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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

One day, two big events! The Vanderbilt Center of Extracellular Vesicle Research retreat and the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology student research symposium both took place on Friday, Sept. 25. Students, faculty, and visiting scholars gathered together to share their groundbreaking research.

Photos from the CEVR retreat. On top, there is a photo of a student giving a talk titled "Special Delivery: Cytokine loading on T Cell Extracellular Vesicle". On the bottom, there is a photo of a student presenting his poster to a faculty member.

Conference hall during a formal presentation: a speaker at a podium on a stage with large projection screens and a Vanderbilt "V" backdrop, while a packed audience sits at round tables shown from two stacked angles.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Meet Kim Viviano, a budget and accounting analyst supporting the Pod 3 administration team at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. Get to know Kim and her role at SOMBS here: buff.ly/pJ2Qipj

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School of Medicine Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight: Kim Viviano

Meet Kim Viviano, Pod 3 budget/accounting analyst.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Join us on Oct. 20 to celebrate SOMBS' 10th anniversary!

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

From brains to black holes—Vandy alum Denise Childree, PhD’09, applies neuroscience know-how to lead major science communication efforts, including the 2019 first black hole image reveal. Read her story: buff.ly/AzvCEak #SciComm

Denise Childree standing and holding the first published image of a black hole.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Join us Oct. 21 for the next Apex Lecture featuring M. Madan Babu, chief data scientist at St. Jude's Research Hospital, who will describe how data science, structural biology, pharmacology, developmental biology, and genetics can be combined to understand GPCR function across scales.

APEX Lecture Series poster announcing M. Madan Babu (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) presenting “Data Science Across Scales: Understanding GPCR Signaling from Atoms to Populations” Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, 1:30 p.m., 1220 Medical Research Building III.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Basic science research is fundamental to driving new discoveries and advancing human health. It requires risk, bravery, and creativity. We are SO proud of Sezen and we cannot wait to see what amazing discoveries she makes.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

SOMBS professor Sezen Meydan has received the NIH Director's New Innovator Award! The NIH grants it to early-career investigators who propose bold, highly innovative projects with potential for major impact on areas relevant to its mission. Read more: buff.ly/a7QO05v

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Emma Koory, a graduate student in Dylan Burnette's lab, recently received an honorable mention at the 2026 Nikon Small World in Motion Competition. Koory took this video of a heart cell building sarcomeres, which are responsible for heart muscle contractions.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

When it comes to our cells, sometimes it's good to rock the boat... or the raft! Charles Sanders' lab recently discovered two new molecules, VU0615562 and VU0619195, that destabilize lipid rafts, increase membrane fluidity, and modulate ion channel activity.

An image detailing the proposed mechanism of the compounds VU0615562 and VU0619195. On top, there is a cartoon image of a lipid bilayer containing lipid raft proteins. Below, there is an arrow pointing downward with a plus sign and a cartoon rendition of the two molecules. Below that, it shows the compounds binding to the lipid raft proteins and disruption of the lipid bilayer.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, an assistant professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, was one of 13 recipients of the Laureate Award from the international Endocrine society. This award honors his pioneering work at the intersection of thyroid biology, diabetes, and aging. buff.ly/M2lgrKy

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Rafael Arrojo e Drigo wins one of the Endocrine Society’s prestigious Laureate Awards

Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Rafael Arrojo e Drigo will receive the 2027 Richard E. Weitzman Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award, one of the prestigious Laurea…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If it's broke, don't fix it! The Burkewitz Lab recently shed light on a decades-old paradox in aging biology: how does mitochondrial impairment help extend an organism's lifespan? For more information, read our full story! 👇️ buff.ly/2AXNVEm

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When dysfunction makes you live longer

Research into an aging paradox reveals details on why certain dysfunctions in mitochondria can lead animals to live longer lives. The work, by Department of Cell and Developmental Biology researche…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Grace and Neha are supported by the NIDDK Molecular Endocrinology Training Program. Dr. Coate is an Investigator of the Human Islet Research Network.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Here at VU Basic Sciences, we ❤️ celebrating our trainees 🎉 Two of Katie Coate's graduate students, Neha Mohanty and Paula Nickles, were recipients of the HIRN 2026 Trainee Scholarship for their outstanding oral and poster presentations, respectively, at the 2026 HIRN annual meeting.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The Graduate School Career Colloquium is one week away! This event provides career development opportunities as trainees begin to think about their future aspirations. Registration is required for each individual event. For more information, follow the link below. buff.ly/RKhZpLL

Fall 2026 Career Colloquium schedule (Mon 05–Fri 09) listing daily events and times including keynote "How a PhD Changes How You Work — And Live", professional headshots, Women in the Academy: Resilience After Rejection panel, mentor-network session, biotech investor talk, and NSF GRFP drop‑ins.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This year’s Flulapalooza headliner: free flu shots! Join us tomorrow for Vanderbilt’s annual Flulapalooza! Bring your Vanderbilt University ID to receive your flu shot. Date: Friday, September 25th Time: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Location: Langford Auditorium (enter through Light Hall, North Lobby)

Advertisement for Flulapalooza in the style of a concert flyer. Includes a picture of Flulapalooza attendees waiting in line for a flushot. A Flulapalooza standing sign is in the foreground.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

REMINDER: The Kairos lecture featuring Yi Ren, associate professor of biochemistry, is happening tomorrow (9/24) at 4 p.m.! Join us and discover how mRNA nuclear export and viral infections intersect. #Vanderbilt #BasicSciences #KairosLecture #StructuralBiology #Biochemistry

Announcement for Kairos lecture series on September 24th, 2026. Includes a picture of Yi Ren and her talk title “Decoding mRNA Nuclear Export: Structural Mechanisms and Viral Exploitation. A “happening soon!” banner is placed next to Yi Ren’s picture.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

👏 Congratulations to Breann Brown, who was just elected as an executive council member of the Protein Society through 2029. The PS is dedicated to the study of protein structure, function, and design. Brown studies how protein structure governs mitochondrial metabolism. buff.ly/SntzLgF

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Rafael Arrojo e Drigo received @endocrinesociety.bsky.social’s Richard E. Weitzman Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award, which recognizes an exceptionally promising young clinical or basic investigator. buff.ly/5G8Lz93

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Professor of Pharmacology Erin Calipari was selected as a finalist of the 2026 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. She is one of 18 early-career scientists competing for three unrestricted laureate prizes. buff.ly/Be2j3Fs

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Prof. of Pharmacology @heidihamm.bsky.social received the Herbert Tabor Research Award from @asbmb.bsky.social. This award is given for outstanding, innovative accomplishments in biological chemistry and molecular biology and contributions to the community of scientists. buff.ly/KKNb4nb

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry Larry Marnett received the Honn-McGiff Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent International Meeting on Lipid Mediators in Health and Disease for his pioneering research on bioactive lipids. buff.ly/rk7feyc

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

OUR 👏 FACULTY 👏 ARE 👏 ON 👏 A 👏 ROLL 👏 These past few weeks have brought a whirlwind of awards for the School of Medicine Basic Sciences community. Learn about the recognitions of two senior and two junior faculty members, and join us in congratulating them! 🧵👇️

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🧬 Join us for the next Kairos Lecture featuring Yi Ren, associate professor of biochemistry, who will discuss how viruses hijack the machinery our cells use to make proteins. 📅 Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. in MRBIII 🎉 Reception to follow Learn more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Yi Ren to deliver September Kairos Lecture

Yi Ren, associate professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, will deliver a Kairos Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 24.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Vanderbilt trainees recently explored Boston’s life sciences ecosystem through ASPIRE on the Road, visiting startups, global pharma companies, innovation spaces, and industry organizations. They also connected with Vanderbilt alums, gaining insight into careers beyond academia. 👉️ buff.ly/P6EwiMB

A group of people stands in front of one of the murals that celebrate science in Kendall Square. The colorful mural shows scientists in lab coats, with pipettes or syringes, and people with band-aids on their arms as if they'd just received a vaccine.

A group of people stand in front of a building's entrance labeled 700 Main Street North. An awning has a sign that says "Lab | Central."

Anthony Ferranti, left, and Tricia Thornton-Wells smile at the camera.

Three people holding beverages smile for the camera. From left, Alexandra Dornbush, Young Tae Lee, and Walter Chazin.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

✨ One more shout out to the 2026 @vucellimaging.bsky.social #LifeIsBeautiful Image Contest winners! 🥇 Spencer Rothfuss, “Nano Snowflake” 🥈 Hannah Collins, “The Art of Recycling” 🥉 James Hayes, “Zebrafish embryonic pupil” Discover the beauty of biology through microscopy: buff.ly/pNtBpvP

Scanning electron micrograph showing a mostly flat plane with small, medium, and large spheres throughout the midground and background. In the center of the image is a snowflake-looking, dark gray ice crystal.

Two rows of vertical images that come together to make a composition. The bottom images are a repetition of the top images, but in different colors and placements (i.e, the top left image is the same as the bottom right image and the top right image is the same image as the bottom left image; the remaining image is in the middle in both top and bottom). The top left image looks like a green “c”; the bottom right is magenta. The top middle image is a network of purple over the same green “c”; the bottom middle is the same network, but in green over the magenta “c.” The top right is the same green c and magenta network, but with baby-blue cells overlaid on top. Dark blue lines crisscross the edges. On the bottom left, the cells are shown in cyan, but the dark blue lines remain.

Egg-like shape (a zebrafish eye) with a bright yellow and orange circle in the middle (the pupil). The pupil is surrounded by a circle of dark blue and then purple and then red, though the colors fade into one another so that they change as if on a gradient. The whole thing is surrounded by what looks like a net with hexagonal holes; these are cell borders “lit up” by staining for the researcher’s protein of interest.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

🧠 Meet Ritika Raghavan, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in #neuroscience who is exploring how GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs affect the #brain and what their mechanisms can teach us about #obesity and metabolic disease. Read more about Ritika's journey 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Trainee Tribute: Ritika Raghavan

Meet Ritika Raghavan, a fifth-year neuroscience Ph.D. candidate in Julio Ayala’s lab.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

🧬 How do viruses hijack the machinery our cells use to make proteins? Join us for the next Kairos Lecture featuring Yi Ren, associate professor of biochemistry, who will answer this question. 📅 Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. in MRBIII Learn more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Yi Ren to deliver September Kairos Lecture

Yi Ren, associate professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, will deliver a Kairos Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 24.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

✨ Congratulations to the 2026 #LifeIsBeautiful Image Contest winners! 🥇 Spencer Rothfuss, “Nano Snowflake” 🥈 Hannah Collins, “The Art of Recycling” 🥉 James Hayes, “Zebrafish embryonic pupil” Discover the beauty of biology through microscopy: medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Meet Aditya “Sunny” Sundaresan, one of our latest #staff spotlight featurees who is a business and financial analyst supporting our school. Get to know Sunny, learn about his role, and discover what he enjoys most about being part of the Vanderbilt community. medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

School of Medicine Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight: Aditya “Sunny” Sundaresan

Meet Aditya “Sunny” Sundaresan, a Pod 2 business and financial analyst.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

💊 Looking to expand your expertise in drug discovery? WCNDD's online Applied Drug Discovery & Development Certificate offers practical, industry-relevant training from leaders in the field. 👉 hubs.li/Q04r56nd0

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

🧬 A new method developed by researchers in the Ken Lau lab makes it possible to recover more intact cells from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples—potentially unlocking difficult-to-access but valuable molecular information. Read more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Unlocking the past: New method helps gain insights into old tissues

New research from the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology will unlock previously inaccessible biological secrets from over 100-years’ worth of patient samples from across the globe.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

👩‍🔬 For more than 20 years, Colleen Niswender has been advancing small-molecule drug discovery. Now, she’s bringing that expertise to the next generation of drug discovery professionals as an instructor in Vanderbilt’s AD3 Certificate program. Explore the AD3 faculty 👉 hubs.li/Q04r558l0

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Explore the AD3 Faculty

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

🎉 Congrats to our faculty members who were promoted or received new appointments between April and June 2026! These individuals significantly enrich our pursuit of pathbreaking #research and contribute to the growth and success of our school. Read more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Celebrating appointments and promotions in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences: April–June 2026

Congratulations to our School of Medicine Basic Sciences faculty members who were promoted or received new appointments between April and June 2026! These individuals significantly enrich our pursu…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

🔬 Congrats to the inaugural Richard M. Caprioli Award for Technology Education recipients—Nury Lee, Isabella Silvestri and Zachary Lehmann, all graduate students in Cell and Developmental Biology—who are using the #award to pursue specialized training. 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

A knock-on effect: The Richard M. Caprioli Award for Technology Education benefits trainees and their labs

The Richard M. Caprioli Award for Technology Education funds a training opportunity for selected graduate students in the biomedical sciences who seek hands-on training and education in new technol…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

📣 The @vucellimaging.bsky.social Life Is Beautiful Image Contest submission deadline has been extended to Aug. 17. If you've captured stunning scientific imagery using a CISR microscope, you now have more time to share your work and a chance to win 💰️. medschool.vanderbilt.edu/cisr/image-c...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Image Contest

Contest Details: The Cell Imaging Shared Resource is hosting its third annual Life Is Beautiful Image Contest. The contest, which features stunning scientific imagery of the inherent beauty of life…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

🧠 How do billions of cells in the brain communicate, adapt, and shape behavior? That’s the question driving the research of Ege Kavalali. Learn how Kavalali’s journey has shaped his groundbreaking work on synapses, neurotransmission, and brain function. 👉 news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/07/15/e...

news.vanderbilt.edu

Ege Kavalali: From Circuits to Synapses

Ege Kavalali, chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, wants to know how the billions of cells in our brains talk to each other all day.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

🌟 In our latest Staff Spotlight, we are featuring Caitlin Peters, administrative assistant for the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center. Learn more about Caitlin and the contributions she makes to support the research mission of our school. 💙 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

School of Medicine Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight: Cailtin Peters

Meet Caitlin Peters, administrative assistant for the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

🔬✨ Don't forget, CISR’s annual Life Is Beautiful Image Contest is open until Aug. 3! Researchers and trainees who have captured an image using a @vucellimaging.bsky.social microscope are invited to submit their work—and to win cash prizes. 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/cisr/image-c...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Image Contest

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

🔬 ✍️ In a powerful personal reflection, inaugural dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences Larry Marnett shares how decades of studying #cancer shaped his perspective when he faced his own diagnosis. Read his full story 👉 news.vumc.org/momentum/whe...

news.vumc.org

When a scientist gets cancer

A cancer expert’s journey through his own diagnosis and care.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

💊 Advance your career in #drugdiscovery! Vanderbilt's Applied Drug Discovery & Development Certificate provides the practical knowledge and real-world perspective needed to understand the journey from scientific discovery to new therapies. Learn more 👉 hubs.li/Q04mblkL0

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Applied Drug Discovery & Development (AD3) Certificate

Dive into the exciting world of drug discovery and development with the Applied Drug Discovery & Development (AD3) Certificate program.

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Colleen Niswender and Jennifer Sucre on being named 2026 Chancellor Faculty Fellows! This prestigious recognition celebrates Vanderbilt's most promising recently tenured faculty. Read more 👉 news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/06/24/2...

news.vanderbilt.edu

2026 Chancellor Faculty Fellows Selected

Eleven of Vanderbilt University’s most promising recently tenured faculty have been awarded spots in the 2026 Chancellor Faculty Fellows program. This year’s recipients demonstrate exceptional and…

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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences @vubasicsciences.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

💊 Advance your expertise in drug discovery on your schedule. Earn the Applied Drug Discovery & Development (AD3) Certificate from one of the world's leading neuroscience drug discovery centers at Vanderbilt. Enroll today 👉 hubs.ly/Q04hXMQh0

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