Students mourn the loss of junior Richard Meredith
Meredith, who died the week of Dec. 22 in an automobile accident, was a recent transfer from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland to the College of Arts and Science. A university-planned memorial service will be held later this month.
Conjoined twins born this Sunday await surgery at Medical Center
Conjoined twins were born about 10 weeks early at the Johnson City Medical Center and are in stable condition, according to Children's Hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway. The twins, Zoey Marie and Keylee Ann Miller, will have surgery for separation in about three to five months.
Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital ranked 15th best by Parents Magazine
The listing, which will appear in the February issue of Parents Magazine, was the third national accolade earned by the hospital this year, according to the Vanderbilt News Service. The rankings were based on a 240-question survey of the hospital's performance, taking into account survival rates, staff qualifications, patient safety efforts, research and the number of complex procedures performed.
NFL Grant will help to further sports medicine research
National Football League charities awarded $1.5 million dollars in grants to support sports medicine research at Vanderbilt and 15 other organizations, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center publication. The grants are intended to help further research for sports-related medical issues such as ACL prevention and repair, joint stability and biomechanics, cardiovascular risk factors, cartilage repair, bone grafting and mild traumatic brain injury research.
Blair School of Music announced new endowed chair
Professor of Violin Cornelia Heard has been named holder of the newly created Valerie Blair Potter Chair. In addition to teaching, Heard is a violinist for the Blair String Quartet, and has performed as a soloist in several different symphonies. The chair was endowed by the grandchildren of Valerie Blair Potter, the founder of the preparatory school that became the Blair School of Music in 1981.
Professor leads study linking dopamine receptors to risk taking behavior
Associate Professor of Psychology David Zald's research has found that risk takers and impulsive people have trouble controlling themselves due to the way their brains process dopamine, according to the Vanderbilt News Service. Labeled "novelty seekers" by psychologists, these people have less of a particular type of dopamine receptor, leading them to seek out exciting experiences. The research was published in the Dec. 31 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
