Vanderbilt basic science unit marks decade with pin distribution

Residents near the Vanderbilt campus will find two new locations this week where they can pick up a commemorative item marking a decade of research at the local medical school. The School of Medicine Basic Sciences, known as SOMBS, just completed its first ten years of operation.

The department was created in 2016 after a financial and legal split between Vanderbilt University and what is now Vanderbilt Health. That separation forced the basic science faculty to stand up as an independent administrative unit. The anniversary event on Wednesday marked the end of a year-long series of activities for the new school.

The celebration drew Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty from the school's four departments. Deputy Provost Tracey George opened the program by reading a passage from a 1939 essay by Abraham Flexner. The essay argued that scientists pursue knowledge for its own sake, even during difficult times. George told the audience that scientists pursue beautiful questions simply because they can.

Dean Emeritus Larry Marnett, who was dean when the school was founded, recalled the early struggles. He noted the adoption of a new accounting system and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also cited the recruitment of more than 30 faculty members and the construction of a cryo-EM facility in the basement of the Engineering and Science Building. Marnett said the school has been careful with its resources.

Current Dean John Kuriyan, who took the role in 2023, spoke next. He highlighted two specific research examples to show the value of the work. The first was the mapping of the molecular architecture of a bacterial flagellar motor. The second was research on topoisomerases that helped create gepotidacin, the first new antibiotic to reach the market in decades.

Jennifer Pietenpol, a professor of biochemistry and the chief scientific officer at Vanderbilt Health, also spoke. She described the school as a bridge between basic discovery and patient care. She said the opportunities in biomedical research are remarkable right now.

Kuriyan closed the event with a toast to the first ten years and the discoveries to come. Attendees then mingled, ate, and collected limited-edition pins and branded notebooks near the end of the program.

The SOMBS is now distributing the remaining pins at two public locations in the coming days. The first stop is Monday, Nov. 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the U1200 suite of the Office of the Dean of Basic Sciences on the first floor of Medical Research Building III. Visitors should ask for Claire Keesee.

The second distribution is Thursday, Nov. 5, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in room U1205 of MRB III. This office is located across the atrium from the dean's office. Visitors should ask for Lorena Infante Lara.