Research
Research roundup: 11 things we learned this year
May. 23, 2025—Illustrations by Liz Chagnon Faculty in the College of Arts and Science are pursuing groundbreaking research and discovery across a wide range of fields. They advance scientific progress, artistic expression, and a deeper understanding of the world around us—its past, present, and future. Here are a few things we’ve learned from our faculty this academic...
Scientists discover new evidence of intermediate-mass black holes
May. 23, 2025—In the world of black holes, there are generally three size categories: stellar-mass black holes (about five to 50 times the mass of the sun), supermassive black holes (millions to billions of times the mass of the sun), and intermediate-mass black holes with masses somewhere in between. While we know that intermediate-mass black holes should...
Looking back for the future
May. 17, 2025—Our past has something to say. 2025 Guggenheim Fellow Larisa DeSantis is ready to translate.
Quantum Potential Podcast Episode 7: Deconstructing the political polling process with Josh Clinton
May. 14, 2025—Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair and professor of political science, and co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how transparency and increasing public literacy ...
Vanderbilt joins Global Urban Humanities Network of scholars and practitioners
May. 8, 2025—Vanderbilt University has joined the Urban Humanities Network (UHN) as a consortium campus, solidifying the university’s place among leading institutions at the forefront of urban humanities scholarship. Established in 2022, UHN unites universities, or...
Vanderbilt Brain Institute marks 25 years of discovery with 2025 Brain Blast celebration
May. 7, 2025—Since its inception in 1999, the VBI has spearheaded interdisciplinary neuroscience research and education. Over the years, the VBI has grown into a vibrant, trans-institutional hub that spans the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, the College of Arts ...
Growing academically and personally through undergraduate research
Apr. 21, 2025—In many ways, the Vanderbilt undergraduate experience is a unique one. One example is in the unparalleled, hands-on research opportunities that students have from the moment they step onto campus. Undergraduate research is a defining experience at Vanderbilt, providing students the opportunity to think critically, apply their knowledge, and engage in the scientific process. However,...
Every day needs a night: study examines impact of artificial light on life cycle of trees
Apr. 8, 2025—While taking a flight one evening, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lin Meng observed that the landscape outside of her window was lit up entirely by artificial light. In that moment, a thought crossed her mind: artificial light is everywhere, but what are the ecological consequences? Meng explored that question in a recent...
Castiglione Lab discover horses run faster by ignoring an ancient mutation that says ‘stop’
Apr. 7, 2025—New work from the Castiglione lab and that of collaborator, Elia Duh (Johns Hopkins), is shaping the way is shaping the way we understand the evolutionary limits of energy production. He discovered that the horse, an oft-studied, physiological powerhou...
Julia Velkovska: Solving the world’s minuscule mysteries
Apr. 6, 2025—When Julia Velkovska views the world, it’s through a microscopic lens. As Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Physics and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Velkovska studies the tiny particles that form our universe. She focuses on h...