Research

Despite a record number of over 400 million cases in 2019, vaccine development for the mosquito-borne dengue virus has been challenging due to the need to protect equally against all four dengue strains. The discovery of new possible biomarkers to predict clinical and immune responses to dengue virus infection could be critical to informing future vaccines.

University of Vermont Provost and Senior Vice President Patty Prelock has announced that David Warshaw, Ph.D., professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, is a 2021 recipient of the University Distinguished Professor Award – the highest academic honor that UVM can bestow upon a member of the faculty.

The University of Vermont Graduate College has announced that Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., professor and chair of microbiology and molecular genetics, has been named one or three 2021-2022 University Scholars. The University Scholars program recognizes distinguished UVM faculty members for sustained excellence in research, scholarship, and creative arts.

On March 18, 2021, researchers from across UVM came together via Zoom for the second edition of the Translational Global Infectious Diseases Research Center's COVID-19 research slam, titled “UVM Tackles COVID-19: Research Progress and Perspectives One Year into the Pandemic.”

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute authored by Brian Sprague, Ph.D., and colleagues provides an analysis of mammography screening rates during the first five months of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Results show a strong rebound in breast cancer screening rates, but also uncover a cumulative deficit, as well as disparities by race, that researchers say require additional attention to understand and address.

Sarah Nowak, Ph.D., and David Seward, M.D., Ph.D., were invested as the inaugural holders of a Huber Early Career Green and Gold Professorship of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine during a virtual ceremony March 30. UVM Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emerita Sally Huber, Ph.D., established two separate Green and Gold professorships, one in honor of each of her parents, that will provide crucial funding to promising assistant professors who are likely to develop into successful, independent basic scientists or physician-scientists.

Eleven scientists leading the way in stroke research, including University of Vermont Professor of Neurological Sciences Marilyn Cipolla, Ph.D., were recognized for their exceptional achievements during the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2021 on March 17-19.

A new study shows that individuals who receive stroke care at facilities that offer consults via stroke telemedicine, known as telestroke, fare better than patients who get stroke care at places without such services, according to researchers from the University of Vermont and the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School.

New findings from UVM researchers and colleagues describe the discovery of a unique dependence of cancer cells on a particular protein, which could lead to desperately-needed treatment for hard-to-treat cancers.

In developing therapies for hard-to-treat breast and ovarian cancers in patients with BRCA gene mutations, scientists aim to identify ways to keep cancer cells from using DNA break repair pathways. New findings from researchers including UVM Professor Sylvie Doublie demonstrate a previously-unknown capability for a key enzyme in this repair function that shows promise as a new avenue for treatment development.