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Edge Office

Team

The Edge team is dedicated to your success
Our team provides tools to promote careers, demystify academic life, teach strategy, develop stronger approaches to inevitable challenges, and encourage scholars and their mentors.
Leadership
Julie Bastarache, MD
  • Associate Professor, Medicine
  • Assistant Vice President for Clinical & Translational Scientist Development
Julie Bastarache, MD
  • Associate Professor, Medicine
  • Assistant Vice President for Clinical & Translational Scientist Development

julie.bastarache@vumc.org

Twitter @JulesBass6
Lab www.lstci.org

Dr. Julie Bastarache is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician Scientist. Her clinical practice is at the Nashville Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital where she cares for veterans and also serves as the Medical Director of the Medical ICU. Her research interests are in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) as well as non-pulmonary organ dysfunction during sepsis and critical illness. Her research approach is reverse translational, taking observations for patients and studying the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms using experimental model systems. She mentors a number of trainees from undergraduates through junior faculty and oversees the KL2 Scholars as part of the CTSA. She is a standing member of the NHLBI K08/K01 study section and is an Associate Editor of The American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

Todd Edwards, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Medicine
  • TL1 Director, VICTR
Todd Edwards, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Medicine
  • TL1 Director, VICTR

todd.l.edwards@vumc.org

Lab Valez Edwards & Edwards

Dr. Edwards is a VU and IGP alumnus, Human Genetics class of 2008, and is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology. He is the Associate director of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, and the Director of Graduate Studies for the Human Genetics PhD Program. He is a genetic epidemiologist conducting research on the genetic determinants of complex human traits. He works extensively with electronic health records data to develop cohorts for genetic association studies. He works on cardiovascular traits such as blood pressure and hypertension, colorectal cancer, women’s health, and racial disparities traits.
Reyna Gordon, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Otolaryngology
  • KL2 Director, VICTR
Reyna Gordon, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Otolaryngology
  • KL2 Director, VICTR

reyna.gordon@vumc.org

Twitter @CrunchyNeuroSci
Lab Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab

Dr. Reyna Gordon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, and she founded and co-directs the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab. She is an integrative scientist studying the biological underpinnings of musicality and its relationship to communication disorders, neurodevelopment, and health. Dr. Gordon holds Ph.D. in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences from Florida Atlantic University. She also has appointments in the Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, the Department of Psychology, the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health. She has led several federal grants, including an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award and an NIH NIDCD R01. Dr. Gordon has mentored many trainees at all levels and she has served on several NIH fellowship-focused review panels.
Staff
Adrienne Babcock
Associate Program Manager
adrienne.babcock@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Adrienne Babcock
Associate Program Manager
adrienne.babcock@vumc.org
Adrienne Babcock orchestrates work-in-progress meetings, organizes resources for early career faculty, and expands Edge for Scholars’ reach. As an Associate Program Manager, she manages the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program and the monthly Southern Community Cohort Study Data and Biospecimen Use (SCCS DBU) committee meetings. Adrienne is responsible for much of the behind-the-scenes organization of the Grant Pacing Workshops, is concierge for the Funded Grants Library and the Edge Library, and posts funding opportunities on edgeforscholars.org. She came to VUMC in 2016, bringing a mix of database and administrative skills. Adrienne is very detail oriented and is responsible for maintaining the accuracy of Edge for Scholars’ records and final proofreading.   Adrienne is an ideal contact to register for Grant Pacing Workshops, view the Funded Grants Library, check out books from the Edge Library, or be added to the Edge for Scholars mailing list. 
Helen Bird
Senior Communications Specialist
helen.bird@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Helen Bird
Senior Communications Specialist
helen.bird@vumc.org

Helen Bird, BA, crafts Edge for Scholars visual content, crystalizes branding, and spearheads outreach. As Senior Communications Specialist, she is responsible for marketing and outreach, serves as director of visual content for Edge for Scholars, managing editor of the Cutting Edge Newsletter, and oversees social media. In implementing the Doris Duke PARTNERS program, she is committed to the wellbeing of faculty participants and acts as a concierge of resources. Helen is originally from the United Kingdom and has lived in 4 countries, which helps her to think creatively and not be afraid to try new things. She has expertise in graphic design and a penchant for finding innovative new materials. 

Helen is an ideal contact for faculty experiencing caregiving challenges, announcing opportunities in the Cutting Edge Newsletter or on social media, and promoting Edge for Scholars locally and nationally.
Zada Davis
Associate Program Manager
zada.davis@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Zada Davis
Associate Program Manager
zada.davis@vumc.org
Coming Soon
Rebecca Helton, MA
Senior Program Manager
rebecca.helton@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Rebecca Helton, MA
Senior Program Manager
rebecca.helton@vumc.org
Rebecca Helton, MA, has been with Edge for Scholars since 2012 and directs programs to help early career researchers succeed, including an internal career development award (VFRS), KL2/TL1 award, mock study section (Edge Reviews), manuscript sprints, and the Newman Society for faculty on K or equivalent awards. She has two English degrees and a certification in medical editing from the American Medical Writers Association, and puts her writing and editing background to work as the managing editor of EdgeforScholars.org, working with new bloggers to craft engaging, practical content and writing posts that distill local and national seminars, offer writing advice, and summarize new requirements from funding agencies. She manages Flight Tracker, which tracks career trajectories of more than 450 K awardees. Rebecca is the ideal contact for getting career development funding or grant reviews, blogging on Edge for Scholars, and for program directors interested in career development data.
Scott Pearson
Application Developer – Flight Tracker
scott.j.pearson@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Scott Pearson
Application Developer – Flight Tracker
scott.j.pearson@vumc.org
Scott Pearson, BS, develops Flight Tracker software that tracks evaluation data about career trajectories. His academic background includes computer science, medicine, and religious studies. Prior to Flight Tracker, he worked on the REDCap team at Vanderbilt to pioneer their mobile app that collects data in Internet-poor settings. To the craft of developing excellent software, he brings a wide variety of prior experiences including hospital/clinical work; a wide love of reading, writing, and languages; and administratively “getting things done.” He loves trying to figure out obscure REDCap issues posed by the EFS group. His academic studies took place at Clemson University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the Medical University of South Carolina.  Scott is an ideal contact, whether at Vanderbilt or another REDCap institution, to get started measuring career development with Flight Tracker.
Verna Wright, MGA
Program Manager
verna.n.wright@vumc.org
Ideal Contact
Verna Wright, MGA
Program Manager
verna.n.wright@vumc.org

Verna Wright, MGA, Healthcare Administration, is responsible for monitoring and posting information regarding grant funding opportunities, coordinating Animation Awards, Manuscript Sprints and social media Kudos for grant recipients, creating posts for social media, assisting with Flight Tracker projects, newsletter team edits, and other Edge for Scholars projects. She brings a keen eye for details, flexibility to provide seamless support and the ability to initiate and effectively implement projects. Previous experience includes supporting VUMC HR Communications with coordination of events, website updates, editing and writing submissions to MyVUMC and providing operational support to two start-up departments within VUMC’s network. Her commitment to teamwork is underscored by her willingness to work seamlessly alongside every member of the Edge for Scholars team.

Verna is an ideal contact for the Animation Awards, Manuscript Sprints, Grant Funding Opportunities Board, Edge Seminars, and kudos for award recipients.

Testimonials
I continue to be so impressed with the Edge.

~ Senior Faculty Member

Thank you all for being my “go to” people on these types of questions. Truly appreciate your expertise.

~ Early Career Faculty Member

LOVE Edge for Scholars.

~ Senior Faculty Member

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