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University research directory
Research labs at
Vanderbilt University.
Compare 5 listed faculty-led profiles, explore their research interests, and follow the evidence in their selected work. These listings are a starting point for discovery and do not establish recruiting availability.
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Review each lab’s official website and recent publications. Compare the methods used, the questions being asked, and the practical requirements of any published opening. Unclaimed profiles are independently curated; the university has not approved or endorsed them.
How to compare research labs ↗Official university website ↗5 research-led lab profiles
Browse labs by their listed college affiliation
Independently curated · UnclaimedEric J. Barth Research Group
Vanderbilt University
Eric J. Barth · Professor of Mechanical Engineering
How can mechatronic and fluid power systems be designed and controlled for high‑bandwidth, medical, and energy applications? The C-Star Control Lab develops and tests mechatronic control architectures and fluid‑power actuation for applications including MRI‑compatible pneumatic robots and free‑piston engines. Researchers combine experimental testbeds (high‑bandwidth servo‑valves, pressure sensors, thermographic and high‑speed cameras) with modeling and MATLAB/Simulink control design to validate nonlinear control strategies. The lab integrates additive manufacturing and machine shop fabrication with multi-axis CNC resources to build custom enclosures and mechanical subsystems for hardware experiments. Computational and experimental workflows are used to evaluate energy harvesting, storage concepts, and the dynamic performance of fluid‑power actuators.
Independently curated · UnclaimedJessica L. Oster Research Group
Vanderbilt UniversityJessica L. Oster · Professor and Department Chair
How did regional climate and wildfire regimes change over the last millennia as recorded in cave mineral chemistry? The Oster lab measures chemical signals preserved in cave minerals such as stalagmites to reconstruct past climates using geochemical proxies. The group uses precise radiometric dating and isotope analyses on stalagmite layers to build high-resolution chronologies and infer past precipitation and temperature variability. The lab leads an international NSF–SNSF project that combines radiocarbon and organic-molecule analyses to link cave records with wildfire history and ecosystem responses. Researchers deploy in‑cave monitoring instruments to capture rapid post-fire geochemical changes and provide preliminary data for larger comparative studies.
Kenneth C. Catania Research Group
Vanderbilt UniversityKenneth C. Catania · Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences
How do mammalian sensory systems organize to support behavior in diverse sensory environments and survival? The lab uses studies of animal behavior to link sensory input to observed actions across mammal species. Researchers investigate peripheral sensory receptor structure and function to determine how receptors transduce environmental stimuli. The group examines the organization of the central nervous system, with an emphasis on neocortex, to map neural circuits underlying sensation. Information from these different approaches is integrated to obtain a broad view of how sensory receptors and nervous systems have evolved to meet ecological challenges.
Marija Zanic Research Group
Vanderbilt UniversityMarija Zanic · Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
How do groups of regulatory proteins control microtubule switching between growth and shrinkage in cells? The group performs biochemical in vitro reconstitution to test molecular-level polymer dynamics in controlled assays. Researchers combine single molecule studies and quantitative image analysis to measure mechanisms of microtubule regulation by associated protein complexes. The lab develops quantitative, predictive models of molecular-level polymer dynamics and tests them experimentally to reveal emergent collective behaviors. The group pairs in vitro reconstitution with structural biology and live-cell studies to connect molecular mechanisms to large-scale dynamic cellular structures.
Yuri Bazilevs Research Group
Vanderbilt UniversityYuri Bazilevs · Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Can AI‑enabled, physics‑based simulation accelerate engineering design and analysis across scales and industries? Bazilevs develops isogeometric analysis and high‑performance computational mechanics methods for structural analysis, fluid–structure interaction, and design‑through‑analysis workflows. The research applies advanced simulation to aerospace composites, naval and undersea engineering, and multidisciplinary engineering problems using HPC methods. At Vanderbilt he is charged with building an AI‑enabled center (SCALES) to integrate physics‑based simulation and machine learning for interdisciplinary engineering research and graduate education. The group pursues algorithm development and large‑scale simulation to improve design accuracy and computational efficiency.
Showing 1–5 of 5 labs