W. David Merryman

Vanderbilt researchers have identified the protein receptor in specialized heart cells that, when removed, preserves cardiac function after a heart attack. This discovery has significant implications for survival after a heart attack, with a promising therapeutic development now underway at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. The research… Read More

More than one million Americans per year experience myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, as well as the healing and rebuilding phase that begins shortly thereafter – a complicated process which involves remodeling and repairing the heart. This process is known as the granulation phase and is critical… Read More

Five proposals from School of Engineering faculty have been selected by the Office of the Provost for 2019 Discovery Grants, which advance new ideas and cutting-edge scholarship in the university’s core disciplines. “Discovery Grants serve as a key internal funding vehicle for fostering research that has the potential to improve lives and… Read More

A well-known, four-year study found popular arthritis drug Celebrex no more dangerous for the heart than older drugs in its same classification – commonly called NSAIDs. Now, a big-data analysis of patient records at Vanderbilt University has found a link specifically between Celebrex and heart valve calcification. W. David… Read More

Research by Vanderbilt scientists suggests that it may be possible to prevent or even reverse pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare, progressive disease characterized by narrowing of and high blood pressure in the small arteries of the lungs. A key player in PAH is the proangiogenic cell (PAC), a cell… Read More

February 21, 2014 Futurity: Baby hearts need rhythm to grow the right way A Vanderbilt research team has taken an important step toward the goal of growing replacement heart valves from a patient’s own cells. The team determined that the mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion… Read More

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering W. David Merryman has been awarded the 2014 Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The prestigious Y.C. Fung award was established in 1985 to recognize young investigators who are committed… Read More