From Atoms to Community

From Atoms to Community

Structural discovery only matters if it reaches people. We translate molecular insight into brain-health outreach, trusted partnerships, and programs that meet communities where they are.

Brain health outreach
Community advisory boards
Clinic & school partnerships

Programs

Ways we connect the lab's science to community brain health.

Brain Health Outreach

Public events and educational sessions bringing plain-language brain health information directly to community members.

Community Advisory Board

A standing group of community members who guide our outreach priorities and help keep the lab's work accountable to the people it serves.

Clinic & School Partnerships

Ongoing relationships with local clinics and schools that extend brain health resources and research awareness into everyday settings.

Community Events

Upcoming and recent outreach events open to the community.

Jun 2026

Senior Spades Tournament — Brain Health & Alzheimer's Awareness

Elizabeth Park Community Center • Hosted with Bicycle Playing Cards and the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center • NewsChannel 5 coverage ↗
Apr 2025

VUMC "On the Horizon" Town Hall — Community Engagement in Advancing Health Care & Research

Vanderbilt University Medical Center • Presentations included Robert Coffey, MD, and Jeffrey Rathmell, PhD • VUMC News coverage ↗

Resources for the Community

Plain-language materials and ways to connect, plus the full lab resource library.

Guide

Brain Health Basics

Plain-language guide to the brain health topics covered at outreach events.

Board

Join the Advisory Board

How community members can apply to join or nominate someone for the advisory board.

Library

Full Resource Library

Protocols, datasets, and external links maintained by the lab, including community-facing materials.

Science Ed

SBGrid Community News: "Kicking Arsenic to the Curb"

A publication highlight from the SBGrid Communities Project — a collaboration connecting structural biology to medicine, co-led by our lab.