Photo by Matt Schorr
NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Sarah Stallings as its newest team member. Dr. Stallings comes to the Alliance from the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR). She will serve as Research Assistant Professor, handling operations of the newly launched Precision Medicine and Health Equity Center and facilitating research in broadening community engagement across the entire research cycle.
“This position seemed a good match with the skills I had developed in VICTR and my interest in addressing barriers experienced by some parts of the population,” Stallings said.
Previously, Stallings was a project manager for research involving genomic data and electronic medical records. She worked on grants with the eMERGE network, a national network organized and funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) that combines DNA biorepositories with electronic medical record (EMR) systems for large scale, high-throughput genetic research in support of implementing genomic medicine.
She has a Bachelors Degree in chemistry and a PhD in molecular biophysics and completed two post-docs, one in computational structure modeling and one in the impact of pharmacogenomics in the pharmaceutical industry.
“I would like to help build a strong center for enabling investigators to develop engagement capacity so that the current push for precision medicine affects all populations equitably,” Stallings commented.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.