W. David Merryman, Ph.D.

Research led by David Merryman, a professor of biomedical engineering, pharmacology and medicine who holds the Walters Family Chair, has resulted in the development of VU6047534, a new drug that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension—a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs and in the heart—without serious neurological side effects.

Merryman conducted the research with Craig Lindsley, the William K. Warren, Jr. Professor of Medicine, University Professor of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Chemistry, and director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery… Continue reading.

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 for healing. But due to bodily response in the form of inflammation and scarring, this phase simultaneously reduces cardiac function, significantly increasing the risk of future cardiac events, including heart failure.

Now, a new study published by Vanderbilt mechanobiology researchers details a possible solution for fine-tuning inflammation and cellular activity in cardiac recovery – thanks to an antibody initially developed for rheumatoid arthritis… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of W. David Merryman, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

Dr. Merryman was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “outstanding contributions in clarifying mechanobiological mechanisms of cardiopulmonary fibrosis, and developing novel therapeutic strategies to treat these diseases.”