As a thriving research university and global hub for innovation and discovery across numerous disciplines, Vanderbilt faculty are at the forefront of innovative research.
Here some of Vanderbilt's newest faculty members across 11 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, and path-breaking centers and institutes, explain their transformative work and the positive impact it could have on society.
Krishna Mudumbi, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology
School of Medicine Basic Sciences
Academic focus: cell receptor activation kinetics and downstream signaling kinetics
How my research could improve the world: "We believe that not only will our findings help us better understand how cells communicate, but it will help us better understand how disease states, such as cancer, disrupt normal communication. With this knowledge under our belt, we will be able to better devise therapeutics to target signaling dynamics-a promising but underexplored avenue. We hope that in this way we can bring new drugs to the clinic that may be more efficacious and better tolerated by patients," Mudumbi said.
Anne-Marie Moyes, associate clinical professor of law
Vanderbilt Law School
Academic focus: criminal law, inaugural clinic director of the Gail Anderson Cañizares Innocence Clinic which supports the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals in Tennessee while providing students with hands-on case experience
How my research could improve the world: "Over the past few decades, innocence projects and innocence clinics across the United States have exonerated hundreds of wrongfully convicted people. These exonerations have shed light on systemic problems in our criminal legal system and have prompted important reforms. The new Gail Anderson Cañizares Innocence Clinic at Vanderbilt will be part of this critical work of seeking justice for the wrongfully convicted while also challenging the criminal legal system to do better," Moyes said.
Mengshan Ye, assistant professor of chemistry
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: bioinorganic and physical inorganic chemistry
How my research could improve the world: The Ye lab will pioneer innovative synthetic methodologies to precisely control metal-metal and spin-spin interactions in molecular systems.
"My research aims to address fundamental scientific challenges and global sustainability needs," Ye said.
Joshua Faucett, assistant dean for clinical affairs, assistant professor of nursing
School of Nursing
Academic focus: military veteran health, clinical operations, regulatory compliance, and health policy
How my research could improve the world: "By advancing policies and care models that address the unique health and legal needs of veterans, I want to create more equitable and effective systems that improve outcomes and quality of life," Faucett said.
Jeffrey Bellin, professor of law
Vanderbilt Law School
Academic focus: criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, law and technology
How my research could improve the world: "My goal is to offer insight into the complex processes involved in enforcing the criminal law," Bellin said.
Warren Lowell, assistant professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Development
Peabody College of Education and Human Development
Academic focus: urban sociology and public policy, and how housing policies like affordable house preservation and residential mobility impact child well-being
How my research could improve the world: "My hope is that my research helps improve the implementation of local affordable housing policy and inform better targeting of housing supports for families struggling with insecurity," Lowell said. "I was drawn to the Department of Human and Organizational Development's commitment to community-engaged research that makes meaningful, positive change in the lives of the subjects that its faculty members study."
Mitchell VanVuren, assistant professor of economics
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: growth and development, using macroeconomic data to analyze the impact of scaling up small-scale economic interventions to larger levels
How my research could improve the world: "I hope that in 10-15 years, the perspective that macroeconomics sheds on the fight against global poverty will be taken as seriously as the perspective of experimental approaches," VanVuren said.
Allison Chu, assistant professor of musicology
Blair School of Music
Academic focus: American opera in the 20th and 21st centuries, contemporary classical music, and musical manifestations of race and identity
How my research could improve the world: "I often think about music as a means for understanding culture and society," Chu said. "The main reason why I went into musicology was because I felt that as a former practicing musician, there were so many conversations about music, its significance and its role in our current society that we were not having. There were huge divides between scholars, artists and audiences. With this in mind, I always design my classes so that we're chasing the 'why.' Why does this music and its historical context matter? How does knowing the historical context shape how we talk about and perform this music? Why are some pieces of music remembered and celebrated as 'the greats,' while others are forgotten?"
Heuijung Hur, senior lecturer in Asian studies
College of Arts and Science
Academic focus: speaking and writing the Korean language
How my research could improve the world: "I believe learning a new language truly broadens your perspective-not only how you see the world, but also how you see yourself," Hur said.
- Meet more of our newest faculty and see why they chose Vanderbilt
- Get to know more of the 2025 class of new faculty.
- Learn more about faculty support and opportunities through the Office of the Provost
- Get to know some of the new faculty hired in the 2024-25 academic year
