Nashville (1975)

Outstanding dramatic and documentary works are free and open to the public through the acclaimed International Lens film series, which has announced its spring line-up of films. Listen to InterVU with Marci Angevine, International Lens co-chair.

NFL Hall of Famer Raymond Berry (center) wore a Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular necktie in honor of his friend Andre Churchwell, associate professor of medicine (cardiology), radiology and biomedical engineering, at Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. Image courtesy of Super Bowl XLVI broadcast.

Raymond Berry, a former wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and former coach of the New England Patriots, wore a little bit of Vanderbilt at Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI when he presented the Vince Lombardi trophy to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell following the game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The 78-year-old Berry wore a tie designed for the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute by his friend Andre Churchwell, associate professor of medicine (cardiology), radiology and biomedical engineering, and associate dean for diversity for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The tie has a black background with tiny gold V’s and a small red heart within each V.

Image courtesy of Super Bowl XLVI broadcast.

Berry and Johnny Unitas, the Colts’ quarterback, gave the Colts one of the “greatest pass-catch teams of all time,” according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Three straight times Berry led the league in receptions and caught a then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns in his 13-year career.

Berry’s story is one off “determination, dedication and desire,” according to the Hall of Fame. He wore special shoes because one leg was shorter than the other and didn’t become a starter on his high school football team until his senior year – even though his father was the coach.

“He was a hero of mine as a child growing up in East Nashville,” Churchwell said. “I related to him on a number of levels. He had to wear glasses and he wasn’t the most physically gifted player, but he worked hard. I studied him intensely, like I was studying for an exam. I wrote No. 82 on the back of my t-shirt with a magic marker.”

About two years ago Churchwell found out through a mutual acquaintance that Berry was living in Murfreesboro and asked to meet his childhood hero. The two spent more than two hours together. “I went in with about 50 to 100 questions that I had written down that I wanted to ask him,” Churchwell said.

While playing for the Colts Berry led the league in receptions and caught a then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns in his 13-year career.

Berry carried the 22-inch, sterling silver trophy to the winner’s stage at midfield, walking through a line of Giants players who reached out to touch the trophy, to kiss it, and to pat him on the back. Berry handed the seven-pound trophy to Goodell on the stage, who presented it to the Giants.

H. Richard Milner IV (Wolf Hoffman)

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) will present its 2012 Outstanding Book Award to H. Richard Milner IV for Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today’s Classrooms Feb. 19 at its 64^th annual meeting in Chicago.

Milner is an associate professor of education and a founding director of the Learning, Diversity and Urban Studies graduate program in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.

“Rich Milner is an outstanding scholar whose latest work demands that we think differently about longstanding educational inequities,” said Camilla P. Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Peabody. “We at Vanderbilt are proud that AACTE has recognized his provocative and inspiring book with this well-deserved award.”

Milner’s latest book, published by Harvard Education Press in 2010, addresses a critical issue in educator preparation: the need to prepare pre-service and in-service teachers adequately for the racially diverse student populations in their classrooms.

“The text offers well-constructed, closely analyzed case studies that introduce us to diverse teacher candidates and illuminate their development as culturally responsive teachers,” said Jennie Whitcomb, associate dean for teacher education at the University of Colorado at Boulder and chair of the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination. “The book addresses real-life issues and dilemmas and is relevant for both teachers and teacher educators, and the vivid case studies illustrate how teacher educators can challenge candidates to move forward in their respective journeys.”

Rogers Hall, professor and chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, said, “Milner’s approach is to challenge mindsets as an educator working with pre-service teachers, and through his research, to show how effective teachers take practical and positive steps towards a caring, contextually sensitive practice of teaching that provides rich opportunities for learning. Milner’s case studies and larger framework provide a much-needed set of resources for moving forward.”

The AACTE Outstanding Book Award recognizes exemplary books that make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of teacher education or of teaching and learning with implications for teacher education.

The AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination, which oversees the Outstanding Book Award, chose Milner’s work for meeting a variety of selection criteria, including: originality of thought in critical analyses of particular assumptions or practices and outlining of proposals that reorient thinking in teacher education; demonstration of high-quality scholarship through synthesis and effective use of research and critical thinking in an area relevant to teacher education; and potential for significant impact on policy or practice in teacher education.

Dr. Andre Churchwell and NFL Hall of Famer Raymond Berry with Berry's Hall of Fame jacket and the tie he plans to wear when presenting the Vince Lobardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLVI Feb. 5.

Raymond Berry, a former wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and former coach of the New England Patriots, plans to be wearing a little bit of Vanderbilt at tomorrow’s Super Bowl XLVI where he will present the Vince Lombardi trophy to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell following the game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The 78-year-old Berry plans to wear a tie designed for the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute by his friend Andre Churchwell, M.D., associate professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, and associate dean for diversity for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The tie has a black background with tiny gold V’s and a small red heart within each V.

Berry and Johnny Unitas, the Colts’ quarterback, gave the Colts one of the “greatest pass-catch teams of all time,” according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Three straight times Berry led the league in receptions and caught a then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns in his 13-year career.

Berry’s story is one off “determination, dedication and desire,” according to the Hall of Fame. He wore special shoes because one leg was shorter than the other and didn’t become a starter on his high school football team until his senior year – even though his father was the coach.

“He was a hero of mine as a child growing up in East Nashville,” Churchwell said. “I related to him on a number of levels. He had to wear glasses and he wasn’t the most physically gifted player, but he worked hard. I studied him intensely, like I was studying for an exam. I wrote No. 82 on the back of my t-shirt with a magic marker.”

About two years ago Churchwell found out through a mutual acquaintance that Berry was living in Murfreesboro and asked to meet his childhood hero. The two spent more than two hours together. “I went in with about 50 to 100 questions that I had written down that I wanted to ask him,” Churchwell said.

While playing for the Colts Berry led the league in receptions and caught a then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns in his 13-year career.

Berry will carry the 22-inch, sterling silver trophy to the winner’s stage at midfield, and will hand it to Goodell, who will present the seven-pound trophy to the winning team.

Doug Christiansen (Vanderbilt)

Applications are up across all geographic regions and ethnic groups, said Douglas Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. All four undergraduate schools – the College of Arts and Science, Peabody School of education and human development, Blair School of Music and the School of Engineering – have received a record amount of applications this year.

“Vanderbilt is clearly fulfilling its promise as a national and world university,” Christiansen said.  “We’re still processing the applications, but it appears that all the quality factors such as class rank, rigor of course work, leadership, extracurricular activities and test scores will all increase, as well.”

Applications from international students increased 32 percent, as did those from every national region including the West (29 percent) Southwest (13.5 percent), South (14.6 percent) and the New York area (10 percent). The increases were across all racial categories.

On the graduate level, applications were up 12 percent, with 7,855 received as of Jan. 15, said Dennis G. Hall, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school. Some graduate schools continue to accept applications after that deadline.

A portion of the proceeds from the game against the Detroit Red Wings will benefit the Vanderbilt Childhood Cancer Program. A silent auction during the 7 p.m. game at Bridgestone Arena also will benefit the Nashville Predators Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Last season, the Predators provided $181,000 in support to the Children’s Hospital, adding to the endowed pediatric cancer research fund they created in 2010 and supporting other programs. This season they are once again allowing hockey fans to support their efforts all season.

In addition, a bone marrow donor registration drive will be held during the game and a Children’s Hospital cancer survivor, Ashley Scott, will serve as the child ambassador and “Mayor of Smashville” for the night.

To purchase tickets for the March 10 game, use the offer code “Vanderbilt.” First-time users must create an account. In addition to the fundraising game against the Red Wings, Vanderbilt employees can buy discounted Predators tickets all season using the Vanderbilt offer code.

Ed Higgins, (615) 343-1270
ed.higgins@Vanderbilt.Edu

"Seattle Sky," by Rebecca Cummins. Image courtesy of the artist.

The movement of light is explored through image sequences and installation in the newest Space 204 exhibition, Apparent Light. On display from Thursday, March 1, though Thursday, March 29, 2012, Rebecca Cummins’ work investigates what she calls “the sculptural, experiential and sometimes humorous possibilities of light and natural phenomena.”

A public reception will be held Thursday, March 1, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Space 204 is sponsored by the Vanderbilt University Department of Art and is located on the second floor of the E. Bronson Ingram Studio Art Center, 25th Avenue South and Garland on the Vanderbilt campus. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cummin’s work often references the history of science and optical devices and, according to the artist, has incorporated “rainbow machines, paranoid dinner table devices, video rifles, photographs, video, sundials and site-specific portable camera obscuras.”

Diane Acree, (615) 343-7241
diane.acree@vanderbilt.edu

(Photo courtesy of Earth and Environmental Sciences/ Vanderbilt University)

The geology walk through Percy Warner Park’s Mossy Ridge Trail scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, has been POSTPONED due to a forecast of inclement weather.

The walk was to feature Vanderbilt Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Molly Miller; Anne Choquette, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey; and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.

The walk will be rescheduled for a later date.

Read more about the event.

Contact: Jenna Smith, (615) 967-8186
jenna.smith@nashville.gov

Daniel Barocas, M.D., and colleagues are studying whether the size of a man's prostate gland can help predict the severity of cancer. (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

The size of a man’s prostate gland may help predict the severity of cancer, with a smaller prostate being more likely to harbor serious disease.

This finding by a group of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers was published in the December issue of the Journal of Urology. Fourth-year medical resident Judson Davies, M.D., was first author on the paper.

The investigators reviewed 1,251 cases of prostate cancer among men who had their prostates surgically removed between January 2000 and June 2008. The patients were considered to have low-risk disease because their prostates were producing low levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and they had a Gleason score of six or less. The Gleason score is a measure of the grade or severity of cancer found during initial biopsies.

The researchers looked at cases of only low-risk patients who might be candidates for less aggressive treatment, including observation, which is sometimes called “active surveillance.” These options are considered safe for some patients because prostate cancer often grows so slowly that it may never pose a threat to the patient’s life.

The VICC investigators found that in 31 percent of the cases, when pathologists examined tissue removed after surgery, the severity of the cancer was upgraded from the pre-surgery analysis, and men with smaller prostates were more likely to have their cancer upgraded after surgery.

“Our field suffers from this great confusion because in half of men you can find prostate cancer in microscopic amounts that may not be clinically significant and yet it’s the second leading cause of cancer death among men,” said Daniel Barocas, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Urologic Surgery and senior author on the study.

“The more you look for it, the more you find it; but that doesn’t help us figure out who needs treatment and who doesn’t.”

Cancer investigators are trying to ascertain additional clues that will help physicians counsel patients about whether it is safe to choose less aggressive treatment instead of removing the prostate gland or treating it with radiation. In earlier research, Barocas and his colleagues found hints that prostate size might provide additional prognostic information.

“There’s nothing about size that would necessarily predict a bad outcome. What it’s really about is the ratio of PSA to size, or PSA density, meaning that a small prostate that is making a lot of PSA is likely to be due to a bad tumor, whereas a large prostate making a lot of PSA is likely to be due to benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH),” said Barocas.

Barocas said the new findings provide one more piece of evidence for physicians to consider when talking with their patients.

Based on these new findings, in a low-risk patient, Barocas said he would be more likely to recommend aggressive treatment if the prostate is very small because there may be a greater chance of high-grade disease. But prostate size still isn’t a definitive clue and more precise tests are needed.

“The imaging for prostate cancer is relatively weak because the disease tends to be diffuse, rather than growing in what we think of as a tumor – a spherical nodule. Prostate cancer tends to grow along the glands in a sort of flat pattern, so it’s a little harder to detect. A better test, which we don’t yet have, would reliably image or identify where in the prostate the tumor lies,” said Barocas.

“What will be necessary is larger scale investment in prospective research to identify better biomarkers and imaging techniques to determine which cancers are truly threatening to patients.”

Renowned experts on preservation of African and Afro-descended slave records gathered at Vanderbilt Feb. 2-4 to launch the university’s new Ecclesiastical and Secular Sources for Slave Societies digital archive and website.

The three-day conference, “New Sources for the Study of Slave Societies,” opened Feb. 2 with Velásquez, professor of history at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, speaking on “Africans and Afrodescendant Women in Mexico City during Colonial Times: Social Relationships and Cultural Reproduction.”

Graduate student Rene Raphemot, right, and Jerod Denton, Ph.D., are investigating new methods to halt the scourge of malaria, which Raphemot contracted as a child in Africa. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt)

Rene Raphemot, a Vanderbilt graduate student in Pharmacology, remembers shivering in a hospital bed, his 9-year-old body weakened by malaria.

A native of Gabon, Africa, Raphemot knows firsthand how a single mosquito bite can lead to extreme suffering and even death. Today, however, his smile stretches wide as he speaks of his personal efforts to end the scourge.

Raphemot, now 27, and his mentor, Jerod Denton, Ph.D., assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, are conducting research funded by a three-year, $1.4 million grant from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) to discover chemicals that could lead to novel ways of killing mosquitoes that spread malaria, a disease that claims 1 million lives annually.

Denton is collaborating with Peter Piermarini, Ph.D., assistant professor of Entomology at the Ohio State University (OSU) and Klaus Beyenbach,  Ph.D., professor of Physiology at Cornell University.

Their project is one of four funded in 2011 by the FNIH as part of its “New Insecticides for Malaria Control” program, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Corey Hopkins, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry and associate director of Medicinal Chemistry for the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, and David Weaver, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology and director of the Vanderbilt High-Throughput Screening Center, are also collaborating on the project.

The team is looking for small molecules that induce kidney failure in Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito species that carry malaria. The Denton lab focuses on drug discovery for potassium channels, one of the molecular targets in the mosquito research. Beyenbach has studied insect kidney function for more than 30 years, and Piermarini, a former fellow of Beyenbach and principal investigator on the FNIH grant, is conducting related research in his lab at Ohio State.

The recent award has given them the opportunity to combine their expertise to fight malaria, and having Raphemot on board has made the effort that much more rewarding, said Denton.

“For me, personally, one of the most exciting parts of this project is that Rene will be conducting drug discovery for a disease that has a devastating impact in his home country,” he said.

Raphemot’s family, already proud of the young scholar, was excited to learn he was working on a project to combat malaria.

“Before, when they knew I was going to be doing medical research, they kept asking me, ‘Why can’t you work on a cure for malaria?’” Raphemot said. “Now, I am actually working on something that can benefit them, and they are very happy.”

The principle behind the research is simple – the team hopes to induce kidney failure in mosquitoes, preventing them from eliminating fluids and deadly toxins after a blood meal. When a female mosquito feeds, she takes on her body weight in fluid, but at the same time her body begins a “rapid diuretic response” to eliminate the waste products.

“If we can impair the diuretic response, then the ingested salt and water and nitrogenous waste products of protein metabolism can’t be off-loaded as part of their detoxification process,” said Denton.

“Kidney failure should also lead to severe abdominal bloating, which would make the mosquito heavier and more susceptible to predators.”

Denton said the FNIH funding, Vanderbilt’s cooperative research environment and the partnership with leading researchers at other institutions represent the perfect collaboration to test a new way of killing mosquitoes and potentially have a positive impact on a truly devastating disease.

The majority of equipment owned by the previous supplier was replaced with new dumpsters and compactors over the holiday break. Waste Management is now handling all Vanderbilt service requirements throughout the central campus, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Athletics.

“When Vanderbilt’s prior waste and recycling services contract expired, we saw significant opportunities to save money and improve the efficiency and environmental stewardship of the institution and its operations,” said Bob Peabody, associate director in Procurement Services.  “The evaluation of bids received from interested suppliers involved numerous stakeholders from across the Vanderbilt community, who are excited to begin partnering with Waste Management.”

Not only are there significant financial savings with this change, but Waste Management will allow Vanderbilt to further enhance recycling and sustainability programs through:

• The provision of expanded plastics and mixed-recyclables collection;
• Where appropriate, the installation of Smart Energy solar-powered compactors, the first of which is already in operation behind The Commons Center;
• Targeted programs and initiatives for increasing the availability of and participation in recycling opportunities on campus; and
• State-of-the-art online dashboards accessible by the Vanderbilt community that will provide waste and recycling metrics necessary to focus and monitor the effectiveness of Vanderbilt waste minimization initiatives and programs.

For more information about service from Waste Management, contact Bob Peabody in Procurement Services at (615) 322-2754.

If you would like information on sustainability or recycling programs, visit the SustainVU website or contact Andrea George, director of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office at sustainvu@vanderbilt.edu.

Contact: Kendra Abkowitz, (615) 322-9022
kendra.j.abkowitz@vanderbilt.edu

Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Jeff Balser discussed strategic initiatives for VUMC at the Winter Faculty Meeting Feb. 1. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt)

Speaking to a packed auditorium on Feb. 1 during the 2012 Winter Faculty Meeting, Jeff Balser, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, addressed progressive growth in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s national reputation while also outlining ongoing, strategic efforts targeted to ensure the medical center’s continued economic strength.

(Image courtesy of the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco)

Vanderbilt and Fisk universities will co-host the Black Migration Symposium Feb. 10-11 on both university campuses.

Sessions will be held Friday, Feb. 10, at Vanderbilt’s Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. Sessions on Saturday, Feb. 11, will take place at Fisk University’s Jubilee Hall. The symposium is free and open to the public.

The Black Migration Symposium seeks to examine, from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives, a range of issues pertaining to the challenges, possibilities and tensions that have emerged from the migration and settlement of Black/black people – self-identified and identified as such – in varying sites and contexts in Africa and the African diaspora – in particular the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe.

“Our aim is not simply to explore Black migration, but also to interrogate the very questions, concepts and experiences that have informed this ever-evolving process relative to the arts (broadly understood), identity matters, intergroup relations, politics, policies and race, as well as trends in research and pedagogy,” organizers said.

For a schedule of speakers and session topics, visit the symposium’s website.

Recycled "tin man" (image courtesy of SustainVU/Vanderbilt University)

With recycling bins in most hallways and break rooms throughout Vanderbilt’s campus, it’s easier than ever to “pitch in.” RecycleMania, an intercollegiate competition that encourages participation in recycling, provides extra incentive to recycle during the months of February and March.

RecycleMania began in 2001 as a friendly competition between two universities to encourage recycling. It has since grown into an international competition among more than 600 colleges and universities.

Vanderbilt accepts numerous materials for recycling, including cardboard, paper, aluminum and steel cans, all plastic containers, electronics, ink and toner cartridges, batteries, light bulbs, glass, pens and mechanical pencils. For more information, visit “Recycling Guidance” on the SustainVU website.

RecycleMania points are tallied not only for a university’s recycling efforts, but also for its efforts to REDUCE waste.  Follow these tips for reducing waste in your area:

• Set up computers and printers to print double-sided as a default.
• Keep scrap paper next to your printer to use for printing or notes whenever appropriate.
• Bring meals in reusable containers, or eat in at Rand or The Commons to reduce packaging waste.
• Reuse file folders.
• Keep a reusable bag in your kitchen or break room to share when shopping or buying lunch.
• Communicate by email or voicemail instead of paper whenever possible.
• Use and reuse interdepartmental mail envelopes.
• Keep a reusable mug, water bottle, plate and silverware at your desk to use instead of disposables.
• Select products that use minimal packaging.
• Recycle everything else.

Learn more about RecycleMania and recycling on campus at the SustainVU website, or by contacting recycle@vanderbilt.edu or (615) 343-2784 (E-ARTH on campus).

Contact: Lindsay Walker, (615) 343-2784
lindsay.walker@vanderbilt.edu

That was good news for the family of Johnny Hahn, a 9-year-old boy with autism who wandered into the Maury County woods last August. Volunteers had combed the area around his aunt and uncle’s house with no sign of the boy, so the Maury County Sheriff called in Ysela Carrillo, M.D., and her redbone coonhound Mason. Using a pair of shorts the boy had slept in the night before, Mason was able to track down Johnny, who was playing in creek about a mile from the house he wandered from.

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt University)

Three panelists experienced in working with public policy makers will share their strategies on how to advocate effectively to improve the disability services system at an event Feb. 15 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

“Educate to Advocate: Strategies to Advance Disability Public Policies” is scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle, Room 241.

The panelists and topics include:

• Elise McMillan, co-director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, who will serve as moderator
• Doria Panvini, chair of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Community Advisory Council, who will address “How a Bill Becomes a Law and Some Dos and Don’ts of Legislative Advocacy”
• William Edington, public policy director of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, who will address “Disability Issues for the Upcoming Session of the Tennessee Legislature”
• Carol Westlake, executive director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, who will address “Federal Disability Issues, Including Health Care Policy/Reform as it Affects Individuals with Disabilities and their Families.”

The event is open to trainees and students, researchers, health care professionals, service providers, educators, individuals with disabilities or family members, and concerned citizens. Registration is required, and lunch will be provided.

Contact: Laurie Fleming, (615) 936-8852
laurie.fleming@vanderbilt.edu

There are photographs of dogs framed and displayed on shelves, and hanging on the wall. There is other dog artwork: some drawings, a woodcarving, even a dog’s image rendered in copper.

Hoffman has known the heights of the dog show world. His bullmastiff Liam won Best in Breed twice at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

But as impressive an achievement as that is, Hoffman, associate professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and medical director of VUH operating rooms, says his true passion is in rescuing dogs and finding them homes. He and his partner Gerald Greer, adjunct artist teacher of violin at the Blair School of Music and associate concertmaster of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, have opened their Franklin home to 20 (!) dogs (most of them bullmastiffs, but also some others, including French bulldogs), and helped find homes for 50 more dogs in the past year. They even founded a rescue organization, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) for bullmastiffs, www.bullmastiffrescuers.org.

Neuss spoke Feb. 1 as part of the Osher Lifelong Learning class, “Medical Advances.” The course is presented by faculty of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and focuses on what the future of medicine holds. Physicians are now able to use a patient’s DNA to select the right drug for treatment. Oncologists can ‘read’ the DNA of a patient’s tumor and tailor treatment for their particular version of cancer. New medical devices have provided new heart valves, ‘pace-makers’ for the brain, and the tools needed to rebuild a spine. This series of lectures introduces medical and surgical treatments that are changing lives today and a preview of the discoveries that are still “works in progress” at Vanderbilt.

The class is part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. The non-credit classes are intended for older adults who want to pursue lifelong learning with the stimulus of lectures and discussions in an informal and relaxed environment.

The Feb. 1 class, “Polarization and the Presidency,” focuses on how changes to the presidential selection process have affected the presidents we elect and on changes to the executive branch more broadly.

The class is part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. The non-credit classes are intended for older adults who want to pursue lifelong learning with the stimulus of lectures and discussions in an informal and relaxed environment.