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DRTC - Vanderbilt University
2220 Pierce Avenue
715 PRB
Nashville, TN
[WEBSITE]

The Vanderbilt DRTC, an interdisciplinary program involving 98 participating faculty distributed among 18 departments in two schools and four colleges at Vanderbilt and at neighboring Meharry Medical College, consists of:

  1. Administrative Component that coordinates the scientific, organizational, and outreach activities of the VDRTC
  2. Biomedical Research Component that recruits and selects VDRTC-affiliated investigators and supervises research cores that facilitate and enhance their research
  3. Prevention/Control Core with a Clinical Outcomes and Behavioral Sciences Unit at Vanderbilt and a Community Outreach and Health Disparities Unit (at Meharry Medical College), that work cooperatively;
  4. Pilot and Feasibility Program that facilitates the development of new investigators into fully independent scientists and encourages scientists in other fields to enter the field of diabetes research;
  5. Enrichment, Training, and Outreach Program that fosters an environment conducive to collaborative, interdisciplinary research (VDRTC Seminar Series, Vanderbilt Diabetes Center Diabetes Day, visiting scientists), and to training new diabetes scientists

 

The VDRTC also enhances the efforts of three diabetes-related training grants, which is in keeping with the idea that VDRTCs promote education and training. These are T32 DK07061-32 (PI, James May, M.D.), "Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology," an NRSA postdoctoral grant that provides research training in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism for four postdoctoral trainees each year; T32 DK07563-19 (PI, Richard O'Brien, Ph.D.), "Training Program in Molecular Endocrinology," an NRSA grant that provides research training for eight pre-and four postdoctoral trainees each year; and T35 DK07383-27 (PI, Alvin C. Powers, M.D.), "Short-Term Research Training," an NRSA grant that provides research training for 25 medical students in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism each summer.

Cores

Assay & Analytical : The Hormone Assay & Analytical Services Core is a support laboratory at VUSM administered by the VDRTC and MMPC. The primary objective of the core is to provide sensitive, inexpensive, and reproducible analyses to investigators that..

Animal Physiology & Phenotyping : The Metabolic Physiology Shared Resource Core (David Wasserman, Ph.D., and Stephen Davis, M.D., Co-directors) assists investigators wishing to..

Cell Biology & Image Analysis : The Cell Imaging Resource Core (David Piston, Ph.D., Scientific Director) supports the full range of modern microscopy and digital imaging capabilities and is heavily used by DRTC investigators.

Islet Procurement & Analysis : The Islet Procurement and Analysis Core (IPA Core) is supported by the VDRTC to provide access to isolated pancreatic islets from normal and diabetic models.

Prevention & Control : Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College (MMC) have joined talents and resources in our Prevention and Control (P&C) Core, which promotes innovative diabetes-related translational research.

Transgenic & Gene Modification : The Transgenic / ES Cell Shared Resource assists investigators in the generation and maintenance of genetically modified mice and mouse ES cell lines. Please submit service requests to

People

David H. Wasserman, Ph.D. : Co-Director, Metabolic Physiology Core, . Phone: 615-343-7336

Stephen N. Davis, M.D. : Co-Director, Metabolic Physiology Core, . Phone: 615-936-1649

Larry Swift, PhD : Lipid Core Director, Hormone Assay & Analytical Services Core, . Phone: 615-343-2646

Wanda Snead DHSc, M.S. : Manager, Hormone Assay & Analytical Services Core, . Phone: 615-936-1625

Alan Cherrington, PhD : Director, Hormone Assay & Analytical Services Core, . Phone: 615-322-7013

Sam Wells Ph.D. : Managing Director, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 712 and 742 Light Hall. Phone: 615-322-6687

David Piston Ph.D. : Director, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 735 Light Hall.. Phone: 615-322-7030

Sean Schaffer : Research Assistant III, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 4155 MRBIII. Phone: 615-936-3706

Carol Ann Bonner : Lab Manager, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 742 Light Hall. Phone: 615-936-3706

Bob Matthews, PhD : Research Associate Professor, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 738 Light Hall. Phone: 615-343-3750

Mary Dawes, MS : Electron Microscopist, Cell Imaging Core, Office: 742 Light Hall. Phone: 615-343-3750.

Marcela Brissova : Islet Procurement and Analysis Core Director, . Phone: 615-936-1672

Anastasia Golovin : Research Assistant, Islet Procurement & Analysis Core, . Phone: 615-936-2858

Tom A. Elasy , M.D., M.P.H. : Director, Prevention and Control Core, . Phone: 615-936-7772

David G. Schlundt, Ph.D. : Director, Clinical Outcomes & Behavioral Science (COBS) Unit, . Phone: 615-322-7800

Margaret Hargreaves, Ph.D. : Director, Community Outreach & Health Disparities (COHD) Unit, . Phone: 615-327-6999

Roland W. Stein, Ph.D. : Director, Pilot & Feasibility Program, . Phone: 615-322-7026

Alvin C. Powers, M.D. : Center Director, . Phone: 615-936-7678

Ronald Emeson, Ph.D. : Director, Transgenic Core, . Phone: 615-936-1688