Millions of people experience severe pain or know someone suffering with chronic pain. For decades, opioids have been the default treatment, especially after surgery. But reactions to opioids— and the relief or consequences that result— differ from person to person. On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Lori Schirle, assistant professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, certified registered nurse anesthetist and nurse scientist, explains her transformative research on understanding pain and relief alternatives.

Her research explores whether differences in our DNA can help predict who is most likely to experience persistent discomfort after surgery and who may not respond well to opioids.

She also explains innovations in personalized pain treatment research, supported by the National Institutes of Health and Vanderbilt’s Seeding Success Grant program, that takes an entirely new approach to easing pain by focusing on the brain.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/research.

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This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

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The true origins of country music contain a rich multicultural past. On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Alice Randall, award-winning country music songwriter, New York Times-bestselling novelist, professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and Vanderbilt writer-in-residence, talks with Provost C. Cybele Raver about country music’s Black roots.

Randall’s newest book, My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future, explores the often-overlooked history of Black artists who helped create one of America's defining musical traditions, while asking profound questions about belonging, identity, and the ways we individually and collectively shape American culture.

Randall also talks about her role in the Southern Festival of Books, one of the nation's oldest and largest literary festivals, presented in partnership with Humanities Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. The festival celebrates the power of books and storytelling to bring communities together through new ideas and different perspectives.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to https://www.vanderbilt.edu/research.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

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What is it like to be at the epicenter of American politics through ten presidents? Three-term Tennessee senator, two-term Tennessee governor, U.S. secretary of education, former University of Tennessee president and Vanderbilt alumnus Lamar Alexander, BA’62, joins the Quantum Potential podcast to talk about his experiences as a statesman, educator, entrepreneur, author, and lifelong champion of public service.

He and Provost C. Cybele Raver discuss the country’s current political landscape. Alexander also shares wisdom gained from a lifetime spent in American political and civic life, as discussed in his most recent book, The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

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When a highly esteemed painter, sculptor and performance artist collaborates in work and life with a Grammy-winning musician, music producer and researcher, the end result is a completely reimagined and beautiful creative process. In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, hear from two extraordinary artists and collaborators, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, MacArthur Fellow and Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Fine Arts, and her creative partner and husband, Kamaal Malak, artist-in-residence of culture, advocacy and leadership and a founding member of the award–winning group Arrested Development.

In this episode, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with this creative power couple, who perform as KaMag and create immersive experiences that blend visual art, music, improvisation and love into something unique. They share about their work showcased at the Venice Biennale—one of the world’s premier international art exhibitions—where they also served as artistic directors and curators of Vanderbilt University’s inaugural presentation. They also talk about their dreams connected to Vanderbilt University–San Francisco, one of Vanderbilt’s growth initiative campuses.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

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In this special episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver revisits some of the episodes that left an impression on listeners and on her.

Hear from experts, including chemist Brian Bachmann, principal investigator for the Vanderbilt Laboratory for Biosynthetic Studies, who explains how he's using nature to pave new avenues for drug discovery. Lauren Sudeall, law professor and director of Vanderbilt's Access to Justice program, describes creating a "person-centered" judicial system. Retired four-star general Paul M. Nakasone challenges outdated ideas about what keeps a country safe and gives new suggestions for our security. Amanda Little, journalist and writer-in-residence, discusses how stories spark change. And Craig Lindsley, director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, talks about transformative research in brain chemistry that could change the way we treat chronic pain.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter.

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines.

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

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What can poetry teach us about essential life lessons like paying attention, embracing uncertainty, and finding ways to begin new chapters in our lives? Join acclaimed poet Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities, professor of English and director of creative writing, in a special summer remix of the Quantum Potential podcast with Provost C. Cybele Raver.

Major Jackson is the author of numerous books of poetry and anthologies. He recently edited an anthology of poems, essays and recipes called A Bowl of Goodness: Nourishing Poems with a Side of Soup, Celebrating Community, Friendship, and Resilience, being released in October 2026.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Read “Devouring the Art of Language,” about Major Jackson.

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Correction: Philip Levine's What Work Is (Alfred A. Knopf) won the National Book Foundation's National Book Award for Poetry in 1991.

Correction: Frank Bidart wrote a prose poem titled "Borges and I" that appears in his 1997 book Desire (Farrar Straus & Giroux).

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media

We all love to talk. Some like to listen, too. But language is far more than just a tool we use to communicate; it can impact democracy, identity and access. In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Akshya Saxena, associate professor of English at Vanderbilt. Saxena’s work sits at the intersection of literature, media and political thought. She studies how English operates in multilingual societies like India—not just as a language, but as a force shaping democracy, identity and access.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media

What defines happiness? And how does that impact the pursuit of achievement, success and a meaningful life? These are some powerful questions no matter where you are in life. On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with bestselling author, scholar and thought leader Arthur Brooks, who has spent his career examining the science around our pursuit of happiness.

Brooks is joining Vanderbilt’s faculty as an endowed professor in the Department of Medicine, Health and Society in the College of Arts and Science beginning July 1.

Listen and subscribe to the Quantum Potential podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential.

· Sign up for the Vanderbilt Research newsletter

· Read the stories behind the innovators and problem-solvers making waves across disciplines

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf, with original music by Steven Matthew Carter.

This episode was edited and mixed by the team at Sound On // Sound Off. You can learn more about their work at SoundOnSoundOff.com.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series.

Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media