Research

Science, Technology and Research partnership Clinical Research Network (STAR CRN)

Based at VUMC, the STAR CRN is part of a national network known as PCORnet® that is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to serve as a national resource that enables insights from high-quality health data, patient partnership, and research expertise to advance health outcomes. In the summer of 2023, STAR CRN added two new partners — Essentia Health, a Minnesota-based rural healthcare system, and Stanford University School of Medicine, one of the country’s leading academic medical centers. “The expansion of the STAR CRN to include Stanford and Essentia enhances our capacity to engage diverse communities from across the country in patient-centered research,” said STAR CRN Principal Investigator Russell Rothman, MD, MPP.

STAR CRN comprises Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Meharry Medical College, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Duke Health Care System, UNC Health Care System, Medical University of South Carolina, Mayo Clinic, Essentia Health, and Stanford University. These systems consist of scores of academic and community hospitals, hundreds of practices, and over 25 million patients. The network’s objective is to robustly support projects in comparative effectiveness research, pragmatic clinical trials, and other key research areas. This network can provide access to a broad array of clinical data, patients, providers, and systems to efficiently answer a wide range of research questions.

To learn more about this research, please visit the STAR CRN website.

New Center of Innovation focused on veteran health at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System

A new Health Systems Research Center of Innovation (COIN) at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) for the Department of Veterans Affairs will be directed by Christianne Roumie, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and MPH Program Director at VUMC and a research health scientist at the VA TVHS. The center, VETerans’ Wellbeing Through Innovation Systems Science and Experience in Learning Health Systems (VETWISE-LHS), is based at TVHS in Nashville and aims to prevent early-stage diseases, improve care for complex illnesses through research and innovation, and develop new methods for transforming data into knowledge to enhance veteran health. Roumie will be joined by Associate Directors Michael Matheny, MD, MS, MPH, Director of the Center for Improving the Publics’ Health with Informatics and Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Medicine, and Biostatistics at VUMC, and Lucy Spalluto, MD, MPH, Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences at VUMC. The center’s team includes 36 core and affiliate scientists.

Unlocking New Insights into Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified key differences in how blood vessel growth genes behave in various brain cell types in Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, highlight potential new treatment targets.
Led by Timothy Hohman, PhD, the team analyzed brain tissue from 424 individuals, focusing on vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). They discovered that FLT1, a gene involved in blood vessel development, is linked to cognitive decline and amyloid beta accumulation-hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. The study also revealed that VEGFB, another gene in this family, showed contrasting effects depending on the brain cell type.Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers revealed that Alzheimer’s disrupts typical cell communication involving these genes, with one pathway-VEGFA and FLT1 signaling-remaining active. This suggests a possible role in disease progression and opens new avenues for targeted therapies.

The study was conducted in collaboration with Columbia University and Rush University, with support from the National Institutes of Health.

A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) reveals that AI-driven clinical alerts can help doctors identify patients at risk for suicide, potentially enhancing prevention efforts in routine care.

AI-Powered Alerts Improve Suicide Risk Screening in Medical Settings

Led by Colin Walsh, MD, MA, researchers tested the Vanderbilt Suicide Attempt and Ideation Likelihood (VSAIL) model, an AI system that analyzes electronic health records to assess a patient’s 30-day suicide risk. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, compared two alert systems in VUMC’s neurology clinics: an interruptive pop-up alert that prompted immediate screening and a passive notification in patient charts.The results were striking-42% of screenings occurred with the interruptive alerts, compared to just 4% with the passive system. These findings suggest that well-designed AI alerts could help medical professionals identify high-risk patients more effectively.

“Most people who die by suicide have seen a health care provider in the year before their death, often for unrelated reasons,” Walsh said. “AI can help us focus screening on those most in need.”

While interruptive alerts were more effective, researchers caution against alert fatigue, where too many automated notifications may overwhelm clinicians. Future studies will explore how to optimize these tools while maintaining efficiency.

The study was conducted in collaboration with experts in biomedical informatics, psychiatry, and neurology at VUMC and supported by multiple grants, including from the NIH and the Evelyn Selby Stead Fund for Innovation.

Underuse of Antivirals in Hospitalized Children with Influenza

Despite national guidelines recommending antiviral treatment for all hospitalized children with influenza, a recent multicenter study reveals a significant gap in adherence.

Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study found that nearly half of hospitalized children did not receive antiviral therapy despite endorsements from the CDC, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Of the 1,213 children hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza, only 50% received antivirals. The situation is particularly concerning for infants under 6 months, who are ineligible for flu vaccination and yet had a shockingly low treatment rate of 63%. The overall use of antivirals has declined from 70%-86% in 2017-2018 to below 60% in 2023-2024.

“Antiviral treatment shortens symptoms, reduces complications, and may decrease hospital stays and ICU admissions,” said James Antoon, MD, PhD, MPH, co-lead of the study.

The findings emphasize the need for improved clinical testing and adherence to treatment guidelines to optimize care for children with influenza.

Researchers: Dr. James Antoon, Dr. Justin Amarin, and Dr. Natasha Halasa (Vanderbilt University Medical Center).