin camouflage to cotton candy machines used for wound dressings, his science is anything but ordinary. In fact, the young scientists inside are just as likely to be playing with crayons to visualize solutions… Read MoreDecember 5, 2016
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Vanderbilt and Pittsburgh to lead new center to identify toxic chemicals
EPA is establishing a new center at Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh to develop an alternative approach for toxicity testing to help evaluate the safety of the 80,000-plus chemicals in general commerce. Read MoreMarch 25, 2015
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Vanderbilt’s neurovascular chip project moves into new phase
Vanderbilt researchers will play a key role in the second phase of the federal "tissue chip for drug screening" program. Read MoreNovember 18, 2014