I’ve been able to see my daughter Morgan and other young adults with disabilities achieve new goals, helping them find their purpose. VKC believes in our children’s abilities, and they are always seeking new ways to raise that bar of belief in our community.

Tammy Vice - Parent

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Early in my career my lab focused on fundamental neurobiology and identifying genes and proteins that impact chemical signaling. When I came to Vanderbilt and joined the VKC, I was encouraged to consider how my work on serotonin and dopamine transporters might link to neurodevelopmental disorders. I was impressed early on with the breadth of talent assembled by the VKC and the connections I made in this community started me down that path. My lab’s work is very focused, just one step, and our efforts might  be wasted if not embraced in a larger context. I started my translational efforts with a VKC Hobbs Discovery Grant, and have been excited to see these efforts blossom. This grant allowed me to develop approaches to scan human transporter genes for mutations, efforts that led to the discovery or alterations in the dopamine transporter in subjects with ADHD, as well as changes in the serotonin transporter gene in subjects with autism. These mutations, which remain under active study in our lab as well as with collaborators, have led to significant funding from the NIH, and have been transferred into animal models so that we may gain insights into brain changes and possibly develop new treatments.

Randy Blakely, Ph.D. - Pharmacology and Psychiatry

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The VKC has become a home to my family in the few short years since my daughter’s birth. We’ve benefited in countless ways from its research, professional training (I was a LEND Family Trainee), workshops, and other community programs. I also have the opportunity to learn and give back to the Center as part of the Community Advisory Council and the Public Policy Committee. The VKC has been an incredible resource to me as a parent but has also been critical in my development as a professional, helping me to become a voice for other families through special education advocacy. From both perspectives, I cannot overstate the importance of the Center’s role in creating more meaningful and productive lives for people like my daughter, and I am proud to be part of an organization that continues to lead this charge both locally and nationally.

Christine Sartain - Parent, LEND Trainee, and Disability Advocate

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[The VKC] is an absolutely amazing place to work, but more importantly, people here truly help to change lives for the better. I’ve worked here in some capacity since I graduated from the Master’s of Special Education program in 2007, and I cannot think of a better place to refer families who have a loved one with a disability. In my own work, we are helping high school students with autism and their families prepare for the transition from high school, and we are also helping faith communities as they support people with disabilities to find and hold employment.

Jenny Gustafson - Special Education Alumna and VKC Disability Professional

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