Vanderbilt Kennedy Center News Saturday, January 22, 2022

Government agencies, employers large and small and various nonprofits have all been churning out messages that address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. But most of these public service announcements left Vanderbilt University Medical Center neurologist Beth Ann Malow, M.D., singularly unimpressed. She was determined to create something better.

Facts on vaccine decision examined by people with IDD and their families

Last Updated: 1/18/2022 9:10:19 AM

Grants will go towards creating new inclusive higher education programs and expanding opportunities at current programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

DIDD awards Tennessee Believes Grant to Next Steps at Vanderbilt, three additional higher ed institutions

Last Updated: 1/14/2022 9:16:03 AM

Threads of Identity [Art Exhibit]

Threads of Identity [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 1/13/2022 12:47:02 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities has produced three brief videos to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence in the disability community. These videos feature an adult with an intellectual disability and a parent and her daughter with autism, who share their personal experiences, hesitancy and decision-making related to getting themselves or their child vaccinated.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center produces videos on COVID-19 vaccine and individuals with intellectual disability

Last Updated: 12/29/2021 3:07:40 PM

Vaccine Confidence Videos

Vaccine Confidence Videos

Last Updated: 12/16/2021 10:16:03 AM

VKC IDDRC Data Sciences Core (Core E) Webinar: "A Reproducible and Automated EEG Data Processing Pipeline"

VKC IDDRC Data Sciences Core (Core E) Webinar:
"A Reproducible and Automated EEG Data Processing Pipeline"

Last Updated: 12/14/2021 4:22:41 PM

A potential first-of-its-kind drug to treat the symptoms of Rett syndrome received positive top-line results from a phase 3 trial sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. and led by investigators from Vanderbilt University Medical Center to evaluate efficacy and safety.

Potential Rett syndrome drug shows promising results in phase 3 trial

Last Updated: 12/8/2021 11:44:02 AM

Researchers across four health care systems, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have found that increased depression polygenic scores are associated with increased white blood cell count, highlighting the importance of the immune system in the etiology of depression.

Study links depression scores, white blood cell count

Last Updated: 12/8/2021 11:40:42 AM

For the parents of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, stressful days often bleed into exhausting nights. Efforts to help neurodiverse children sleep are often complicated by their limited or absent verbal abilities.

Neurodiversity and sleep

Last Updated: 12/3/2021 11:39:34 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) researchers, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) network, report an increase in the number of children in Tennessee with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

VKC data shows increase in autism spectrum disorder prevalence, provides new data on 4-year-olds

Last Updated: 12/3/2021 11:37:13 AM

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is collaborating with Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center and Vanderbilt University’s Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) to support the “Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science” or MoZAICS project.

Association of Zoos and Aquariums receives funding to support modeling zoos, aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science

Last Updated: 11/30/2021 9:04:01 AM

Jon Kaas, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in Social and Natural Sciences, Distinguished Centennial Professor of Psychology and associate professor of cell and developmental biology, received the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience, the highest recognition from the Society for Neuroscience, for his pathbreaking work in illuminating the structure and function of the cerebral cortex and plasticity in the developing and adult brain.

Jon Kaas receives Society for Neuroscience’s highest honor for pathbreaking cerebral cortex research

Last Updated: 11/29/2021 2:28:15 PM

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Digital Equity in Autism Screening and Assessment"

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Digital Equity in Autism Screening and Assessment"

Last Updated: 11/22/2021 10:59:37 AM

VKC Conversation Series on Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: "Understanding How Research Works"

VKC Conversation Series on Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: "Understanding How Research Works"

Last Updated: 11/16/2021 10:10:00 AM

Nerve cells in the brain establish connections or synapses to form complex electrical circuits that keep people thinking and moving. Despite the importance of these synapses in mediating the flow of charged particles between neurons, not much is understood about how these connections are created.

Research Snapshot: Discovery shows how synapses are built and function in the nervous system

Last Updated: 11/11/2021 8:43:01 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center hosts first-ever virtual Science Day; winners announced

Last Updated: 11/10/2021 8:29:32 AM

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Down Syndrome and ADHD"

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Down Syndrome and ADHD"

Last Updated: 11/8/2021 10:29:48 AM

Two Vanderbilt faculty have received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health as part of a groundbreaking, multi-institutional overview of variables influencing infant and child brain development, including substance exposure.

$8 million NIH grant awarded to Vanderbilt researchers for study of infant/child brain development

Last Updated: 11/4/2021 1:36:48 PM

How do most of us get our job? It is often through personal relationships and networking that we find out about openings or others connect us to a job of interest. Or, in other words, social capital is often the pathway to work.

Putting Faith to Work: How Faith Communities Can Support Employment for People with Disabilities

Last Updated: 11/1/2021 3:41:42 PM

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, health care practitioners have relied on COVID-19 testing to tell them what safety precautions to follow with each patient. Carl Johnson, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences, wondered how the virus might act differently depending on the time of day and the body’s circadian rhythms.

Research Snapshot: COVID-19 virus test sensitivity varies with body’s circadian rhythm

Last Updated: 10/28/2021 9:20:23 AM

Ketamine has been gaining interest over the past several years as a fast-acting antidepressant. Past research shows that ketamine has antidepressant effects, especially for those who have treatment-resistant depression. Lisa Monteggia, professor of pharmacology and director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, furthered her prolific research on the topic by investigating a specific mechanism of action for ketamine’s antidepressant action within the brain.

Research Snapshot: Professor discovers signaling pathway that lets ketamine act as a rapid antidepressant

Last Updated: 10/28/2021 9:19:35 AM

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics and William K. Warren Foundation Professor of Pediatrics, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the organization announced Oct. 18.

Barkin elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Last Updated: 10/19/2021 1:25:37 PM

An electrical and computer engineering professor has received a $2.6 million NIH grant to improve the understanding of structural changes in the brains of people who have Alzheimer’s Disease.

Landman awarded $2.6 million grant to improve Alzheimer’s patient management

Last Updated: 10/15/2021 8:20:28 PM

Erik Carter, Ph.D., was honored with the 2021 Champion of Inclusion Community Award at the All Belong Center for Community Inclusion

Carter awarded 2021 Champion of Inclusion Community Award from All Belong Center for Inclusive Education

Last Updated: 10/7/2021 3:15:09 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) is collaborating with Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to support the Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science (MoZAICS) project.

Project seeks to make zoos more autism-friendly

Last Updated: 10/4/2021 4:24:36 PM

Jeffrey Conn, Lee E. Limbird Chair and professor of pharmacology, is among 16 scientists named 2021 fellows of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Selection as a fellow of ASPET is an honor bestowed on members who have demonstrated excellence in their efforts to advance pharmacology through scientific achievements, mentorship and service to the society.

Jeffrey Conn named 2021 fellow of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Last Updated: 9/28/2021 8:25:41 AM

Pioneering research shows that dopamine levels increase in response to stressful stimuli, and not just pleasurable ones, potentially rewriting facts about the “feel-good” hormone—a critical mediator of many psychiatric diseases. This discovery is cause to rethink treatment for psychiatric disease and addiction.

Research Snapshot: True behavior of the ‘pleasure molecule’ will reshape how we treat psychiatric diseases and addiction

Last Updated: 9/16/2021 8:44:31 AM

Artful Imitation and Interpretation: Inspired by Great Masters

Artful Imitation and Interpretation: Inspired by Great Masters

Last Updated: 9/7/2021 12:41:04 PM

Researchers are one step closer to understanding the physiology of antidepressant action in the brain. They have confirmed that even when brain cells are not active, they trigger protein production that affects the function of cells and neural circuits. The work was conducted in the labs of Ege Kavalali, professor and acting chair of the Department of Pharmacology and William Stokes Chair in Experimental Therapeutics, and Lisa Monteggia, professor of pharmacology.

Research Snapshot: Novel finding shows that brain cells conduct antidepressant action even in the absence of activity

Last Updated: 8/31/2021 8:57:30 AM

The National Science Foundation has awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Grant to Kathryn L. Humphreys, assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development.

Vanderbilt’s Humphreys awarded Faculty Early Career Development Grant from the National Science Foundation

Last Updated: 8/31/2021 8:56:38 AM

Velma McBride Murry, University Professor of education and human development and health policy at Vanderbilt University, was recently invited to present her research on equity in evaluation for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House.

Vanderbilt faculty gives talk on equity in evaluation for POTUS Executive Office

Last Updated: 8/23/2021 10:34:29 AM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a two-year, $1.2 million award from the Tennessee Department of Health and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide tailored education and coaching to 75 Middle Tennessee nursing homes focused on infection control, quality improvement and other pandemic-related challenges.

Collaborative helping Midstate nursing homes control COVID-19

Last Updated: 8/20/2021 10:22:27 AM

Former Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researcher Paul R. Dokecki, Ph.D., passed away on Sunday, Aug. 15, surrounded by his family at his home in Nashville. He was 82.

IN MEMORIAM: Paul Dokecki, Ph.D., former VKC member and professor emeritus

Last Updated: 8/20/2021 8:56:07 AM

A newly created program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is aiming to address the increasing toll the opioid crisis is having on pregnant and postpartum women and their infants.

VUMC expands programming in effort to help pregnant and postpartum women, infants in opioid crisis

Last Updated: 8/17/2021 1:26:20 PM

New studies take crucial steps toward transplanting retinal ganglion cells.

Cell-Replacement Therapies for Visual System Disorders

Last Updated: 8/12/2021 1:28:59 PM

Following the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s (VKC) renewal as a national Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center in 2020, the center underwent a shuffling of their four scientific cores that support basic and applied research on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Kennedy Center efforts enhance inclusivity in clinical trials

Last Updated: 8/3/2021 12:34:21 PM

Two faculty from Peabody College of education and human development have been awarded grants from the National Center for Special Education Research.

Peabody faculty awarded special education research grants totaling $4.5M

Last Updated: 8/3/2021 12:24:10 PM

Vanderbilt University engineering and education faculty are part of a new $20 million research institute funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to create artificial intelligence tools to advance human learning and education.

NSF unveils $20 million AI institute with Vanderbilt, partner institutions

Last Updated: 7/30/2021 9:56:50 AM

Building on recent research confirming how ketamine induces rapid antidepressant action, Professor of Pharmacology Lisa Monteggia and her collaborators show how the molecular mechanism of the gene MeCP2 and associated synaptic adaptability are critical to the long-term antidepressant effects of ketamine.

Discovery points to ketamine’s long-term antidepressant effects

Last Updated: 7/30/2021 9:48:46 AM

Researchers from Peabody College have developed a new tutoring protocol to help preschoolers better recognize patterns, which is a key skill in mathematics. The research team, led by Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Anita S. and Antonio M. Gotto Chair in Child Development, and Erica Zippert, post-doctoral scholar, implemented a five-session tutoring initiative that showed promise for improving repeated patterning knowledge.

Vanderbilt-led tutoring program promotes patterning skills in preschool students

Last Updated: 7/26/2021 1:22:11 PM

Access to video chatting helped grandparents stay connected and reduced feelings of isolation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, a new study found.

Video chat reduced feelings of isolation among grandparents during COVID-19 pandemic, new study finds

Last Updated: 7/26/2021 1:08:56 PM

he U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the appointments of new and returning members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory committee reauthorized under the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019.

Taylor appointed as new member to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Last Updated: 7/6/2021 8:54:40 AM

Kathryn Edwards, M.D., is among a new set of inductees into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame.

Edwards among Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Inductees

Last Updated: 7/5/2021 9:36:13 AM

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience distinct physical changes – including a higher body mass index and advanced pubertal onset – that could heighten social stressors, according to research led by Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Pre-teens with ASD experience distinct physical changes

Last Updated: 7/1/2021 9:32:56 AM

Building on recent work, researchers including Danny Winder, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research have developed a clear picture of how particular circuitry in the brain may be involved in drug- and alcohol-seeking behavior. They derived a control network for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a part of a larger brain region sometimes called the extended amygdala.

Research Snapshot: Novel discovery describes how the motor cortex influences stress responses in brain regions involved in drug- and alcohol-seeking behavior

Last Updated: 6/28/2021 11:17:10 AM

VKC Community Lectures on Research in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities: "Learning How Children on the Autism Spectrum Process Sensory Information"

VKC Community Lectures on Research in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities: "Learning How Children on the Autism Spectrum Process Sensory Information"

Last Updated: 6/25/2021 11:04:16 AM

Unemployment proves to ripple out in many damaging ways.

Impact of pandemic on families prompts policy shifts

Last Updated: 6/17/2021 8:23:08 AM

VKC Research Ethics Grand Rounds Panel Discussion: “Standards of Care, Disability, and a Public Health Emergency: Conversations on Equitable Care during COVID-19”

VKC Research Ethics Grand Rounds Panel Discussion: “Standards of Care, Disability, and a Public Health Emergency: Conversations on Equitable Care during COVID-19”

Last Updated: 6/15/2021 11:05:17 AM

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Hidden Challenges: Visual and Motor Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder"

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Hidden Challenges: Visual and Motor Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder"

Last Updated: 6/15/2021 11:01:29 AM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered a new genetic disease that causes a severe form of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, a rapid drop in blood pressure upon standing that can cause fainting.

VUMC team discovers new genetic disease

Last Updated: 6/8/2021 11:23:42 AM

Six students graduated from the Next Steps at Vanderbilt program as part of the Class of 2021 this May. Housed in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College of education and human development, Next Steps at Vanderbilt provides students with intellectual disability an inclusive, transformational higher education experience that embodies the values of equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors.

Six students graduate from Next Steps at Vanderbilt in Class of 2021

Last Updated: 5/27/2021 8:18:44 AM

“I want to change the world, not just at Vanderbilt.”

Next level data delivery: "I want to change the world, not just at Vanderbilt."

Last Updated: 5/25/2021 3:54:29 PM

Autumn Kujawa, assistant professor of psychology and human development, has been conducting one of the first studies tracking people’s response to stress exposure before and during the pandemic.

Research Snapshot: Early longitudinal study on impact of pandemic shows increase in depression, less social anxiety among young adults

Last Updated: 5/23/2021 7:38:36 PM

A multisite randomized, controlled trial has tested the effects of different intervention styles and intensities for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Choosing intervention style and intensity for toddlers with autism

Last Updated: 5/23/2021 7:37:23 PM

Rachel Goode, MD, and Jeffrey Hine, MD, are the recipients of the 2021 Geoffrey David Chazen Faculty Award for Innovation in Medical Education.

Goode, Hine receive 2021 Geoffrey David Chazen Faculty Award for Innovation in Medical Education

Last Updated: 5/18/2021 11:05:49 AM

Autism comprises a set of difficulties, but growing evidence suggests that certain abilities also define the condition.

Finding strengths in autism

Last Updated: 5/17/2021 10:12:29 AM

Nine outstanding faculty members from across the university have been selected for the 2021 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. This group is composed of highly accomplished, recently tenured faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise.

Nine faculty named 2021 Chancellor Faculty Fellows

Last Updated: 5/17/2021 10:11:05 AM

VKC TRIAD, Meharry Department of Pediatrics Special Lecture: “Are We Closing the Race/Ethnicity Gap in ASD Identification and Outcome?”

VKC TRIAD, Meharry Department of Pediatrics Special Lecture: “Are We Closing the Race/Ethnicity Gap in ASD Identification and Outcome?”

Last Updated: 5/4/2021 11:51:12 AM

Zachary Warren, PhD, professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Special Education, has been named director of the Division of Developmental Medicine in the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics. His appointment began April 1.

Warren named director of the Division of Developmental Medicine

Last Updated: 4/27/2021 3:33:59 PM

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "The Challenge of Health Equity in Clinical Research"

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "The Challenge of Health Equity in Clinical Research"

Last Updated: 4/8/2021 12:01:06 PM

New research suggests targeting the nucleus accumbens for certain pathologies.

Histamine signaling and the stress response

Last Updated: 4/8/2021 9:51:37 AM

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier presented prestigious awards to seven academic leaders at the Spring Faculty Assembly. The awards recognize teaching, research, service and commitment to diversity. Recipients are honored for their contributions and commitment to the university.

Seven faculty members honored at Spring Faculty Assembly

Last Updated: 4/8/2021 9:47:43 AM

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Charting Four Decades of Changing Mental Disorders, From Childhood to Midlife" (VIRTUAL)

Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Charting Four Decades of Changing Mental Disorders, From Childhood to Midlife" (VIRTUAL)

Last Updated: 4/8/2021 9:42:11 AM

Douglas Fuchs, who holds the Nicholas Hobbs Chair of Special Education and Human Development, has received the 2021 Award for Contributions to Research, Practice, and Advocacy from the Learning Disabilities Association of America. It is the highest honor bestowed by the nonprofit organization, which is devoted to supporting, educating and advocating for individuals affected by learning disabilities.

Learning Disabilities Association honors Douglas Fuchs

Last Updated: 4/1/2021 8:15:10 AM

New News Item

Breaking Ground with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center IV

Last Updated: 3/30/2021 4:48:07 PM

Seven-year-old Tinsley Bellar loves to dance — her mother describes it as TikTok dancing with cheerleader moves. She also loves to run. She completed her school’s fun run last year with the whole school cheering her on.

Clinic helps children with cerebral palsy regain mobility

Last Updated: 3/24/2021 1:54:04 PM

A team of researchers at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development has been awarded $1.6 million to examine the effects of practice-based coaching at early childhood learning sites.

Peabody College faculty awarded $1.6M grant to examine impacts of practitioner coaching at early learning centers

Last Updated: 3/16/2021 1:45:18 PM

Educate to Advocate 2021 Public Policy Workshop (VIRTUAL)

Educate to Advocate 2021 Public Policy Workshop (VIRTUAL)

Last Updated: 3/5/2021 9:56:28 AM

Vanderbilt researchers are prolific and resolute in their pursuit of transformative research and innovation. During the Research Ramp-up process, more than 3,000 Vanderbilt research personnel have returned to in-person research activities, while many others have continued remotely through perseverance and ingenuity. On campus and at home, they are making discoveries that advance knowledge and improve lives.

Despite limitations of pandemic, research continues at Peabody, College of Arts and Science

Last Updated: 3/4/2021 11:55:48 AM

Vanderbilt researchers are prolific and resolute in their pursuit of transformative research and innovation. During the Research Ramp-up process, more than 3,000 Vanderbilt research personnel have returned to in-person research activities, while many others have continued remotely through perseverance and ingenuity. On campus and at home, they are making discoveries that advance knowledge and improve lives.

Despite limitations of pandemic, research continues in Basic Sciences, Engineering

Last Updated: 2/26/2021 12:54:14 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is proud to introduce its latest issue of "Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability," dedicated to telling the stories of Direct Support Professionals in Tennessee.

VKC introduces 2021 issue of Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability: Direct Support Professionals

Last Updated: 2/25/2021 1:50:38 PM

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, school closures and the shift to remote learning have disrupted educational progress across the nation, disproportionately affecting students from low-income communities and those with learning disabilities, according to faculty experts from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.

Low-income and students with learning disabilities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 learning loss, Peabody College experts say

Last Updated: 2/19/2021 9:19:18 AM

Bruce Carter, professor of biochemistry and an associate director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, has been appointed to the scientific advisory board of the CMT Research Foundation. He joins a team of international experts assisting the foundation with its research directions and funding strategy in combating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Bruce Carter joins CMT Research Foundation scientific advisory board

Last Updated: 2/15/2021 9:24:23 AM

As part of an ongoing commitment to foster inclusion and celebrate diversity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, two new Employee Resource Groups have recently been formed, bringing the total to six. All employees are invited to join these groups and participate in their activities.

Employee Resource Groups provide vital connection, support

Last Updated: 2/4/2021 2:52:27 PM