Vanderbilt Kennedy Center News Thursday, May 22, 2025

When Vanderbilt announced its new College of Connected Computing, Provost C. Cybele Raver knew the university needed an extraordinary leader to oversee the initial startup of the college—a gifted scholar capable of understanding the interdisciplinary scope of the new college who also had the leadership skills to unite faculty from across campus to lay vital groundwork for the appointment of a new dean. She found the perfect candidate in cognitive scientist Duane Watson, who will lead the initial planning of the college as vice provost for special initiatives.

Duane Watson to lead startup of College of Connected Computing as vice provost for special initiatives

Last Updated: 5/20/2024 10:06:31 AM

Alex Christensen and Eric Wilkey, assistant professors of psychology and human development, are emerging leaders in the psychological sciences, strengthening Vanderbilt’s expertise in data science and the neuroscience of mathematical learning, respectively. In recognition of their advancements in the field of psychology, the Association for Psychological Science named them 2024 APS Rising Stars.

Christensen and Wilkey: emerging leaders in psychological sciences

Last Updated: 5/15/2024 4:06:34 PM

The IDD Toolkit is a website that provides information for the primary care providers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The toolkit has been recently updated to reflect revised consensus guidelines led by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program of Ontario, Canada.

Enhancing Health Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Toolkit for Primary Care Providers

Last Updated: 5/7/2024 2:17:31 PM

Reyna Gordon, PhD, associate professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, has been appointed director of the VICTR KL2 Program and director of Postdoctoral Training for Edge for Scholars (EFS) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The KL2 is a critical component of the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) program that supports career development for postdoctoral scholars doing clinical and translational research.

Reyna Gordon appointed to VICTR leadership role

Last Updated: 5/7/2024 2:15:10 PM

Roaring Into Recovery [Art Exhibit]

Roaring Into Recovery [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 4/15/2024 9:50:03 AM

Visual Perception in Autism: Circuit-Level to Real-World Insights

Visual Perception in Autism: Circuit-Level to Real-World Insights

Last Updated: 4/12/2024 4:27:23 PM

VKC UCEDD Virtual Workshop: "Preventing Fraudulent Participants in REDCap"

VKC UCEDD Virtual Workshop: "Preventing Fraudulent Participants in REDCap"

Last Updated: 4/9/2024 4:10:29 PM

Frist Center for Autism and Innovation Salon Series Panel Discussion: "Clinical and Services Research in the Neurodiverse World"

Frist Center for Autism and Innovation Salon Series Panel Discussion: "Clinical and Services Research in the Neurodiverse World"

Last Updated: 3/28/2024 1:12:51 PM

VKC IDDRC Data Sciences Core (Core E) Lecture: "Innovative Barcode Tracking with REDCap Tuple Tables for the Gut Cell Atlas"

VKC IDDRC Data Sciences Core (Core E) Lecture: "Innovative Barcode Tracking with REDCap Tuple Tables for the Gut Cell Atlas"

Last Updated: 3/28/2024 1:12:10 PM

Translation of Disease-Targeted Therapies in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Translation of Disease-Targeted Therapies in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Last Updated: 3/28/2024 12:32:16 PM

The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development received two training grants totaling $2.48 million in funding from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

Vanderbilt awarded $2.48M in special education training grants

Last Updated: 3/26/2024 2:44:23 PM

A five-year, $8.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help establish the Vanderbilt AUD Research and Education Center and bolster Vanderbilt University’s leadership in neuroscience, addiction research and innovative approaches to the study of alcohol use disorder.

Vanderbilt launches AUD Research and Education Center with prestigious $8.9 million NIH grant

Last Updated: 3/26/2024 2:43:40 PM

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development faculty members Jason Chow and Doug and Lynn Fuchs were recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children, the major professional organization in the field of special education, at its annual meeting in March.

Special education faculty honored by Council for Exceptional Children

Last Updated: 3/19/2024 2:13:39 PM

Sunil Kripalani, MD, MSc, a nationally recognized leader in patient-centered and health systems research, has been named Vice President for Health System Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, effective March 1.

Kripalani named VP for Health System Sciences

Last Updated: 3/5/2024 3:56:28 PM

Drawing on My Style: Fashionista in the Classroom [Art Exhibit]

Drawing on My Style: Fashionista in the Classroom [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 2/16/2024 12:01:50 PM

Promoting Positive Outcomes in Children and Youth with Autism by Tackling Heterogeneity

Promoting Positive Outcomes in Children and Youth with Autism by Tackling Heterogeneity

Last Updated: 2/14/2024 10:48:18 AM

Getting Started: Imaging the Minds and Brains of Human Infants

Getting Started: Imaging the Minds and Brains of Human Infants

Last Updated: 2/14/2024 10:48:06 AM

Arie Nettles, PhD, professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Retired, at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, has never been the silent type.

Health equity champion Arie Nettles retires

Last Updated: 2/8/2024 11:30:04 AM

Vanderbilt neurologist Beth Malow, MD, has received a three-year, $249,660 grant from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to mount a community-based educational program for improving sleep in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Malow receives grant to mount sleep program for children with autism

Last Updated: 1/25/2024 10:26:52 AM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center received a $13 million Department of Defense grant to lead a multisite clinical trial that will evaluate repurposed FDA-approved drugs as treatment options for patients with Rett syndrome.

VUMC receives $13 million grant to coordinate multisite clinical trial for Rett syndrome treatment

Last Updated: 1/11/2024 12:18:05 PM

Elvis Meets Spider-man and Other Tales [Art Exhibit]

Elvis Meets Spider-man and Other Tales [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 12/6/2023 9:41:19 AM

Something was wrong. Eleanor had not begun to walk or form words. Her behavior and mannerisms were unusual for an 18-month-old.

Nonprofits support quest to cure childhood epilepsy

Last Updated: 12/5/2023 9:15:56 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center held its 14th annual VKC Science Day on Thursday, Nov. 30, at Vanderbilt University’s Student Life Center.

2023 VKC Science Day Poster Competition winners announced

Last Updated: 12/4/2023 10:53:42 AM

On Nov. 2, Lisa Monteggia, Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and professor of pharmacology, psychiatry and psychology, joined John Hoomes, CEO and artistic director of the Nashville Opera, for a discussion on the artistic approach and scientific research behind the Nashville Opera’s upcoming performance of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.

Opera meets neuroscience: Vanderbilt’s Lisa Monteggia discusses the science of Nashville Opera’s ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat’

Last Updated: 11/13/2023 2:36:09 PM

A three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development will support Sophia Vinci-Booher, assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, and her team in evaluating brain development for letter and number learning in early childhood, specifically how brain responses for letters and numbers emerge and develop throughout the first grade.

Vinci-Booher leads multi-institutional research on child learning using first-ever neuroimaging process

Last Updated: 11/13/2023 2:34:29 PM

Sleep experts recommend permanent standard time to best support human health.

Debate Over Changing the Clock Winds On

Last Updated: 11/9/2023 11:34:32 AM

Peggy Chatfield, VKC coordinator of facilities and reservations, to retire

Peggy Chatfield, VKC coordinator of facilities and reservations, to retire

Last Updated: 10/31/2023 9:59:35 AM

ChatGPT is here to stay, and educators need to adapt to their students using it—at least, that’s what news headlines have suggested for almost a year following ChatGPT’s unveiling. Much of the coverage has given voice to worries about the possibility that AI will hinder learning by doing students’ work for them. But the AI revolution has just begun, and some experts are seizing on AI’s positive potential to augment teaching and learning.

Peabody researchers receive funding to launch data science challenges to improve education

Last Updated: 10/20/2023 3:21:42 PM

Little is known about the origins and development of scientific literacy and interests that emerge in early childhood, but according to Amy Booth, professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development, expanding knowledge of early scientific understanding is critical for tackling disparities in long-term STEM participation and achievement.

Booth awarded $1.64 million to extend research on early childhood scientific literacy development

Last Updated: 10/9/2023 10:14:10 AM

Weeding Out the Bad from the Good: Strategies for Researchers Preventing and Identifying Invalid Online Survey Responses

Weeding Out the Bad from the Good: Strategies for Researchers Preventing and Identifying Invalid Online Survey Responses

Last Updated: 9/22/2023 10:34:20 AM

Erin Calipari, associate professor of pharmacology and associate director of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, has received a grant of nearly $2 million from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to understand what happens in the brain that makes individuals return to drinking after periods of abstinence.

Erin Calipari receives $2M to study how alcohol use disorder develops in the brain

Last Updated: 9/18/2023 11:07:52 AM

Study with a million-plus subjects finds shared genetic susceptibility to tobacco, alcohol, opioid and cannabis addictions.

Brain Genetics Influence Profile of Addiction Risk

Last Updated: 9/14/2023 1:47:34 PM

Earlier this year, the U.S. and Tennessee Departments of Education awarded grants totaling more than $9.9 million to Hilary Travers, PhD’21, research assistant professor of special education, to support transition outcomes of students with disabilities in Tennessee.

Peabody College researcher awarded more than $9.9 million to support students with disabilities, visual impairments

Last Updated: 9/8/2023 3:24:41 PM

Many students from Spanish-speaking homes—whether designated as English learners or not—struggle with English language and reading comprehension, including students born and raised in the U.S. and who attend English-only-instruction schools. These students’ low scores on standardized English reading and language assessments are often associated with their disproportionate representation in special education, but the use of English-only assessments raises concerns about educational equity as well as whether and to what extent students from Spanish-speaking homes are misrepresented in special education.

Mancilla-Martinez receives $1.66M grant to study assessment practices for students from Spanish-speaking homes

Last Updated: 9/8/2023 3:23:59 PM

A five-year, $3.9 million grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders will support novel research into the brain function of language development in 4- to- 8-year-old late talkers with language delay to identify predictive biomarkers that could support early screening and treatment.

Booth leads first longitudinal study to identify biomarkers of language delay in young children

Last Updated: 9/1/2023 2:28:40 PM

Kindred Stories: Mental Health and Disability [Art Exhibit]

Kindred Stories: Mental Health and Disability [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 8/25/2023 11:11:32 AM

Laurie Cutting, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and professor of special education, psychology and human development, electrical and computer engineering, radiology and pediatrics, has been appointed associate provost in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, effective Aug. 1.

Laurie Cutting appointed associate provost in Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation

Last Updated: 8/14/2023 8:44:27 AM

Former Vanderbilt Kennedy Center director Travis I. Thompson, Ph.D., died Aug. 2, in Roseville, Minn., after an extended illness.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center mourns the loss of former director Travis Thompson

Last Updated: 8/8/2023 11:12:37 AM

Kathryn Humphreys, associate professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College, has won a 2023 Early Career Impact Award from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences. According to the federation, the award “recognizes scientists from FABBS member societies who have made major contributions to the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior.”

Humphreys receives Early Career Impact Award for contributions to brain and behavioral sciences

Last Updated: 8/2/2023 10:25:21 AM

Mark Wallace, Louise B. McGavock Chair of Neuroscience, professor of psychology, is leading a five-year project to characterize how sensory and multisensory perception develops in children.

Vanderbilt neuroscientist leading international research to explore multisensory perception development in children

Last Updated: 7/31/2023 9:28:04 AM

On July 20, representatives of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for Rett syndrome.

Neul, International Rett Syndrome Foundation advocates in Washington, D.C.

Last Updated: 7/24/2023 10:11:10 AM

The Academy for Excellence in Education was established in 2006 to provide a forum to foster higher levels of participation and promote excellence and scholarship in the delivery of education to health professionals.

Academy for Excellence in Education elects 13 new members

Last Updated: 7/20/2023 8:24:51 AM

The first drug to treat the symptoms of Rett syndrome was recently approved, following a Nature Medicine study publishing results from the pivotal phase 3 LAVENDER study led by investigators from Vanderbilt University Medical Center to evaluate efficacy and safety of trofinetide.

Rett syndrome drug studied at Vanderbilt approved for patients

Last Updated: 7/14/2023 10:49:41 AM

Megan Saylor, professor of psychology and human development, has been appointed chair of the Department of Psychology and Human Development, beginning July 1, 2023. She replaces Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Anita S. and Antonio M. Gotto Chair in Child Development and professor of psychology and human development, who led the department as chair from January 2019 to June 2023.

Megan Saylor becomes chair of the Department of Psychology and Human Development

Last Updated: 7/6/2023 1:55:55 PM

A recent study published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology demonstrates that measures of brain function related to emotional processing in adolescents with depression could improve predictions of treatment outcomes in response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Study reveals brain function predictors of treatment outcomes for adolescent depression

Last Updated: 7/6/2023 10:45:07 AM

The Call for Poster Abstracts for the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

2023 VKC Science Day set for Nov. 30; Call for Posters opens on July 3

Last Updated: 6/27/2023 12:25:12 PM

New understandings emerge of the psychiatric, cognitive and behavioral cues that precede motor symptoms in Huntington’s disease.

Brain Manifests Early Signs in Huntington’s

Last Updated: 6/7/2023 6:49:31 PM

New research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry provides the most rigorous and comprehensive evidence to date that children exposed to severe psychosocial deprivation at a young age benefit substantially in cognitive and physical outcomes when they receive enriching family-based care.

Humphreys’ study shows broad benefits of family-based care on recovery from psychosocial deprivation

Last Updated: 5/24/2023 4:58:58 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center announces new leadership for its University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD). Julie Lounds Taylor, Ph.D., and Pablo Juárez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, will succeed Elise McMillan, J.D., who officially retires June 30, 2023. Taylor and Juárez each have longstanding histories with the VKC and bring unique expertise to the UCEDD leadership team with an emphasis on research, program development and expansion, and advocacy.

Welcoming Pablo Juárez and Julie Lounds Taylor as VKC UCEDD co-directors

Last Updated: 5/24/2023 11:34:28 AM

After 28 years of working to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, Elise McMillan, J.D., has announced she will retire from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) in June 2023. McMillan currently serves as the director of the VKC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD), director of Community Engagement and Public Policy team, and senior lecturer in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center UCEDD director Elise McMillan to retire

Last Updated: 5/24/2023 11:33:27 AM

Mental Health through Expressive Imagery [Art Exhibit]

Mental Health through Expressive Imagery [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 4/11/2023 4:55:38 PM

Autumn Kujawa, assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, has won the 2023 Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychophysiology from the Society for Psychophysiological Research, an international scientific society.

Kujawa receives Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychophysiology

Last Updated: 4/6/2023 2:16:48 PM

One in 36 (2.8%) 8-year-old children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to an analysis published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Autism prevalence higher, according to data from 11 ADDM Communities

Last Updated: 3/24/2023 3:58:17 PM

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved DAYBUE™ (trofinetide) for the treatment of Rett syndrome in adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older. DAYBUE is the first and only drug approved for the treatment of Rett syndrome.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals announces U.S. FDA approval of trofinetide for treatment of Rett syndrome

Last Updated: 3/20/2023 9:20:24 AM

Researchers in the labs of Laurie Cutting, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and professor of special education at the Peabody College of education and human development, and Bennett Landman, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the School of Engineering, recently published a study in Magnetic Resonance Imaging exploring a new tool for imaging the brains of neurofibromatosis type 1 patients and its significance in assessing their symptoms.

Automated tool can link brain scans to cognitive deficits in people with neurofibromatosis 1

Last Updated: 3/20/2023 9:19:26 AM

When a parent needs to cook dinner or take a shower, often they will place their baby in a bouncy seat, swing, exersaucer, or similar seating device intended to protect the baby and grant a degree of independence to both the parent and infant. For many parents, these devices represent a helpful extra set of hands; for babies, the freedom to safely explore their immediate surroundings. As useful as these devices are to both parents and infants, they may present trade-offs regarding their effect on infant’s exposure to adult language, which is critical for language development. That’s according to a new study by researchers at the Stress and Early Adversity Lab at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development.

Infant seating devices may reduce language exposure

Last Updated: 3/7/2023 12:23:52 PM

Physical health disparity conditions in autistic adults have not been the focus of any research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the last four decades, an analysis of a federal database found.

Federally funded studies into treatment for chronic conditions overlook efficacy in adults with autism, analysis finds

Last Updated: 1/23/2023 1:14:19 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the VKC Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the Division of Developmental Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center announce that Jeffrey Hine has been named DDM and TRIAD Director of Primary Care Outreach and Training.

Hine tapped as DDM,TRIAD Director of Primary Care Outreach and Training

Last Updated: 1/17/2023 10:26:27 AM

The early childhood years are critical as children are rapidly developing the social, emotional, cognitive and language skills necessary for social-emotional competence. Vanderbilt Peabody College Professor Mary Louise Hemmeter has received an $11.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) to expand the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in pre-kindergarten (PreK) and kindergarten (K) classrooms in diverse districts across the country.

Hemmeter receives $11.9 million grant to expand Pyramid Model in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms nationally

Last Updated: 1/12/2023 12:02:05 PM

Healing Begins With Hope [Art Exhibit]

Healing Begins With Hope [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 1/11/2023 11:28:39 AM

Kathryn Edwards, MD, an internationally recognized Vanderbilt University Medical Center physician who has made countless contributions to vaccine evaluation and implementation, public health advocacy, and the mentorship and training of new generations of experts in infectious disease over the past four decades, retired on Dec. 31, 2022.

Infectious disease expert Edwards ends storied career

Last Updated: 1/10/2023 9:39:57 AM

Armed with a two-year, $141,444 grant from the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, Elisabeth Dykens, professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, is developing the first psychometrically sound self-report survey of hyperphagia for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Notably, this project is the first to include people with PWS as collaborators in the research process, using the method, Participatory Action Research.

Dykens receives Foundation for Prader-Willi Research grant to engage people with Prader-Willi Syndrome in developing new self-report survey

Last Updated: 1/4/2023 3:47:41 PM

Experts from the Institute for Scientific Information identified 13 faculty at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center as among the top one percent of cited researchers worldwide.

Vanderbilt University, VUMC faculty named Highly Cited Researchers, rank in top 1 percent by citations

Last Updated: 12/15/2022 2:40:04 PM

Virtual reality may help smooth out disconnects between vision and hearing.

Brain's Sensory Processing Often Struggles in Autism

Last Updated: 12/15/2022 2:37:21 PM

Engaging infants with a song provides a readymade means for supporting social development and interaction, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Study finds sensitivity to musical rhythm supports social development in infants

Last Updated: 11/11/2022 8:49:03 AM

A little over 10 years ago, a group of motivated and caring people formed what they chose to call TennesseeWorks, and this group had one goal in mind: to increase the number of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are employed in Tennessee.

A Lot Has Happened in 10 Years of TennesseeWorks

Last Updated: 11/3/2022 8:35:59 AM

President Joe Biden has appointed Vanderbilt Peabody College research professor Douglas Fuchs to serve on the 15-member National Board for Education Sciences. The appointment was announced Oct. 27.

Vanderbilt special education researcher receives White House appointment

Last Updated: 11/3/2022 8:34:56 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center held its 13th annual VKC Science Day on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at Vanderbilt University’s Student Life Center. It was the first time since January 2019 that Science Day participants were able to meet in-person to celebrate collaboration and innovation among VKC-affiliated research labs.

2022 VKC Science Day Poster Competition winners announced

Last Updated: 11/2/2022 11:16:06 AM

The first large-scale genomic study of musicality — recently featured on the cover of Nature Human Behaviour — identified 69 genetic variants associated with beat synchronization, meaning the ability to move in synchrony with the beat of music.

Research shows genetic link to moving to the beat of music

Last Updated: 10/18/2022 9:31:31 AM

Three Vanderbilt University faculty members have been elected this year to membership in the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), a prestigious, non-governmental organization that advises the nation and the world on important aspects of medical science, health care and public health.

Vanderbilt’s Carpenter, Monteggia and Rathmell elected to National Academy of Medicine

Last Updated: 10/18/2022 9:29:35 AM

down the road [Art Exhibit]

down the road [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 10/13/2022 2:09:07 PM

Millions of children worldwide are under legal guardianship of the state, often due to abuse, neglect, parental death or other circumstances—leaving governments to determine how best to care for them. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project has shed light on ways to improve the quality of caregiving for children. Initiated in 2000, the BEIP is a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care for children who experienced severe psychosocial deprivation.

Foster family placement leads to sustained cognitive gains after severe early deprivation, Humphreys’ study finds

Last Updated: 9/13/2022 3:12:26 PM

Process must be customized to meet needs of individuals who have trouble naming and sharing emotions.

Suicide Safety Plans Customized for Autistic Youth

Last Updated: 8/26/2022 1:36:33 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment & Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders announces the hiring of Holly Gover, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, as a TRIAD Behavior Analyst and Researcher.

VKC TRIAD welcomes Holly Gover as Behavior Analyst and Researcher

Last Updated: 8/24/2022 11:00:33 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) is pleased to announce that Pablo Juárez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, has been named Director of Behavior Analysis within the VKC and the Division of Developmental Medicine (DDM) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Juárez is a senior associate in Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and Special Education, and serves as co-director of the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD).

Pablo Juárez named Director of Behavior Analysis

Last Updated: 8/23/2022 11:17:43 AM

New SPARK study identifies a novel group of inherited genes of moderate effect, shows links to other behavioral conditions

Last Updated: 8/16/2022 2:52:27 PM

Promising cures for Huntington’s Disease have resulted in more genetic testing at Vanderbilt’s clinic, which serves a multi-state region. The rare neurological disease is often viewed as a death sentence, which scares people from even wanting to know.

With Huntington’s Disease, renewed hope for a cure draws more interest in testing at Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 8/15/2022 12:15:43 PM

VKC introduces new toolkits promoting neurodiversity, self-determination in early childhood services

Last Updated: 7/29/2022 9:56:07 AM

Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Development Kathryn Humphreys, BS’05, has been recognized with the 2023 Boyd McCandless Award by the American Psychological Association’s Division 7 (Developmental Psychology). The award “recognizes a young scientist who has made a distinguished theoretical contribution to developmental psychology, has conducted programmatic research of distinction, or has made a distinguished contribution to the dissemination of developmental science.”

Humphreys wins 2023 Boyd McCandless Award from American Psychological Association

Last Updated: 7/25/2022 7:56:34 PM

The Academy for Excellence in Education was established in November 2006. The founding membership was comprised of 44 distinguished medical educators. The Academy provides a forum to foster higher levels of participation and promote excellence and scholarship in the delivery of education to health professionals.

Vanderbilt Academy for Excellence in Education elects 26 new members

Last Updated: 7/6/2022 10:42:06 AM

The Today Show’s Maria Shriver spotlighted a landmark, years-long study into the connection between heart health and Alzheimer’s disease, and the urgency to boost study enrollment—particularly among people of color who are disproportionally impacted yet historically underrepresented in research.

Today Show: Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center makes national push for clinical study enrollment. You can help.

Last Updated: 6/30/2022 12:11:34 PM

Moving in time to musical rhythm is so automatic that people are often not conscious of the exquisite coordination that it demands of our brains, minds and bodies.

Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 23andMe find genetic link to people’s ability to move to a musical beat

Last Updated: 6/21/2022 12:25:35 PM

Arie Nettles, PhD, NCSP, HSP, professor of Clinical Pediatrics and director of the Office of Inclusion and Health Equity (OIHE), was presented with a State Resolution from the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) passed in honor of her work as chair of the Statewide Planning and Policy Council (SPPC).

Nettles presented with State Resolution from Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Last Updated: 6/9/2022 2:49:06 PM

In the 2010 film, “The King’s Speech,” a speech therapist helps the king of England overcome a significant stutter so that he can address the nation at the outbreak of World War II. If only it were that straightforward.

When Words Fail

Last Updated: 6/7/2022 10:52:44 AM

This month, Vanderbilt University Graduate School named three faculty members as recipients of their first Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Awards.

Three Graduate School faculty honored with first-ever mentor awards

Last Updated: 6/7/2022 10:43:00 AM

I am Determined! Photographs of Strengths, Commitment, and Passion [Art Exhibit]

I am Determined! Photographs of Strengths, Commitment, and Passion [Art Exhibit]

Last Updated: 5/24/2022 3:23:41 PM

For the first time, graduates from the Next Steps at Vanderbilt program for students with developmental disabilities will walk in the full campus Commencement ceremony.

Next Steps at Vanderbilt graduates to join their peers at Commencement

Last Updated: 5/9/2022 1:14:12 PM

They say motherhood is the toughest job you’ll ever love. That’s true for this group of Vanderbilt researchers, who’ve built successful careers around researching various aspects of parenthood while raising their own children.

Moms who research moms: Spotlighting VU research on motherhood

Last Updated: 5/9/2022 1:12:26 PM

Depression among adults in the United States is on the rise — partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic — with some estimates putting the rate of depression at one in every three people. Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for depression than the general population, and research into risk factors for depression in autism is ongoing.

ASD study explores link between repetitive motion, depression

Last Updated: 5/5/2022 1:19:26 PM

Two Vanderbilt professors were awarded Pathfinder seed funding for a project that could benefit soldiers by optimizing their neurological performance through suggested behavior protocol and by improving aircraft design and equipment to reduce the effects of in-flight vibration and percussion.

Army Futures Command awards Pathfinder seed funding to Tonia Rex, Doug Adams

Last Updated: 5/5/2022 1:17:45 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment & Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders announces the hiring of Adithyan Rajaraman, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, as Director of Behavior Analysis Research. As an assistant professor in Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a VKC investigator, Dr. Rajaraman will lead the research and dissemination of TRIAD’s innovative behavior analytic services and the growing portfolio of related projects.

VKC TRIAD welcomes Adithyan Rajaraman as Director of Behavior Analysis Research

Last Updated: 4/19/2022 10:09:29 AM

Velma McBride Murry, University Professor of Human and Organizational Development and University Professor of Health Policy, will be an expert panelist discussing the impact of pandemic-era policies on children and families at a high-level government conference. McBride Murry will join panelists April 25–26 at the virtual event sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

McBride Murry to speak at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services panel on impact of pandemic-era policies

Last Updated: 4/15/2022 3:22:39 PM

April marks Autism Awareness Month. In 2022, neurodiversity in the workplace is an issue capturing attention, as conversations on how to create more inclusive spaces for all continue among business leaders.

Q&A: Vanderbilt expert discusses inclusive workplaces for people on the autism spectrum

Last Updated: 4/7/2022 11:23:16 AM

VKC introduces toolkits to mitigate stress caused by needlesticks in patients with IDD

Last Updated: 3/30/2022 11:08:27 AM

Lifting Lives® has supported the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center since 2012. Learn about the programs and research it helps fund to improve lives through the power of music.

Music Mends

Last Updated: 3/29/2022 1:39:59 PM

Associate Professor of Pharmacology Colleen Niswender, who also is director of molecular pharmacology for the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD), was awarded the ASPET Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development and three separate grants for her Rett syndrome research.

Colleen Niswender lands national award, several grants for Rett syndrome research

Last Updated: 3/29/2022 8:39:52 AM

Research Ethics Grand Rounds Panel Discussion: "Ethical Applied Behavior Analysis in Practice"

Research Ethics Grand Rounds Panel Discussion: "Ethical Applied Behavior Analysis in Practice"

Last Updated: 2/28/2022 5:01:25 PM

The Vanderbilt Center for Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders has been designated a Tourette Association of America (TAA) Center of Excellence.

VUMC designated a Tourette syndrome center of excellence

Last Updated: 2/25/2022 2:45:12 PM

The brain is constantly firing and controlling purposeful action potentials—electronic messages used by neurons to communicate with each other and allow the brain to function. Conversely, the way spontaneous neural communication happens in the brain has been found to make use of a different process. Ege Kavalali, William Stokes Chair in Experimental Therapeutics and chair of pharmacology, and postdoctoral researcher Baris Alten worked with Heidi Hamm, Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor of pharmacology, to discover the mechanism of one of the modulation pathways involved in spontaneous signaling, which has therapeutic potential for several neurological diseases.

Research Snapshot: Vanderbilt researchers discover new spontaneous signaling pathway in the brain

Last Updated: 2/23/2022 10:05:21 AM

Stressful experiences can lead to adaptive or detrimental behaviors. Understanding how stress can affect our brains can help understand basic brain function and is also essential to discerning causes and treatments for some diseases. A group of researchers led by Jeffrey Conn, professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt, explored how specific types of neurons within the prefrontal cortex, the brain area involved in decision-making, mood and motivation, responded to acute stress in models.

Research Snapshot: Understanding the molecules and brain circuits recruited by stressful experience

Last Updated: 2/23/2022 10:03:13 AM

Three faculty members of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have been elected this year to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), an elite honor society of physician-scientists from the upper ranks of academic medicine and industry.

Halasa, Jordan, Wilkins elected members of ASCI

Last Updated: 2/23/2022 9:53:29 AM

Richard Sando awarded 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship in neuroscience

Richard Sando awarded 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship in neuroscience

Last Updated: 2/16/2022 9:51:32 AM

Ege T. Kavalali, William Stokes Professor of Experimental Therapeutics, has been named chair of the Department of Pharmacology in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences. National leaders in pharmacology, members of the pharmacology department at Vanderbilt and Lawrence J. Marnett, dean of the?School of Medicine Basic Sciences, all provided input in his selection.

Ege Kavalali to lead pharmacology department in School of Medicine Basic Sciences

Last Updated: 2/7/2022 11:38:08 AM

ou can now find Tennessee Disability Pathfinder on the State of Tennessee mobile app MyTN.

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder now on MyTN moble app

Last Updated: 2/4/2022 1:28:01 PM

A new comprehensive data set featuring neural images from children ages 5, 7 and 9 has been made available for cross-disciplinary research purposes. Led by James Booth, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Educational Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt, the brain imaging initiative includes structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, as well as extensive psychoeducational assessments and in-depth parental questionnaires.

Vanderbilt researchers make extensive brain imaging data set available for cross-disciplinary study

Last Updated: 1/24/2022 2:47:53 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

Brain inflammation plays a role in human epilepsy, but most studies have focused on acquired epilepsies, such as those due to head trauma, viral infection or other insults. Neuroinflammation has never been reported in genetic epilepsy associated with ion channel gene mutations.

Inflammation in genetic epilepsy

Last Updated: 1/25/2021 12:05:36 PM

Education Week recently released the 2021 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list highlighting education researchers who have demonstrated the greatest influence over educational policy and practice. Six researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development were selected for inclusion this year.

Six Peabody researchers recognized by Edu-Scholar Influence ranking

Last Updated: 1/19/2021 8:47:00 AM

A unifying explanation of the cause of autism and the reason for its rising prevalence has eluded scientists for decades, but a theoretical model published in the journal Medical Hypotheses describes the cause as a combination of socially valued traits, common in autism, and any number of co-occurring disabilities.

Autism theory 25 years in the making

Last Updated: 12/18/2020 9:28:50 AM

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development is offering a new master’s degree program in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for licensed special education teachers who want to practice ABA in educational settings or are specifically interested in training focused on school-based applications that integrate best ABA and special education practices.

Peabody College adds master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis

Last Updated: 12/18/2020 9:27:53 AM

Ann Kaiser, Susan W. Gray Professor of Education and Human Development and director of the Vanderbilt KidTalk lab, is an early childhood language and intervention researcher. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be assessing the language development of toddlers over Zoom, she would have said, “Not a chance.” And yet, since the beginning of June, Kaiser and her team have been doing just that, discovering not only that virtual intervention works, but also that, in many ways, it may have unique benefits when compared to in-person intervention.

Kaiser’s KidTalk lab returns to early childhood language intervention research during Research Ramp-up to support kids with language delays

Last Updated: 11/30/2020 11:10:41 AM

Seven Vanderbilt faculty recently were elected as fellows in the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association. Six are in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, and one is in the Department of Psychological Sciences in the Vanderbilt College of Arts and Science.

Seven Vanderbilt faculty members elected as fellows in prominent psychological science associations

Last Updated: 11/24/2020 8:51:31 AM

Several Vanderbilt University diversity and inclusion programs are being recognized by a federal office with a strong commitment to protecting workers, promoting diversity and enforcing nondiscrimination laws for government contractors.

Vanderbilt disability inclusion programs receive national recognition

Last Updated: 11/16/2020 12:23:59 PM

On Oct. 19, Velma McBride Murry, university professor of health policy and human and organizational development in Peabody College and the School of Medicine, and the Lois Autrey Betts Chair of Education and Human Development at Peabody College, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Murry elected to the National Academy of Medicine for outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service

Last Updated: 11/5/2020 12:15:20 PM

H. Carl Haywood, professor of psychology, emeritus, former Kennedy Center director, and colleague of Peabody College’s foundational triumvirate of Nicholas Hobbs, Susan Gray and Lloyd Dunn, died Oct. 12 in Nashville. He was 89.

Haywood, early director of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and pioneer in research on developmental disabilities, has died

Last Updated: 10/30/2020 3:41:51 PM

Kathryn Humphreys, assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, was awarded a Young Investigator Grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in an announcement made September 21.

Vanderbilt’s Humphreys receives Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grant

Last Updated: 10/8/2020 8:39:06 AM

When the coronavirus sent many parents and children home, Peabody Professor Erin Barton and the 14 graduate student researchers who make up the Barton Research Lab decided to use social media to offer evidence-based resources they had created to families of children with disabilities or challenging behaviors.

Barton Lab offers pandemic resources for families of children with disabilities

Last Updated: 9/23/2020 8:21:37 AM

NSF grant aligns with school’s Inclusion Engineering focus

Vanderbilt leads $5 million project to revolutionize neurodiverse employment through AI

Last Updated: 9/22/2020 10:12:00 AM

Donna and Jeffrey Eskind, whose generous gifts have advanced Vanderbilt research that is improving lives, have made a new commitment of $2 million to endow a new chair in autism spectrum disorder research in the School of Medicine.

Eskind Chair to strengthen Vanderbilt research on autism spectrum disorder

Last Updated: 9/17/2020 8:39:51 AM

Bingham appointed as Chair of Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Last Updated: 8/27/2020 3:24:11 PM

Vanderbilt University has named Bunmi Olatunji, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology, as interim dean of the Graduate School. Olatunji currently serves as associate dean of academic affairs for the Graduate School and takes over as Dean Mark T. Wallace returns to the faculty starting Sept. 1.

Vanderbilt appoints Olatunji as interim dean of Graduate School, launches search committee for graduate education leadership role

Last Updated: 8/27/2020 9:19:07 AM

ACM gift aims to improve lives of children with autism spectrum disorder

Last Updated: 8/14/2020 12:58:24 PM

The ancient Egyptians were the first to mention the brain in writing—preserved on a 2,700-year-old papyrus that details the symptoms of head injuries—but the importance of the organ escaped them. They believed it was the heart, not the head, that controlled human thought and emotion.

Vanderbilt Brain Institute has emerged as a hub of discovery as neuroscience’s influence expands

Last Updated: 8/6/2020 8:05:58 AM

When Amy Ladd first began taking her 5-year-old son, Wesley, to SeRenade, a music class at Vanderbilt providing parent training and peer inclusion for kids with autism spectrum disorder, he had difficulty doing everything from putting on clothes in the morning to

Music Cognition Lab is dedicated to the scientific study of how music affects the brain and behavior

Last Updated: 8/6/2020 8:00:03 AM

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‘Brave in the Attempt’: Early history of TN Special Olympics closely tied to Peabody, Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 7/30/2020 8:54:50 AM

The pandemic is having profound effects on mental health for people around the world. One of the first longitudinal studies to assess COVID-19 related stressors and mental health symptoms led by Autumn Kujawa, assistant professor of psychology and human development, shows that many people will recover as the situation improves.

Early empirical study on COVID-19 related depression and anxiety gives reason for optimism

Last Updated: 7/24/2020 11:54:55 AM

Daniel Lookabaugh, a 20-year-old electrical engineering student who has epilepsy, has never driven a car because of violent seizures and had to put his schooling on hold last year.

ROSA technology helps ease patient’s violent seizures

Last Updated: 7/16/2020 2:27:32 PM

Limited vocabulary development in children from families of low socio-economic status can delay learning and create a word gap that widens as they reach school age.

Enhanced e-book helps close the word gap in children from families of low socio-economic status

Last Updated: 7/1/2020 8:54:41 AM

The Tennessee Department of Education announced members and objectives of the statewide COVID-19 Child Wellbeing Task Force, which was convened to support the holistic needs of Tennessee children in response to extended school building closures.

Brown, Webster named to statewide COVID-19 Child Wellbeing Task Force

Last Updated: 6/19/2020 11:59:04 AM

Finding the best ways to support people with disabilities, and the people who work with them, defines the culture of Peabody’s Department of Special Education. In recent years a cadre of energetic, productive faculty members have joined the department, building on the legacy of high-caliber research and teaching that began in the 1950s with Lloyd Dunn and developmental psychologists Nicholas Hobbs and Susan Gray.

Peabody Special Education applies best-in-class academic research to solve real-world challenges

Last Updated: 6/1/2020 12:39:14 PM

“The Promise of Discovery” is a new podcast hosted by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) that highlights research in intellectual and developmental disabilities in plain language, making it accessible to the general public. The podcast launched May 8, with the premiere of the first three episodes.

Communicating disabilities research in plain language

Last Updated: 5/28/2020 10:23:18 AM

For people with disabilities, the impact of COVID-19 brings new challenges, including increased barriers to healthcare, information and much needed support systems. Additionally, practicing social distancing and taking preventive measures can be more difficult for those with disabilities, who may be at greater risk of disability-related complications if they were to get the virus.

Ask an Expert: What do people with disabilities face during the pandemic?

Last Updated: 5/21/2020 2:33:03 PM

Parents with greater depression symptoms report experiencing less empathy—even toward their own children, according to a new Vanderbilt report published in PLOS ONE. This phenomenon could lead to significant long-term negative impacts for these children, the researchers say.

Parent depression linked to reduced empathy, putting kids at risk for adverse outcomes

Last Updated: 5/19/2020 9:00:47 AM

As Next Steps at Vanderbilt marks its 10th anniversary throughout 2020, the year also brings another significant milestone: The first class of Next Steps at Vanderbilt students will graduate from its expanded four-year program.

Next Steps at Vanderbilt celebrates first four-year class, 10th anniversary

Last Updated: 5/6/2020 1:27:05 PM

Early behavioral intervention — often delivered by parents — appears to improve outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies show, however, that the parents are experiencing high levels of psychological stress. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), which can reduce stress and improve sleep, health and life satisfaction, may be useful for parents of children with ASD.

Reducing stress in parents of children with autism

Last Updated: 4/30/2020 11:33:47 AM

Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are investigating whether participation in a specially designed theatre program can improve social competence in adults with autism.

Study seeks to improve social competence in adults with autism

Last Updated: 4/24/2020 3:58:43 PM

With daycares, schools, and most places of employment being closed right now while many caregivers work from home, you may be wondering how to best support your children during this unusual time. This may be a particular concern if your child has autism, knowing that this abrupt change in routine may be even harder for them and may be more difficult for you to explain. Below are a few tips for supporting you and your child during this time.

How to support your child with autism during this uncertain time

Last Updated: 4/14/2020 1:55:10 PM

Prevalence of autism rising in the U.S., new report finds

Prevalence of autism rising in the U.S., new report finds

Last Updated: 3/26/2020 2:54:02 PM

A Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) partnership with Special Olympics Tennessee and the Strong Minds program teaches athletes coping strategies to reduce stress while providing trainees with hands-on learning opportunities.

Building mental health muscles in Special Olympians and bridging learning opportunities for VKC trainees

Last Updated: 3/25/2020 1:33:10 PM

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder resources for COVID-19 and disaster relief

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder resources for COVID-19 and disaster relief

Last Updated: 3/9/2020 9:07:10 AM

Nilanjan Sarkar, Ph.D., a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator and mechanical engineering professor is leading an ambitious pilot project that will develop prototypes of new, artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology and tools to train, connect, and support people with autism spectrum disorders in finding jobs and succeeding in the workforce.

Sarkar leads $1 million NSF pilot to develop tech for workforce inclusion of people with autism

Last Updated: 3/6/2020 8:35:46 AM

The idea of simultaneously analyzing medical diagnosis codes with electronic medical records has been much like knowing valuable treasure is buried under miles of rock but lacking the tools to mine it.

VU engineers mine EMRs, clinical journals for novel disease associations and new research paths

Last Updated: 2/25/2020 1:47:32 PM

Protein interactions and brain function

Protein interactions and brain function

Last Updated: 2/21/2020 11:11:40 AM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt, TN’s first inclusive higher ed program, celebrates 10 years of impact

Next Steps at Vanderbilt, TN’s first inclusive higher ed program, celebrates 10 years of impact

Last Updated: 2/20/2020 10:22:28 AM

VKC at 2020 Tennessee Partners in Education Conference

VKC at 2020 Tennessee Partners in Education Conference

Last Updated: 1/31/2020 9:09:03 AM

Educate to Advocate 2020

Last Updated: 1/21/2020 3:47:49 PM

<p><strong>(January - July at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</strong></p> <p>This free exhibit features photographs of Tennesseans with disabilities and their families who are using their voices to vote, to educate legislators and policymakers, and to stand up for their own rights and for the rights of others. </p><p>The advocates shared their civic engagement stories with Vanderbilt graduate students as part of the <a href=" https://vkc.vumc.org/kindredstories/ "> TN Kindred Stories of Disability </a> project. The project produces topical booklets that are shared with elected officials each year to educate them about disability issues. In 2019, participants engaged in photo sessions with photographer and parent advocate Jen Vogus, whose powerful images combine with the stories to amplify the voices of the advocates as they are taken to Capitol Hill. </p><p>Jen Vogus is the founder of <a href="https://www.jenvogus.com/able-voices"> AbleVoices</a>, a non-profit organization that teaches participants with disabilities to use photography as a tool for communication, advocacy, and empowerment. </p><p>Photographer Assistants: Bryant Welch, Ashley Shouse, Kyler Grissom, Sami Zinni, and Eric Wilson</p><p>Preparator: Lain York</p>

Kindred Stories: Civic Engagement and Disability

Last Updated: 1/10/2020 4:19:11 PM

Arie Nettles, PhD, NCSP, HSP, associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics, has been reappointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to serve a new two-year term as chair of the Planning and Policy Council for the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD).

Nettles reappointed as chair of statewide planning and policy council

Last Updated: 1/2/2020 2:54:29 PM

Eight Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS fellows for 2019

Eight Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS fellows for 2019

Last Updated: 12/2/2019 1:50:21 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have taken a major step that could ultimately facilitate development of a new class of antidepressants which may relieve symptoms more rapidly and effectively and with fewer side effects than current medications.

Study explores potential new class of antidepressants

Last Updated: 11/25/2019 3:27:25 PM

Kathryn Edwards, MD, who holds the Sarah H. Sell and Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair in Pediatrics and is a professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, is the recipient of the 2020 John Howland Award, the highest honor given by the American Pediatric Society (APS).

Edwards receives American Pediatric Society’s top award

Last Updated: 11/15/2019 10:09:45 AM

Proteins that move electrically charged ions of sodium, potassium and chloride across the cell membrane are vital for the control of cell volume — the amount of water inside the cell and regulation of intracellular chloride.

Blueprint for treating epilepsy

Last Updated: 11/15/2019 10:09:15 AM

Study explores genetic risk profiling of insomnia in autism

Last Updated: 11/12/2019 10:40:10 AM

Sleep experts and chronobiologists advocate eliminating outdated policy.

Daylight Savings Time: Bad for the brain?

Last Updated: 11/8/2019 11:05:49 AM

Researchers from the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University School of Medicine are partnering to study musical rhythm synchronization as a part of social development and how it’s disrupted in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in hopes of developing music interventions for improving social communication.

Autism study tracks musical rhythm as possible treatment

Last Updated: 11/7/2019 2:00:01 PM

Bunmi Olatunji, professor of psychology and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been appointed associate dean of academic affairs at the Graduate School, effective Jan. 1, 2020. He succeeds Richard Hoover, professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology and associate professor of pediatrics, who is stepping down after 18 years in the role and will retire from Vanderbilt on Dec. 31.

Olatunji appointed associate dean of academic affairs at Graduate School

Last Updated: 10/22/2019 9:12:54 AM

Vanderbilt University’s No. 1 ranked Department of Special Education has been awarded more than $19 million in federal funding to support intensive interventions for children, young people and adults with a wide array of disabilities.

Vanderbilt earns $19M in federal funding for special education training and research

Last Updated: 10/22/2019 9:11:46 AM

This month, a committee within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine published its review of NASA’s updated Science Plan. Among those named to the exclusive committee responsible for reviewing the plan is Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Endowed Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt.

National Academies committee including Vanderbilt astrophysicist publishes review of latest NASA Science Plan

Last Updated: 10/22/2019 9:11:03 AM

A new multisite study funded by the National Institute on Aging will examine whether co-occurring Alzheimer’s disease and stage 4 breast or prostate cancer alters pain perception, potentially leading to undertreated cancer pain.

Study examines pain processing in co-occurring cancer, Alzheimer’s disease

Last Updated: 10/15/2019 2:57:34 PM

The International Rett Syndrome Foundation appoints three to the board.

Monteggia appointed to International Rett Syndrome Foundation Board of Directors

Last Updated: 10/4/2019 3:40:35 PM

Mutations in a subunit of a receptor that binds the major inhibitory neurotransmitter GABAA in the brain have been linked, through a common mechanism, to epilepsy, autism and intellectual disability, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues report.

Team discovers one more piece to the autism puzzle

Last Updated: 10/4/2019 3:39:19 PM

<p>(October - December at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p>Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, this free annual exhibit features works of art in a variety of media by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages on the theme of “Art is for All.”</p>

Creative Expressions XXV

Last Updated: 9/20/2019 9:44:56 AM

Two faculty members from Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences have been recognized with annual awards from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), VUMC’s credentialing organization.

Tharpe, Woynaroski honored by speech sciences association

Last Updated: 9/16/2019 9:07:45 AM

Vanderbilt University will train a new generation of engineers and scientists to develop innovations that connect 21st-century workforce needs to the talents and abilities of neurodiverse individuals, such as those living along the autism spectrum, thanks to a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

NSF funds Vanderbilt graduate trainee program to develop workplace innovations for those with autism

Last Updated: 9/13/2019 9:42:50 AM

A residential community that brings together Vanderbilt Divinity School students and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities is celebrating the opening of its third house.

Third Friendship House connects young adults with disabilities and Divinity School students

Last Updated: 9/9/2019 6:00:23 PM

2019 VKC Science Day registration open through Sept. 12

2019 VKC Science Day registration open through Sept. 12

Last Updated: 9/5/2019 3:49:10 PM

Vanderbilt University has been awarded a $3.2 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to better understand how children who are deaf or hard of hearing excel at reading. Millions of children are hearing impaired and these individuals tend to have below-average reading skills. Only about 10 percent of DHH individuals attain age-appropriate reading levels by high school graduation.

$3.2M grant to fund Vanderbilt study of reading skills in children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Last Updated: 9/5/2019 3:14:19 PM

A team led by an engineering professor who specializes in techniques to analyze functional neuroimaging data and a neurosurgeon-scientist has received a $3 million NIH grant for epilepsy research.

Chang, Englot receive $3 million NIH grant for epilepsy imaging work

Last Updated: 8/30/2019 9:56:26 AM

Preschoolers are capable of learning more complicated math concepts than most parents realize, according to a new Vanderbilt study. What’s more, these concepts can be easily introduced through simple games and tasks at home.

Preschoolers can do more math than you think

Last Updated: 8/19/2019 10:19:02 AM

An accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is possible when a child is 18 months old, but the average age of diagnosis and initial intervention remains above 4 years. Many community providers and the families they serve lack a clear pathway for accessing diagnostic services and knowledge of available resources, delaying care that could improve developmental outcomes.

System set to help coordinate autism care

Last Updated: 8/16/2019 9:30:08 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and The Arc Tennessee are partnering to collect stories from individuals with disabilities and their families on the topic of civic engagement.

VKC, The Arc TN seeking personal stories for Civic Engagement issue of Kindred Stories

Last Updated: 8/8/2019 1:53:28 PM

VIDEO: TN Inclusive Higher Education Programs

Last Updated: 8/1/2019 10:37:07 AM

Little ones may be fascinated by the cartoon character or person on TV asking them questions and pausing for a response. But science shows that children under the age of 30 months don’t tend to learn from such encounters.

Toddler brains resist learning from screens, even video chat

Last Updated: 8/1/2019 9:08:50 AM

he Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, a new center that brings engineers, business scholars and disabilities researchers together with experts in neuroscience and education to understand, maximize and promote neurodiverse talent, celebrated its grand opening on Thursday, July 25. Located at the Innovation Pavilion in Vanderbilt University’s Engineering and Science Building, adjacent to the Wondr’y, the center was made possible by a $10 million endowed gift from Jennifer R. Frist, BS’93, and husband William R. “Billy” Frist in fall 2018.

Vanderbilt celebrates opening of Frist Center for Autism and Innovation

Last Updated: 7/30/2019 9:22:40 AM

Signaling by the neurotransmitter dopamine is a critical regulator of movement, attention and reward. Disrupted dopamine signaling has been implicated in brain disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Defective transporter linked to autism

Last Updated: 7/26/2019 11:49:34 AM

Detecting and treating schizophrenia early, perhaps even before symptoms arise, could lead to better therapeutic outcomes. Studies have demonstrated differences in social function and cognition among people who later develop symptoms of schizophrenia, but less is known about pre-morbid temperament and personality.

Early detection of schizophrenia

Last Updated: 7/1/2019 9:58:15 AM

For many people, simple sensations such as the gentle caress of a loved one or walking barefoot through the grass feel pleasant. For individuals with autism, the feeling of light pressure on the skin may be perceived as aversive or even cringe-worthy.

Researchers explore perceptions of touch in people with autism

Last Updated: 6/27/2019 8:52:36 AM

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder program director Megan Hart, M.Ed., was recently elected as chair of the Tennessee Disability Coalition Board of Directors.

Hart elected chair of Tennessee Disability Coalition Board of Directors

Last Updated: 6/24/2019 3:06:11 PM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has received a $10 million endowed gift to fund translational research, support clinical programs and create an endowed chair within the department.

$10 million gift bolsters psychosis research efforts

Last Updated: 6/24/2019 9:38:44 AM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is forming a new Center for Improving the Public’s Health Using Informatics (CIPHI, pronounced “Sci Fi”) to be co-directed by Michael Matheny, MD, MS, MPH, and Melissa McPheeters, PhD, MPH.

VUMC forms new Center for Improving the Public’s Health Using Informatics (CIPHI)

Last Updated: 6/24/2019 9:35:02 AM

Cathy Maxwell, PhD, Shelagh Mulvaney, PhD, and Bethany Rhoten, PhD, have been named Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s first Valere Potter Distinguished Dean’s Faculty Fellows.

Three School of Nursing faculty named first Valere Potter Distinguished Dean’s Faculty Fellows

Last Updated: 6/17/2019 9:56:22 AM

<p>(July - September at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p>This free exhibit features original work and reproductions of art by and about Tennesseans with disabilities that are featured in the annual arts issue of <em>Breaking Ground</em> magazine of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities. </p>

Breaking Ground III at the VKC

Last Updated: 6/13/2019 2:15:39 PM

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS, division chief of General Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, was honored recently with the 2019 Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Research Award.

Academic Pediatric Association honors Barkin

Last Updated: 5/29/2019 9:40:37 AM

John Gore, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), and Michael King, PhD, J. Lawrence Wilson Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, were recently elected to the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE) 2019 Class of Fellows in recognition of their contributions in the field of medical and biological engineering.

Gore, King elected to 2019 IAMBE Class of Fellows

Last Updated: 5/29/2019 9:39:49 AM

Vanderbilt University astrophysicist Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy, was named Tuesday to the National Academies’ Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020) Steering Committee.

Stassun appointed to Astro2020 Steering Committee

Last Updated: 5/29/2019 9:39:01 AM

MegaConference

VKC at Tennessee Disability MegaConference

Last Updated: 5/24/2019 11:59:44 AM

A pair of Vanderbilt University neuroscientists will collaborate with a Buffalo, New York, art gallery on a two-year project that recently earned a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Research: Art Works program award.

Vanderbilt neuroscientists, art museum collaborate on NEA-funded visual cognition research

Last Updated: 5/20/2019 9:52:53 AM

New News Item

AERA Ideas in Action - Also Noted

Last Updated: 5/15/2019 10:41:15 AM

American Educational Research Association 2018 Ideas in Action Conference

AERA Ideas in Action – Notes and Honors

Last Updated: 5/15/2019 10:32:04 AM

A team of Vanderbilt University biologists are a step closer to determining how prenatal exposure to long summer days or long winter nights affects long-term mental wellbeing.

Vanderbilt team determining how seasonal light for pregnant moms affects offspring’s mental health

Last Updated: 5/15/2019 10:17:29 AM

On a two-day visit to Tennessee, Julie Hocker, Commissioner of the U.S. Administration on Disability, met with Vanderbilt Kennedy Center leadership, faculty, trainees, and Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Network partners. Hocker visited at the suggestion of Lance Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging at the Administration for Community Living, who travelled to Tennessee in January and returned enthusiastic about the collaborative relationships within the state.

AOD Commissioner Julie Hocker visits Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 5/14/2019 11:45:02 AM

Eleven outstanding faculty members from across the university have been selected for the 2019 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.

Eleven faculty members named as 2019 Chancellor Faculty Fellows

Last Updated: 5/14/2019 9:19:47 AM

Twenty-five retiring faculty members were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony May 10, when the university honored their years of service and bestowed on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty.

Vanderbilt University honors 25 as emeriti faculty; Zeppos appointed chancellor emeritus

Last Updated: 5/13/2019 9:27:50 AM

http://news.vumc.org/2019/05/08/nettles-receives-nashville-cables-power-of-inclusion-individual-award/

Nettles receives Nashville Cable’s Power of Inclusion Individual Award

Last Updated: 5/9/2019 3:35:05 PM

Two Purposes: Accepting and Including People with Disabilities

Last Updated: 5/6/2019 1:44:38 PM

Vanderbilt’s six newest endowed chairs were honored by colleagues, university leaders, family members and donors at a ceremony on April 30 in the Student Life Center.

Six new endowed chairs from Medicine, A&S, Owen and Law School honored

Last Updated: 5/3/2019 4:20:59 PM

The sight of a dog in a therapy vest trotting down a hospital hallway or being petted by a child lying in a hospital bed is familiar to many, yet the scientific research showing the impact of therapy animals is largely anecdotal, says Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Professor Mary Jo Gilmer, PhD, FAAN. Her work is changing that.

Vanderbilt Nursing professor launches study on therapy animals and children with cancer

Last Updated: 5/3/2019 8:50:19 AM

Erasing the term disability from the collective vocabulary is misguided and has harmful sociocultural implications, according to a new article by leading scholars and rehabilitation psychologists in the field of disability identity.

Disability is not a dirty word; ‘handi-capable’ should be retired

Last Updated: 4/24/2019 2:40:45 PM

New findings from an ongoing 45-year Vanderbilt study reveal that patterns found in test scores and a psychological assessment measuring the personal values of nearly 700 intellectually gifted adolescents were highly predictive of the distinct fields of eminence they would occupy by age 50.

Gifted kids turn 50: Most successful followed heart, not just head

Last Updated: 4/24/2019 2:39:58 PM

David Dickinson, Margaret Cowan Chair in Education and associate dean for research at Peabody College, has published with Ann B. Morse Connecting Through Talk: Nurturing Children’s Development with Language (Brookes Publishing, 2019).

Kudos: Read about faculty and student awards, appointments and achievements

Last Updated: 4/19/2019 9:27:33 AM

Using a unique computational framework they developed, a team of scientist cyber-sleuths in the Vanderbilt University Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute (VGI) has identified 104 high-risk genes for schizophrenia.

Researchers find high-risk genes for schizophrenia

Last Updated: 4/18/2019 3:20:36 PM

New News Item

Doug and Lynn Fuchs win the Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor Award

Last Updated: 4/16/2019 3:52:02 PM

<p>(April - June at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p>This free exhibit features 10 charcoal drawings created by participants from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Swaney Art Workshop. Led by artist Kat Kennedy, these artists with disabilities explored the workshop’s theme, <em>Residue and Renewal</em>, through various media such as charcoal, tape-resist painting, and photography.</p> <p>The workshop and show are a collaboration between the VKC and Metro Parks disABILITIES, made possible by a gift from the late Mary Jane Swaney. A talented artist, Swaney recognized the importance of using her passion in her efforts to give back. Through her support of the VKC art program, she shared that passion for art with people with disabilities of all ages. </p>

Residue: from the Swaney Art Workshop

Last Updated: 3/26/2019 2:09:37 PM

Robot-guided video game gets older adults out of comfort zone, learning and working together

Last Updated: 3/19/2019 9:28:18 AM

With the aid of $2.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vanderbilt researchers are on a quest to develop early biomarkers of treatment outcomes for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy based on their individual brain networks.

Study aims to predict treatment response in epilepsy patients

Last Updated: 3/15/2019 8:52:51 AM

Vanderbilt University neuroscientist James R. Booth is making available the largest known neuroimaging dataset on math development. His goal in doing so is to support the work of other researchers across the world who are working to understand how arithmetic skills develop in childhood.

Researcher shares largest neuroimaging dataset on math development

Last Updated: 3/8/2019 2:59:18 PM

Although increasing evidence shows that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be accurately identified during their second year of life, the average age of diagnosis in both Tennessee and across the country remains well above 4 years of age.

Telemedicine holds promise for quick diagnosis of autism

Last Updated: 3/8/2019 9:01:14 AM

A Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grant and a Director’s Strategic Priorities Grant have been awarded to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigators for 2019-20. The grants aim to further understanding of how social information is processed within the reward circuit and explore the creation of an objective measure of social information processing.

VKC Hobbs Discovery and Strategic Priorities grants announced

Last Updated: 3/8/2019 8:58:06 AM

The science of sleep, and how to get people to do it better, is getting attention from policymakers to researchers who are trying to understand how sleep impacts performance and health.

‘Very exciting time’ for sleep research as studies zero in on performance, health

Last Updated: 3/7/2019 2:46:16 PM

Researcher shares largest neuroimaging dataset on math development

Researcher shares largest neuroimaging dataset on math development

Last Updated: 3/6/2019 8:50:18 AM

Vanderbilt University’s eight newest endowed chair holders were celebrated for their path-breaking scholarship and research by family members, donors, colleagues and friends during a Feb. 25 ceremony at the Student Life Center.

Endowed chair holder celebration honors eight faculty members

Last Updated: 3/1/2019 9:45:56 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator Blythe Corbett and her winter 2019 participants of the SENSE Theatre program will bring the original musical The Makeover to life March 8 and 9 at Belmont University’s Troutt Black Box Theater. The performances are the culmination of practice and hard work put in by research participants on the autism spectrum as well as trained typically developing peer actors who will join them on stage.

SENSE Theatre to perform ‘The Makeover’ March 8-9

Last Updated: 2/28/2019 9:45:02 AM

Kindred Stories at Disability Day on the Hill

Kindred Stories at Disability Day on the Hill

Last Updated: 2/26/2019 3:43:46 PM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently received a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve outcomes for children with significant hearing loss by providing individualized, prescription-like programming for their cochlear implants.

Study takes personal approach to cochlear implant programming

Last Updated: 2/26/2019 12:34:55 PM

Ben Scheer jumps imagination-first into big projects, and he’s not afraid of a lot of trial and error. The Vanderbilt human and organizational development and economics double major has worked on dozens of entrepreneurial endeavors ranging from coding to music to virtual reality to photography, with his biggest focus being on connecting with people and solving problems.

Student creates app for orangutans

Last Updated: 2/26/2019 12:34:11 PM

2019 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Hobbs Discovery and Strategic Priorities Grants announced

2019 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Hobbs Discovery and Strategic Priorities Grants announced

Last Updated: 2/21/2019 2:27:31 PM

A recent study by Vanderbilt researchers of 11 counties in Middle Tennessee revealed that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were nearly 2.5 times more likely than children without ASD to be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline by the age of 8.

Study finds children with autism more likely to face maltreatment

Last Updated: 2/15/2019 11:30:13 AM

Stress contributes to psychiatric diseases including depression, eating disorders and addiction. Neurons that express the stress signal corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in a brain region called the BNST are thought to promote negative responses to stress.

Modulating stress circuits

Last Updated: 2/15/2019 11:29:10 AM

Alacia Stainbrook, Ph.D., BCBA-D, director of Early Learning for the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD), has recently been promoted to the tile of Associate Director within the organization.

Stainbrook named Associate Director of VKC TRIAD

Last Updated: 1/18/2019 9:49:06 AM

Psychiatrists diagnose people with schizophrenia, ADHD, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses by spending time with them, looking for the particular behavior symptoms of each. What follows can be a hit-or-miss series of medications and dosages until disruptive behaviors go away.

Team finds how error and reward signals are organized within cerebral cortex

Last Updated: 1/15/2019 2:27:47 PM

A Vanderbilt special education research team served as guest editors of the January issue of Exceptional Children, the distinguished research journal of the Council for Exceptional Children, available online today.

Researchers highlight moderator analysis in ‘Exceptional Children’ special issue

Last Updated: 1/11/2019 10:37:39 AM

Verity Rodrigues, M.S., Ph.D., educational consultant and instructor in Pediatrics at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD), has been selected to participate on the advisory board for the National Training Center on Mental Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (MHIDD).

VKC TRIAD’s Rodrigues to serve on National Mental Health Advisory Board

Last Updated: 1/7/2019 2:24:35 PM

Colorful figures of the human body are helping Vanderbilt University researchers understand how people experience emotion through their bodies and how this process is radically altered in people with schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia experience emotion differently from others, ‘body maps’ show

Last Updated: 12/31/2018 10:13:17 AM

<p>(January - March at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p>This free exhibit features photographs by students with disabilities from Centennial and Franklin High Schools (Williamson County, Tennessee). The images represent the young adults’ strengths and/or depict the people, places, and things that are most important to them and that define them as individuals. This experience amplifies the voices of the participants and illustrates the power of self-expression. </p> <p> The <em>Able Voices</em> program was developed and is led by teaching artist, <a href="http://www.jenvogus.com">Jen Vogus</a>. This project was made possible by support from The Arc Williamson County, Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, and the Arts Council of Williamson County. Lain York, Preparator</p> <p> To learn more about <em>Able Voices</em>, visit <a href="https://www.jenvogus.com/able-voices">www.jenvogus.com/able-voices</a>. </p> <p>Prints available for sale. Contact <a href="mailto:jen@jenvogus.com">jen@jenvogus.com</a>. All profits go to the student photographer. Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK49Subb6hg&frags=pl%2Cwn">Able Voices: Centennial High School</a> on YouTube. Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPHqE3d7aTg&frags=pl%2Cwn">Able Voices: Franklin High School</a> on YouTube. </p>

Able Voices: Sharing Who We Are Through Our Photographs

Last Updated: 12/20/2018 11:26:39 AM

Ten charcoal drawings created by local artists with disabilities will be showcased in the Frist Art Museum in early 2019. “Artworks from the Swaney Art Workshop at the Metro Parks disABILITIES Day Program” will debut on January 7 and run through January 20 in the museum’s Upper Level Corridor.

Swaney workshop art to appear in Frist Art Museum in January 2019

Last Updated: 12/20/2018 9:35:33 AM

Erin Barton, associate professor of special education, has received a grant from the Caplan Foundation to support the development of a curriculum for children with disabilities who struggle to interact and engage socially through play.

Kudos: Faculty awards, appointments and achievements

Last Updated: 12/18/2018 12:24:52 PM

Robert Fox, Ph.D., professor of Psychology, Emeritus, and a long-time member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, died Wednesday, December 12, 2018, after a short illness. He was 86.

In Memory: Robert Fox

Last Updated: 12/17/2018 12:01:40 PM

Neul Membership in American Pediatric Society

VKC director elected to American Pediatric Society

Last Updated: 12/14/2018 2:13:15 PM

Researchers in the Vanderbilt KidTalk Lab are joining researchers at two other universities to conduct a clinical trial of an intervention for young children with language delays in a study funded by the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders.

KidTalk begins clinical trial for young children with language delays

Last Updated: 12/4/2018 4:00:30 PM

Vanderbilt University’s 10 newest endowed chair holders were lauded for their exemplary teaching and scholarship during a Nov. 27 ceremony at the Student Life Center.

Celebration honors 10 new endowed chair holders

Last Updated: 11/30/2018 9:30:02 AM

Two Vanderbilt University scientists — BethAnn McLaughlin, PhD, and the late Vivien Casagrande, PhD — have been honored by the Society for Neuroscience for making significant contributions to the advancement of women in science.

McLaughlin, Casagrande honored by the Society for Neuroscience

Last Updated: 11/30/2018 9:29:13 AM

The Society for Neuroscience has paid tribute to the late Vivien Casagrande’s groundbreaking research and dedication to the advancement of women in neuroscience with the Patricia Goldman-Rakic Hall of Honor Award. Casagrande, a longtime professor of cell and developmental biology, psychology, and ophthalmology and visual sciences at Vanderbilt, passed away in 2017 from cancer.

Society for Neuroscience honors Vivien Casagrande

Last Updated: 11/12/2018 10:17:30 AM

Alzheimer’s patients are five to 10 times more likely to suffer unprovoked seizures compared to healthy individuals. Alzheimer’s patients often also have reduced levels of ascorbate, or vitamin C.

Vitamin C protects brain from seizures

Last Updated: 11/9/2018 3:53:23 PM

A $10 million gift from alumna Jennifer R. Frist, BS’93, and husband William R. “Billy” Frist will endow a new center focused on supporting and developing the neurodiverse talents of individuals with autism at Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering.

Vanderbilt launches the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation

Last Updated: 11/8/2018 8:51:59 AM

Stephan Heckers, MD, MSc, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Schizophrenia Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, was recently recognized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) with a 2018 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.

Heckers honored by National Alliance on Mental Illness

Last Updated: 11/5/2018 9:32:24 AM

The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development has received five grants totaling $6.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs.

Vanderbilt earns $6.6M in special education teacher training grants

Last Updated: 11/5/2018 9:31:53 AM

Shari Barkin, MD, MSHS, chief of the Division of Academic General Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, has been named Pediatrician of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (TNAAP).

Barkin named TNAAP Pediatrician of the Year

Last Updated: 10/29/2018 11:47:54 AM

Neurofilament light (NFL) is a support protein within large axons in the brain’s white matter that supports nerve signal transmission. When axons are injured, increased NFL concentrations are found in the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain, representing an important biomarker for axonal breakdown.

Probing the pathology of impaired cognition

Last Updated: 10/26/2018 10:29:54 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) has received a one-year $604,000 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to use Vanderbilt University Medical Center electronic medical record information and biological samples to develop a deeper understanding of critical issues in Down syndrome and to provide an infrastructure for future analyses.

Grant to help explore critical issues in Down syndrome

Last Updated: 10/26/2018 10:28:39 AM

A new study examining stress and arousal across pubertal development in youth with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now enrolling participants, thanks to a $2.3 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Study to track teen development in those with, without autism

Last Updated: 10/24/2018 2:41:27 PM

VKC co-hosts Nov. 29 Autism, Innovation, & the Workforce Conference

Last Updated: 10/24/2018 2:34:30 PM

Kate Margulis has been passionate about music all her life. But it wasn’t until she came to Vanderbilt to earn a master’s degree in speech and language pathology that she realized she could marry that passion to her undergraduate research in developmental psychology and language and, as a result, help children learn language skills.

Biology and the Beat

Last Updated: 10/16/2018 10:18:02 AM

Transition Tennessee invites parents and caregivers across Tennessee to participate in a short survey on the needs of their child(ren) with disabilities (ages 14-22) preparing for future jobs, training, or college after high school.

Transition Tennessee seeking parents for needs assessment survey

Last Updated: 10/10/2018 8:48:26 AM

Laurie Cutting, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, has received a $3 million National Institutes of Health Merit Award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Laurie Cutting, Vanderbilt educational neuroscientist, honored with NIH Merit Award

Last Updated: 10/5/2018 12:01:27 PM

Reyna Gordon, PhD, assistant professor of Otolaryngology and director of the Music Cognition Lab in the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award of $2.3 million in total costs for her project, “Biomarkers of Rhythmic Communication: Integrating Foundational and Translational Approaches.”

Gordon receives $2.3 million New Innovator Award

Last Updated: 10/4/2018 9:32:34 AM

<p>(October - December at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center)</p><p>Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, this free annual exhibit features works of art by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p><p><a href="http://www.tpac.org/visiting/directions.asp">Tennessee Performing Arts Center Lobby</a>, 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN; call (615) 782-4000 for hours</p>

Creative Expressions XXIV

Last Updated: 9/27/2018 10:19:14 AM

Sarah Carpenter spends her days working on the SPARK study, the largest genetic study of autism in the country of which Vanderbilt is one of the most active centers.

Sarah Carpenter applies "Simpsons" experience to autism research

Last Updated: 9/18/2018 1:36:34 PM

Deborah Hatton, professor of special education, emerita, died Sept. 4. She was 65.

Hatton, scholar and advocate for the visually impaired, dies

Last Updated: 9/10/2018 4:16:05 PM

A Vanderbilt University Medical Center pilot study of treating late-life depression in nonsmokers with transdermal nicotine (nicotine patch) has yielded some promising results, but the study’s author cautions that more study is needed.

Nicotine patch shows promise in treating late-life depression

Last Updated: 9/7/2018 2:10:30 PM

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded a $40,000 Youth Literacy grant to the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) Reading Clinic to provide partial and full scholarships to families of children who would not otherwise be able to afford clinic services.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards Youth Literary grant to VKC Reading Clinic

Last Updated: 9/5/2018 4:15:24 PM

Camilla P. Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, has announced several new appointments within Peabody College’s administrative offices.

Peabody College announces administrative changes

Last Updated: 9/5/2018 10:53:21 AM

A 4-year-old lines up colorful blocks in a row: red-red-green-red-red-green. Her teacher encourages her to replicate the pattern using soft toys: bear-bear-monkey-bear-bear-monkey. Another child uses blocks to build a doorway, figuring out how to balance blocks on top of others. This isn’t just play.

Can colorful blocks prep preschoolers for a future in math? This study says yes.

Last Updated: 8/27/2018 4:23:33 PM

For the first time, researchers have seen how proteins involved in the daily biological clock interact with each other, helping them to further understand a process tied to numerous metabolic and eating disorders, problems with shift work, jet lag and mental health issues.

High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals clock protein interactions

Last Updated: 8/24/2018 9:05:16 AM

Young children and their families in poor communities were able to make some achievable and sustainable behavioral changes during the longest and largest obesity prevention intervention ever conducted. But, in the end, the results were insufficient to prevent early childhood obesity.

Study finds behavioral changes insufficient at preventing early childhood obesity

Last Updated: 8/9/2018 2:07:38 PM

A biochemistry instructor curious about an enzyme discovered in the damaged neurons of people with multiple sclerosis made a leap toward a potential cure for countless neurodegenerative ills.

Enzyme helps build motor that drives neuron death

Last Updated: 8/7/2018 9:48:58 AM

In an effort to find a more engaging way to present child development to new psychology students, I decided to use a book about a little orphan boy who later discovers he is a wizard.

Why I use Harry Potter to teach a college course on child development

Last Updated: 8/2/2018 8:27:26 AM

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has renewed Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s membership in NeuroNEXT, a research network that helps streamline Phase 2 clinical trials for brain disorders.

VUMC’s membership in NIH NeuroNEXT network renewed

Last Updated: 7/30/2018 8:19:49 AM

A wildebeest knows when it is outnumbered by a pack of hungry hyenas, thanks to an imprecise, primal brain function called the Approximate Number System, or ANS. Animals have it and human babies are born with it. Scientists have long believed that human’s ability to solve symbolic math problems such as 3+2=5 depended on the precision of one’s ANS.

Learning arithmetic refines the primal brain system for representing quantity

Last Updated: 7/27/2018 9:25:39 AM

Vanderbilt University has signed a licensing agreement with Nashville-based start-up Appello Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to advance novel compounds developed by researchers in the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Vanderbilt licenses compound to Nashville’s Appello to advance Parkinson’s therapies

Last Updated: 7/6/2018 8:59:39 AM

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy honored two Vanderbilt researchers with its top award, the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, on June 25.

White House honors Vanderbilt faculty for STEM mentorship

Last Updated: 7/6/2018 8:59:04 AM

For decades, it has been accepted that fetal development occurs in a sterile womb. Recent discoveries of bacterial DNA in baby’s first bowel movement and in the placenta after sterile C-section, however, have challenged this assumption.

Mom may pass bacteria to baby in utero: Study

Last Updated: 7/6/2018 8:58:10 AM

A 10-week mini-fellowship for pediatric health care professionals will enhance knowledge and patient care skills of common developmental and behavioral challenges, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, language and motor delays, learning disabilities, and ADHD.

Registration open for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Mini-Fellowship

Last Updated: 6/18/2018 3:44:31 PM

Have you used the VKC website to find information about the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center or its services?

YOUR INPUT NEEDED: VKC Website Satisfaction Survey

Last Updated: 6/15/2018 2:25:45 PM

A sleep apnea diagnosis can often be the start to a healthier and better life.

Treating sleep apnea key to reviving overall health

Last Updated: 6/11/2018 9:01:39 AM

Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., received the 2018 Rare Impact Award for Research of the National Organization for Rare Disorders. The NORD Rare Impact Awards were presented on May 17 in Washington, D.C., at their annual awards ceremony.

Dykens is 2018 NORD Rare Impact Award Honoree

Last Updated: 6/11/2018 8:52:49 AM

2017-’18 was another outstanding year for Peabody College faculty members whose scholarship, teaching, and service earned the admiration of peers near and far.

Peabody College faculty earn awards and honors in 2017-18

Last Updated: 6/8/2018 2:45:03 PM

The Vanderbilt School of Medicine recognized faculty members for excellence in education, research, and clinical service at its Spring Faculty Meeting on May 23. Recipients were nominated by their faculty colleagues and chosen by the 2018 Faculty Awards Selection Committees. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator Roger Colbran was recognized for contributions to basic research.

Colbran receives Park Award for Basic Research, Vanderbilt School of Medicine

Last Updated: 5/30/2018 4:16:24 PM

New News Item

VKC takes part in Tennessee Disability Mega-Conference

Last Updated: 5/28/2018 11:34:28 AM

A reward center in the brain — the nucleus accumbens (NAc) — integrates inputs from multiple brain regions to drive motivated behaviors. Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors regulate the strength of neuronal connections in the NAc, and these connections are impacted by drugs of abuse. How different mGlu receptors control NAc inputs from discrete brain regions is unclear.

Shaping reward circuits

Last Updated: 5/23/2018 4:06:24 PM

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has designated the Program for Music, Mind and Society at Vanderbilt as a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab for its focus on the arts, health and socio-emotional well-being in families of children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Music, Mind and Society program growing fast

Last Updated: 5/23/2018 3:53:37 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder (TRIAD) is bringing some of Nashville’s most prominent community organizations together to promote acceptance and inclusion of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Network promotes inclusion for people with ASD

Last Updated: 5/8/2018 8:55:41 AM

Four faculty members of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine were among 78 physician-scientists inducted into The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), an elite honor society of physician-scientists from the upper ranks of academic medicine and industry.

Six Vanderbilt physicians honored by medical societies

Last Updated: 5/8/2018 8:54:52 AM

Children with hearing loss who use remote microphone systems (RMS) at home have access to about 42 percent more words each day, providing a critical boost to vocabulary and language learning, a Vanderbilt study has found.

Remote microphone system helps increase vocabulary of children with hearing loss

Last Updated: 4/27/2018 3:54:41 PM

The leaders of a new Vanderbilt initiative for young adults with autism are looking to expand its reach through distance learning.

Initiative for young adults with autism adds distance learning

Last Updated: 4/27/2018 3:51:41 PM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on 4/27/18 that the estimated prevalence of children in the U.S. with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has again increased.

TRIAD Autism Data 2018

Last Updated: 4/26/2018 1:37:22 PM

New report shows prevalence of autism rising in U.S.

Last Updated: 4/26/2018 1:28:04 PM

The American Educational Research Association honored several Vanderbilt University professors at its 2018 annual conference, April 13–17, in New York City.

Vanderbilt education faculty honored for scholarship

Last Updated: 4/25/2018 10:08:27 AM

Check out the twice-monthly blog Rise to Work: An Insider’s Look at Disabilities and Employment on the TennesseeWorks website, where you also can subscribe to receive the blog.

Rise to Work Blog

Last Updated: 4/23/2018 4:16:59 PM

The systematic observation of behavior is one of the most basic methods of acquiring data and is especially valuable in early childhood assessment and research. Vanderbilt University faculty Paul Yoder and Blair Lloyd have co-authored, with University of Minnesota colleague Frank Symons, Observational Measurement of Behavior, Second Edition (Brookes Publishing, 2018).

Book on key principles of observational measurement of behavior published by Vanderbilt authors

Last Updated: 4/23/2018 11:35:49 AM

Vanderbilt University has received a four-year, $552,273 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund an exciting new research project that will examine how the brain learns a second language.

How the brain learns a second language is focus of Vanderbilt study

Last Updated: 4/19/2018 1:13:46 PM

Inclusive Higher Ed resource on practices and perspectives

A new resource from the TN DD Network encourages IHE on college campuses

Last Updated: 3/23/2018 3:22:51 PM

The National Science Foundation has awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Grant to Gavin R. Price, assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development.

Vanderbilt’s Gavin Price receives NSF CAREER Award

Last Updated: 3/21/2018 2:39:32 PM

Megan Hart is one of three Middle Tennessee representatives elected to the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Disability Coalition. Hart is director of Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, the statewide referral and information service at the Vanderbilt Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD).

Pathfinder’s Megan Hart elected to Tennessee Disability Coalition Board

Last Updated: 3/15/2018 2:20:37 PM

<p>(April - September at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center</p><p>The exhibit <em>Breaking Ground II at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center </em> showcases original work, reproductions of art, and poetry by and about Tennesseans with disabilities that are featured in the annual arts issue of Breaking Ground, the magazine of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities.</p>

Breaking Ground II at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 3/13/2018 11:00:12 AM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have found that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be accurately diagnosed in young children via remote, telemedicine assessments, a method that could significantly increase access and reduce wait times for autism services.

Vanderbilt study affirms effectiveness, promise of telemedicine for autism evaluations

Last Updated: 3/12/2018 8:29:28 AM

Courage and determination runs through the veins of two-time Paralympian and Vanderbilt professor Anjali Forber-Pratt. She lives by the motto “dream, drive, do.” Now she’s using her drive to succeed in research, advocacy and mentoring dedicated to disability rights.

Olympic-size goals drive Paralympian and Peabody professor

Last Updated: 3/8/2018 9:02:59 AM

Less than 20 years after it was developed, a thin, resilient sheet of carbon atoms with remarkable properties known as graphene is transforming biomedical fields as far flung as tissue engineering, neuroprosthetics and drug discovery.

Graphene material strengthens nerve signaling in the brain

Last Updated: 3/2/2018 3:42:49 PM

Research on circadian rhythms, longevity and the brain’s pleasure system will be featured during this year’s Brain Awareness events sponsored by the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.

Brain Awareness events highlight mind’s wonders

Last Updated: 2/26/2018 11:10:19 AM

Astrophysicist Keivan Stassun has been named mentor of the year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minority students in science and engineering doctoral programs.

Keivan Stassun named 2018 AAAS mentor of the year

Last Updated: 2/16/2018 12:59:05 PM

Nine Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored during a celebration at the Student Life Center on Feb. 28.

Nine new endowed chair recipients honored

Last Updated: 2/16/2018 9:39:12 AM

SENSE Theatre and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will present the play "HATS" on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 9 and 10, at both evnings at 7:00 p.m. at the Troutt/Black Box Theatre Complex, on Compton Ave. near Belmont Blvd.

SENSE Theatre presents "HATS" March 9-10

Last Updated: 2/16/2018 9:21:29 AM

PHP1A (pseudohypoparathyroidism 1A) is a rare genetic disorder that causes short adult stature, multi-hormone resistance, early-onset obesity and cognitive impairment.

Cognition in rare hormonal disorder

Last Updated: 2/16/2018 9:17:12 AM

Feeling a little unsteady and don’t know why?

‘Smart cane’ could one day help flag gait problems, falling risks more quickly

Last Updated: 2/16/2018 9:15:14 AM

Vanderbilt University professors Camilla P. Benbow and David Lubinski have been selected to receive The International Society for Intelligence Research’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Intelligence.

Noted scholars of giftedness to receive lifetime achievement award

Last Updated: 2/9/2018 1:53:40 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have worked out part of the “wiring diagram” of a signaling system in the brain that has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Study helps map signaling system in brain linked to ASD

Last Updated: 2/9/2018 1:53:09 PM

For children with severe communication impairments who are unable to communicate using natural speech, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can open up other ways to express themselves and connect with families, teachers, and friends. The eighth annual Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Workshop will be held Friday, Mar. 2, at the Vanderbilt Commons on Peabody campus.

Registration open for 2018 Augmentative, Alternative Communiation workshop Mar. 2

Last Updated: 2/7/2018 10:58:28 AM

Jeffrey Neul among experts commenting on Rett syndrome research

VKC Director Jeffrey Neul among experts commenting on Rett syndrome research

Last Updated: 1/31/2018 9:40:54 AM

At the invitation of the South Korean government, Anjali Forber-Pratt, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development, will speak at a conference about her work in disability rights and research related to the Paralympic movement.

Paralympian, disability rights scholar to speak at South Korean conference

Last Updated: 1/29/2018 12:34:48 PM

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education has selected Vanderbilt professor Anjali Forber-Pratt to be featured in its 2018 Emerging Scholars issue.

Vanderbilt disability rights activist named to ‘Emerging Scholars’ list

Last Updated: 1/26/2018 11:48:35 AM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) on Monday held its first Directorship Celebration to honor and support eight of its leaders in clinical care, research, education and administration.

Directorships honor VUMC’s critical missions

Last Updated: 1/25/2018 3:59:14 PM

Blocking a nerve-cell receptor in part of the brain that coordinates movement could improve the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, dyskinesia and other movement disorders, researchers at Vanderbilt University have reported.

Investigators eye new target for treating movement disorders

Last Updated: 1/19/2018 2:58:10 PM

Pablo Juárez, M.Ed., BCBA, has been chosen as President-Elect of the Tennessee Association for Behavior Analysis (TABA).

TRIAD’s Juárez now President-Elect of TABA

Last Updated: 1/17/2018 2:51:29 PM

Autism researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and two other universities have received a $2.99 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to conduct a four-year multisite project investigating the impact of theatre and peer mediation on the social competence of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Vanderbilt participates in study investigating impact of theatre on youth with autism

Last Updated: 1/16/2018 2:14:28 PM

Seven professors on the faculty at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development are once again included in an annual listing of the most influential public scholars in education.

Vanderbilt faculty ranked among top influencers in education

Last Updated: 1/15/2018 4:08:59 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) will welcome noted disability public policy advocate Jonathan Martinis, J.D., to speak on “Supported Decision-Making: Protecting Rights, Ensuring Choices” as their Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Kennedy Center Lecturer. The lecture will take place Thursday, Jan. 18, at 4:10 p.m. in Room 241 of the VKC/One Magnolia Circle Building.

VKC welcomes disability rights advocate Martinis as Jan. 18 MLK Lecturer

Last Updated: 1/15/2018 3:20:15 PM

Three Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grants and two Director’s Strategic Priorities Grants have been awarded for 2018-19, announced Jeffrey L. Neul, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center director, Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair, and professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology.

2018 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Discovery and Strategic Priorities Grants announced

Last Updated: 1/10/2018 1:16:12 PM

Twenty-five percent of outpatient pediatric visits are for developmental or behavioral concerns. To help both families and professionals, the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND is holding a series of free conferences and workshops in Nashville and other Tennessee cities.

Vanderbilt Consortium LEND presenting free training on developmental disabilities

Last Updated: 1/9/2018 3:48:55 PM

Vanderbilt University has signed separate licensing and research collaboration agreements with Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company based in Denmark, to develop a novel approach for treating schizophrenia.

Vanderbilt signs licensing, research agreements to develop new approach to schizophrenia treatment

Last Updated: 1/9/2018 3:45:54 PM

A grant of more than $100,000 from Sesame Workshop will support a study by researchers at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development measuring the effects of watching Sesame Street on young children’s understanding of kindness and emotions.

Does watching Sesame Street makes kids kinder?

Last Updated: 1/8/2018 10:56:06 AM

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) announced its 2018 award recipients, which this year honors three individuals affiliated with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC).

2018 AAIDD Awards will honor three VKC faculty and student researchers

Last Updated: 1/4/2018 8:52:06 AM

Artificial intelligence thinks like people with autism, used to develop educational tools

Last Updated: 1/2/2018 5:29:18 PM

Photographs by Jen Vogus <p>(January - March at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center</p><p>This free exhibit features photographs by <a href="http://www.jenvogus.com" style="color:#416e8d;" >Jen Vogus</a>. Vogus is a Brentwood resident, photographer, The Arc Williamson County Board Member, and mother of two children, including a son who has a disability and is nonverbal. Her passion for photography grew from her use of it to help aid her son’s communication. Created originally for the 2017 Arc Service Dogs of Middle Tennessee calendar, these portraits of service dogs capture their dedication, loyalty, and spirit. Photo notecards available for sale at <a href="http://thearcwc.org" style="color:#416e8d;" >www.thearcwc.org</a>. All proceeds help people with disabilities within our community access necessary services.<br /></p>

Doggone Good! Service Dogs of Middle TN
Photographs by Jen Vogus

Last Updated: 12/21/2017 1:03:21 PM

Long-term memories are formed by specific patterns of neuronal excitation, and requires increased expression of certain genes via a process called E-T (excitation-transcription) coupling.

Forming memories through CaMKII

Last Updated: 12/21/2017 8:20:27 AM

Technology as a tool in research and services for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities will be the keynote topic at the 10th Annual Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day, Tuesday, January 23, 1-5 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.

VKC Science Day, Jan. 23, focuses on the science of development and developmental disabilities

Last Updated: 12/18/2017 3:23:24 PM

A Vanderbilt astronomy professor recently was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Million-Dollar Professor for his work to keep more women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities in the physical sciences.

Astronomy professor wins $1M grant to keep minorities, persons with disabilities in STEM

Last Updated: 12/14/2017 1:26:56 PM

Eleven Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were recognized for their outstanding scholarship and research during a celebration at the Student Life Center Nov. 29.

Celebration honors 11 new endowed chair holders

Last Updated: 12/6/2017 4:01:38 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center UCEDD co-director Elise McMillan and Governor Bill Haslam were both honored with the 2017 Freedom Award from Disability Rights Tennessee. The Freedom Award honors Tennesseans who through their leadership have advanced the rights of people with disabilities.

Bill Haslam, Elise McMillan receive 2017 Freedom Awards

Last Updated: 11/21/2017 3:39:24 PM

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities often face difficulties in accessing appropriate and timely health care. Many medical professionals who serve adults have not received sufficient training in the health care needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). As a result, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) are coordinating a series of live videoconferences with an experienced team of medical and other health care-related providers who can offer practical advice for caring for adults with IDD.

VKC hosts live videoconferencing series on health care for adults with IDD

Last Updated: 11/21/2017 3:38:52 PM

The Fifth Annual TennesseeWorks Think Employment! Summit brought together students with disabilities, family members, employers, service providers, and partners in State government for a 1-day conference focused on expanding employment opportunities for Tennesseans with disabilities. The Summit was held Sept. 21 at Nashville’s Music City Center.

Stepping into employment: Students with disabilities learn more about entering the workforce

Last Updated: 11/21/2017 3:36:20 PM

Training community professionals and family members across Tennessee is a mission that spans TRIAD and other Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) programs. Now an online learning platform will bring video training to learners in their workplaces and homes, from urban to rural locations.

Online learning platform extends TRIAD and other VKC training outreach

Last Updated: 11/21/2017 3:34:32 PM

A Vanderbilt study on Fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability, illuminates defects specific to the early-use critical period on initial sensory experience and points to the importance of early detection and intervention.

New research on Fragile X syndrome reinforces importance of early detection

Last Updated: 11/21/2017 3:03:44 PM

Fifteen Vanderbilt University faculty members conducting a range of biomedical and clinical research have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this year.

15 faculty members elected as AAAS fellows

Last Updated: 11/20/2017 3:13:46 PM

Vanderbilt’s Beth Malow, MD, MS, and Emelyne Bingham have been appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam as Middle Tennessee representatives on the newly created Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder, which held its first meeting in Nashville in October.

Malow, Bingham named to new state council on autism

Last Updated: 11/16/2017 2:25:40 PM

Using sophisticated genome mining and gene manipulation techniques, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have solved a mystery that could lead to a new treatment approach for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Study may point to new treatment approach for ASD

Last Updated: 11/16/2017 2:21:10 PM

Just because someone is smart and well-motivated doesn’t mean he or she can learn the visual skills needed to excel at tasks like matching fingerprints, interpreting medical X-rays, keeping track of aircraft on radar displays or forensic face matching.

Visual intelligence is not the same as IQ

Last Updated: 11/8/2017 8:25:26 AM

Three years ago Reece Dean, of Nashville’s Bellevue community, retired at age 69 from a career as a busy truck driver. Mary Ann, his wife, began to notice some changes in his memory and behavior since he was home more consistently.

Study explores nicotine patch to treat mild cognitive impairment

Last Updated: 11/3/2017 9:14:34 AM

Two highly regarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) infectious disease clinicians were recognized with service awards from prominent organizations during IDWeek in San Diego, California, Oct. 4-8.

Edwards, Schaffner honored by major infectious diseases organizations

Last Updated: 10/27/2017 8:39:56 AM

Eleven Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored Oct. 23 during a festive celebration at the Student Life Center.

Celebration honors 11 university endowed chair holders

Last Updated: 10/26/2017 8:27:33 AM

Clinical and translational research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)?is thriving.

Forum highlights strong clinical, translational research efforts

Last Updated: 10/20/2017 10:33:25 AM

American society often equates disability with inability. For those with disabilities, pride in their identity can help to successfully navigate the workplace and increase productivity. A discussion on cultural identity and disability pride. A discussion with Andrew Imparato of Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

Comcast Newsmakers: Disability Pride

Last Updated: 10/18/2017 3:29:32 PM

“Vanderbilt Surprising Connections in Autism and Innovation,” a day of presentations, poster sessions and cross-discipline conversations, will be held Friday, Nov. 17, at The Commons Center, rooms 237 and 235.

Making connections in autism research across VU and VUMC focus of Nov. 17 event

Last Updated: 10/17/2017 1:58:39 PM

Jeffrey Conn, Ph.D., founding director of the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, has won a 2017 Research & Hope Award from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) for outstanding research in the area of mental health.

Award honors Conn’s mental health research contributions

Last Updated: 10/13/2017 8:08:26 AM

Creating a model pipeline that will assist adults on the autism spectrum find meaningful and gainful employment while enhancing local business innovation.

Autism & Innovation center established to help people with ASD find meaningful work

Last Updated: 10/13/2017 8:07:01 AM

2018 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day will take place Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Vanderbilt University Student Life Center.

Call for Posters NOW OPEN for 2018 VKC Science Day

Last Updated: 10/12/2017 11:17:48 AM

Mark Wallace, Ph.D., drops his glasses on his desk and they land with a metallic clang. He is making a point about autism.

The Science of Our Senses

Last Updated: 10/4/2017 9:04:32 AM

<p>(October - December at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center)</p><p>Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, this free annual exhibit features works of art by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p><p><a href="http://www.tpac.org/visiting/directions.asp">Tennessee Performing Arts Center Lobby</a>, 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN; call (615) 782-4000 for hours</p>

Creative Expressions XXIII

Last Updated: 9/28/2017 3:09:09 PM

An interdisciplinary team of Vanderbilt University researchers has received a two-year, $2-million federal grant to develop an “organ-on-chip” model for two genetic forms of epilepsy. These disorders affect both brain and heart and improved modeling could lead to new drug treatments.

Goal of new tissue-chip research is to assess efficacy of novel epilepsy drugs

Last Updated: 9/22/2017 11:34:31 AM

The world’s foremost longitudinal examination of gifted children is the subject of a new film, “Quick Learners; High Achievers: Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth."

WATCH: A 45-year study has changed the way we view giftedness

Last Updated: 9/22/2017 11:22:35 AM

Learning is layered, with cognitive, physiological, emotional and societal components. Technology, especially the increasing use of new sensing devices and interactive machines, adds complexity as well as opportunity – yet little research has been done on how best to measure what works.

NSF Convergence grant to improve insight, data on learner-technology interaction

Last Updated: 9/22/2017 11:14:37 AM

Eleven Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were recognized for their exemplary achievements during a celebration Sept. 6 at the Student Life Center.

Endowed chair holder celebration honors 11 professors

Last Updated: 9/11/2017 11:49:26 AM

The Response to Intervention initiative, commonly known in education circles as RTI, is being regarded unfairly in the wake of a negative national evaluation, according to Vanderbilt researchers.

RTI is getting a bad rap, say education researchers

Last Updated: 9/11/2017 11:48:52 AM

Grants bolster research on rare neurological disorder AHC

Grants bolster research on rare neurological disorder AHC

Last Updated: 8/25/2017 5:05:04 PM

Drug discovery efforts may lead to new Rett syndrome treatments

Drug discovery efforts may lead to new Rett syndrome treatments

Last Updated: 8/25/2017 3:56:19 PM

New News Item

A message from VUMC about Charlottesville

Last Updated: 8/16/2017 9:41:52 AM

Vanderbilt begins phase 1 trials of new Alzheimer’s drug

Vanderbilt begins phase 1 trials of new Alzheimer’s drug

Last Updated: 8/11/2017 2:26:53 PM

An immune regulator of addiction

An immune regulator of addiction

Last Updated: 8/11/2017 8:49:17 AM

Music Camp on NPR

NPR Reports on ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp

Last Updated: 8/1/2017 8:17:14 AM

Registration opens for fifth annual TennesseeWorks Employment Summit!

Last Updated: 7/26/2017 1:30:22 PM

Initiative focuses on empowering young adults with autism

Initiative focuses on empowering young adults with autism

Last Updated: 7/26/2017 1:28:23 PM

Coping strategies

New research identifies best coping strategies for kids

Last Updated: 7/26/2017 12:48:38 PM

autism puberty research

Vanderbilt launches study of development in pre-teens with and without autism

Last Updated: 7/26/2017 11:26:07 AM

<p>(June - September at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p><em>By Land, By Sea, By Air!</em> is an exhibit of art on a wide range of subjects created in an art workshop by a community of artists. The workshop and show are a collaboration between the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Metro Parks disABILITIES. This workshop and exhibition are made possible by a gift from the late Mary Jane Swaney. A talented artist, Mrs. Swaney recognized the importance of using her passion in her efforts to give back. Through her support of the VKC art program, she shared that passion for art with people with disabilities of all ages. The works will be displayed through September 2017. Lain York, Preparator</p>

By Land, By Sea, By Air!

Last Updated: 7/13/2017 11:15:08 AM

The eighth annual ACM Lifting Lives® Music Camp is in session this week in Nashville with campers from around the country participating in a week of activities and excursions around Music City.

ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp 2017 kicks off

Last Updated: 6/26/2017 1:55:23 PM

13 faculty proposals earn Discovery Grants

Last Updated: 6/22/2017 8:52:02 AM

Cuts to Medicaid

#WithoutMedicaid social media campaign aims to raise awareness

Last Updated: 6/19/2017 3:11:06 PM

Graduate student Mark Crowder, right, presents the Teacher of the Year Award to Ronald Emeson, Ph.D., at last week’s 26th annual Joel G. Hardman Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum. Emeson is now a three-time winner of the award; he previously received it in 2003 and in 1995, the first year it was awarded.

Pharmacology top teacher

Last Updated: 6/16/2017 9:22:17 AM

New News Item

Tom Cheetham, M.D., honored with AADMD Award

Last Updated: 6/14/2017 10:19:20 AM

On April 5, Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly that creates the Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder to establish a long-term plan for a system of care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.

Governor Haslam signs bill establishing Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Last Updated: 6/13/2017 3:21:30 PM

Summer is an ideal time to make plans to take part in Fall training opportunities that will enhance your knowledge of disability-related topics and issues. Training will be offered by the Volunteer Advocacy Project and by Tennessee Disability Pathfinder.

Plan now for Fall training

Last Updated: 6/13/2017 3:20:33 PM

The increased life expectancy of adults with Down syndrome has changed the way caregiving occurs in families. Unique circumstances associated with these changes suggest adjustments may be necessary in family support policies and interventions.

Addressing needs of family caregivers of aging adults with Down syndrome

Last Updated: 6/13/2017 3:19:15 PM

Did you know that the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center produces a weekly e-newsletter with upcoming disability-related events and opportunities? Or that Tennessee Disability Pathfinder and TennesseeWorks both offer information and blogs on disability-related topics? Access to these handy publications is free and only a click away on your computer.

Be ‘in the know’ through VKC newsletters and websites

Last Updated: 6/13/2017 3:13:43 PM

A 10-year study, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Katherine Hartmann, M.D., Ph.D., disrupts conventional wisdom that uterine fibroids cause miscarriages.

Vanderbilt-led study disputes link between uterine fibroids and miscarriage risk

Last Updated: 6/9/2017 9:51:40 AM

Vanderbilt researchers have received funding for an internet-based education program that will teach pediatric cancer patients and their families how to cope and manage the stress associated with a serious chronic childhood condition.

Online stress management program for kids with cancer receives funding

Last Updated: 6/7/2017 8:21:40 AM

Donna J. Webb, professor of biological sciences and of cancer biology at Vanderbilt University who mentored graduate students and undergraduate researchers in the Department of Biological Sciences and served on the Steering Committee of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program, died May 15. She was 50.

Webb, mentor to students in the biological sciences, has died

Last Updated: 6/5/2017 1:47:08 PM

How can we — together — make research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) better and stronger?

Forum highlights innovative approaches to bolstering biomedical research

Last Updated: 6/5/2017 1:44:17 PM

A commonly used brain scanning technique can map electrical activity under the skull as precisely as more invasive methods that rely on probes or electrodes, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) reported this month.

Common brain scanning technique maps activity as precisely as more invasive methods

Last Updated: 5/30/2017 2:18:46 PM

2017 MegaConference

TN Disability MegaConference kicks off and the VKC is MEGA pumped!

Last Updated: 5/26/2017 12:46:09 PM

Often when we consider civil rights in our nation, we fail to think of the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. With the passing of H. Floyd Dennis, J. D., the Kennedy Center and Peabody College, our state, and our nation lost a legal advocate who helped expand the civil rights of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Remembering Floyd Dennis, J.D., disability civil rights advocate

Last Updated: 5/17/2017 9:20:24 AM

Survival rates continue to rise for children living with once-fatal chronic pediatric health conditions. But their survival comes at a cost: many experience long-term neurocognitive deficits.

Sick kids live longer, but brain function may suffer

Last Updated: 5/17/2017 8:19:06 AM

Thirty-two retiring faculty members were recognized during Vanderbilt’s Commencement ceremony May 12, when the university honored their years of service and bestowed on them the title of emeritus or emerita faculty

Vanderbilt University honors 32 as emeriti faculty

Last Updated: 5/15/2017 1:36:25 PM

Registration to participate in the Fall 2017 cohort of the Volunteer Advocacy Project is now open through July 15.

Registration for Fall 2017 Volunteer Advocacy Project now open

Last Updated: 5/10/2017 1:40:14 PM

By using telemedicine and telehealth models, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Health Care Toolkit (IDD Health Care Toolkit) are reaching underserved areas, advancing quality service delivery, and improving clinicians’ ability to care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

VKC telepresence expands access and builds capacity of training and services

Last Updated: 5/3/2017 8:51:00 AM

I count myself very fortunate to have been able to attend the annual Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C., again this year, March 20-22, and to make visits to our Tennessee Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill. As we chanted at the Seminar: “This is what democracy looks like.”

Making our voices heard in our nation’s capitol

Last Updated: 5/3/2017 8:48:20 AM

VKC investigator Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., recently published findings on the effects that theatre arts participation may have on adolescents on the autism spectrum, including their levels of psychological stress in social settings as well as their self-perception of stress. The findings were reported in the journal Autism.

SENSE study examines theatre participation’s effect on stress, self-perception in autism

Last Updated: 5/3/2017 8:42:37 AM

Mood and anxiety disorders are on the rise, and effective new treatments are critically needed.

Regulating anxiety in the brain

Last Updated: 5/1/2017 10:10:26 AM

High-quality state- and district-run prekindergarten programs should be supported as long as they are implemented properly and evaluated with rigor, according to a new pre-K consensus report penned by Vanderbilt education researcher Mark Lipsey. He presented the report as part of a panel discussion at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., April 17.

Pre-K needs proper implementation and rigorous evaluation to succeed

Last Updated: 5/1/2017 10:09:33 AM

New News Item

VKC UCEDD works together with TN disability agencies on Supported Decision-Making

Last Updated: 4/11/2017 3:48:51 PM

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos presented the Joe B. Wyatt Distinguished University Professor Award to Laurie Cutting, Ph.D., at the Spring Faculty Assembly on April 6.

Cutting receives Wyatt Distinguished University Professor Award

Last Updated: 4/10/2017 9:21:13 AM

New News Item

Vanderbilt faculty, staff participate in DSAMT Conference

Last Updated: 4/6/2017 10:54:09 AM

Kimberly (Kimmie) Jones, Social Media and Outreach Coordinator for our Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, passed away Tuesday afternoon, Apr. 4, after a brief illness.

Remembering Tennessee Disability Pathfinder's Kimmie Jones

Last Updated: 4/5/2017 12:24:31 PM

K–12 schools in districts in Nashville, Tennessee, and Iowa City, Iowa, will soon benefit from an iPad app designed by Vanderbilt professors to help students modify their own problem behavior.

App will help students self-monitor and improve classroom behavior

Last Updated: 3/31/2017 8:41:27 AM

A natural signaling molecule that activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain plays a critical role in stress-resilience — the ability to adapt to repeated and acute exposures to traumatic stress, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Vanderbilt study finds natural chemical helps brain adapt to stress

Last Updated: 3/31/2017 8:39:44 AM

New grants aim to improve learning and behavior in children with developmental disabilities

Last Updated: 3/24/2017 5:33:28 PM

Treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) saves millions of infants born prematurely every year. But treatment is not without cost. Painful procedures such as needle pricks can impact early brain development.

Premature infants in NICU do better with touch: study

Last Updated: 3/16/2017 1:05:35 PM

The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update recommending that women who are pregnant or could become pregnant abstain from alcohol use prompted a Vanderbilt professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and her team to explore the patterns of alcohol use in early pregnancy.

Study explores alcohol use patterns in early pregnancy

Last Updated: 3/14/2017 2:11:27 PM

Jeffrey Neul, M.D., Ph.D., division head of Child Neurology and vice chair for Developmental Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, has been named the new director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. He will join Vanderbilt on Aug. 1.

Neul named new director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 3/7/2017 1:06:37 PM

Since January, the VKC has provided training on legislative advocacy, facilitated the sharing of personal stories with Tennessee legislators and policymakers, and used social media to broaden access to Disability Day on the Hill.

Educating for public policy advocacy

Last Updated: 3/3/2017 11:55:17 AM

Connections between reading and math instruction and neuroscience will be among the featured topics at the fourth annual symposium, “Neuroscience and Education: The Connection,” Thursday and Friday, June 1-2.

Neuroscience and Education Symposium 2017: The Connection, June 1-2

Last Updated: 3/3/2017 11:53:41 AM

Innovation characterizes the Shirley F. and Stuart W. Speyer Discovery Grant and the two Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grants awarded for 2017, which were announced by Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) director and Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair.

2017 VKC Discovery Grants announced

Last Updated: 3/3/2017 11:51:59 AM

Women who have had repeated depressive episodes tend to pay more attention to negative emotional information than those who have not experienced major depression. When shown negative images during a brain scan, the emotional centers of these women’s brains also “light up” to a greater extent.

Clues found to recurrent depression

Last Updated: 3/3/2017 10:49:07 AM

Educators will soon have a tool to help them better understand what’s causing problem behaviors in elementary school students who have disabilities—and implement individualized interventions—thanks to a new Vanderbilt University study.

New system will guide behavior analysis in the classroom

Last Updated: 2/22/2017 1:04:38 PM

SENSE Theatre Camp presents "The Year of the Ladybug" Mar. 10-11

SENSE Theatre Camp presents "The Year of the Ladybug" Mar. 10-11

Last Updated: 2/21/2017 9:06:19 AM

There is a strong, bi-directional link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Fiona Harrison, Ph.D., and colleagues tested whether the effects of obesity on diabetic status and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease are permanent or reversible.

Dementia linked to diet

Last Updated: 2/7/2017 1:25:37 PM

<p>(January - June at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p> <p>The exhibit <em>Breaking Ground at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center</em> showcases original work, reproductions of art, and poetry by and about Tennesseans with disabilities that are featured in the annual arts issue of Breaking Ground, the magazine of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities.</p>

Breaking Ground at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 2/6/2017 11:24:19 AM

A Vanderbilt University research project working to identify the role language comprehension plays in math problem-solving and reading comprehension will continue its work thanks to a four-year, $2.5 million grant by the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

$2.5M grant supports study of link between math, reading comprehension

Last Updated: 2/2/2017 3:24:05 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt have identified what may be a genetic “smoking gun” for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — a mutation in the gene for the critical neuronal protein CaMKII.

Gene mutation discovery may hold autism clues

Last Updated: 2/2/2017 3:22:40 PM

Vivien Casagrande, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) noted for her many contributions to the visual sciences, died peacefully at her home on Saturday, Jan. 21. She was 74.

Casagrande recalled as neuroscience pillar, supportive mentor

Last Updated: 1/24/2017 12:50:19 PM

The duration of exposure to daylight, or the “photoperiod,” may affect development of seasonal affective disorder by programming serotonin neurons in the brain, according to Vanderbilt University researchers.

Amount of daylight may impact serotonin programming

Last Updated: 1/20/2017 2:24:01 PM

Edward "Warren" Lambert, Ph.D., age 71, passed away on January 13, 2017. Warren was long-time statistical consultant at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) where he assisted countless VKC researchers and their graduate students and research assistants with complex quantitative issues.

Remembering Warren Lambert, statistician and friend

Last Updated: 1/20/2017 11:49:38 AM

Cognitive and attention deficits observed in children following surgery before age 5 to repair congenital heart defects likely will persist into their teens and young adulthood, Lori Jordan, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues report.

A heart-brain connection

Last Updated: 1/19/2017 1:41:44 PM

Seven education professors at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development were included in the 2017 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings.

Vanderbilt’s Peabody College faculty among top education influencers

Last Updated: 1/16/2017 2:36:20 PM

Preschool-age children from low-income families are more likely to be physically active if parents increase activity and reduce sedentary behavior while wearing movement monitors (accelerometers), according to a Vanderbilt study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Study finds parent’s activity associated with preschooler activity in underserved populations

Last Updated: 1/12/2017 2:47:57 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center UCEDD co-director Elise McMillan, J.D., presented information on Tennessee’s Inclusive Higher Education Alliance to representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) during the 2017 HBCU Summit on Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, November 14.

McMillan shares inclusive TN higher education information with HBCU Summit

Last Updated: 1/11/2017 9:07:09 AM

A new manual outlines how faith communities can support members with disabilities in finding and maintaining employment. The manual was developed by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and its partners in the Putting Faith to Work project, which include University Centers for Excellence who make up the National Collaborative on Faith and Disability.

Putting faith and jobseekers with disabilities to work

Last Updated: 1/11/2017 9:06:16 AM

A valuable partnership between Next Steps at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Dietetic Internship program provides opportunities for professional development and independence while addressing health inequalities of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Dietetic internship with Next Steps at Vanderbilt provides valuable –and healthy– experiences

Last Updated: 1/11/2017 9:03:24 AM

A new kind of bioluminescent sensor causes individual brain cells to imitate fireflies and glow in the dark.

Bioluminescent sensor causes brain cells to glow in the dark

Last Updated: 1/11/2017 9:01:31 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Volunteer Advocacy Project saw its fifteenth cohort of volunteers graduate from the biannual training program on November 15. These graduates are now educated, ready, and willing to serve families of individuals with disabilities across Tennessee who may seek advocacy assistance in their school systems.

Volunteer Advocacy Project trains family advocates to serve across Tennessee

Last Updated: 1/4/2017 8:55:26 AM

A Vanderbilt Kennedy Center special education researcher has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by The Institute of Education Sciences to develop an app for use by parents who have young children with disabilities who also exhibit challenging behaviors.

App will help children with disabilities who have challenging behavior

Last Updated: 1/4/2017 8:48:53 AM

Vanderbilt’s Rett Syndrome Clinic has been named a Rett Syndrome Clinical Research Center of Excellence by Rettsyndrome.org.

Rett Syndrome Clinical Research Center of Excellence designated

Last Updated: 1/4/2017 8:45:17 AM

Vanderbilt University scientists have received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that testing in humans may proceed for an investigational new drug for Alzheimer’s disease after more than 10 years of research by scientists at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Investigational new drug for Alzheimer’s scheduled for first study in humans

Last Updated: 1/3/2017 12:45:14 PM

A mutation associated with epilepsy and autism also is responsible for a “pale eye” trait in two rare genetic disorders, Angelman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome, neuroscientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported this week.

Discovery sheds new light on Angelman, Prader-Willi syndromes

Last Updated: 12/23/2016 10:32:19 AM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) are one step closer to understanding what causes early-onset epileptic encephalopathy, a rare form of childhood epilepsy that is difficult to treat and has poor developmental outcomes.

New clues emerge in rare form of childhood epilepsy

Last Updated: 12/16/2016 1:42:38 PM

Colleagues of Vivien Casagrande, Ph.D., celebrated her distinguished career in the visual sciences with a “Lifetime of Vision” symposium* on Nov. 18.

Symposium honors Casagrande’s career

Last Updated: 12/8/2016 2:15:45 PM

A new longitudinal study conducted by Vanderbilt has found that children’s math knowledge in preschool is related to their later achievement—but not all types of math knowledge were related equally.

Early math knowledge related to later achievement

Last Updated: 12/8/2016 8:20:03 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) faculty, staff, and trainees participated in the 2016 Conference and Annual Meeting of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) held December 4-7 in Washington, D.C. The theme for this year’s conference was Navigating Change and Building Our Future Together.

VKC at the 2016 AUCD Conference

Last Updated: 12/7/2016 9:04:13 AM

Nine Vanderbilt faculty members elected AAAS fellows

Last Updated: 11/28/2016 3:57:09 PM

Vanderbilt’s Rett Syndrome Clinic has been named a Rett Syndrome Clinical Research Center of Excellence by Rettsyndrome.org.

VUMC’s Rett Syndrome Clinic lands national recognition

Last Updated: 11/22/2016 12:33:40 PM

GABA-A receptors bind gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, and are composed of five subunits. Mutations in GABRG2, the gene that encodes the gamma2 subunit, have been associated with epilepsy and febrile seizures of differing severities. Some of these mutations result in a truncated or shortened form of the gamma2 subunit, but how these mutations affect protein structure and function is not well understood.

Protein structure and epilepsy severity

Last Updated: 11/22/2016 12:08:00 PM

Finally, psychologists have discovered a type of face that men are better at identifying than women: the faces on Transformer toys.

Finally, a type of face that men recognize better than women

Last Updated: 11/17/2016 10:44:54 AM

The ways in which clients at a Bronx, New York, outpatient mental health program use art therapy in their recovery process are explored in a new Vanderbilt Department of Art exhibition by one of its graduates.

Exhibition explores role of art therapy in mental health recovery

Last Updated: 11/14/2016 8:33:31 AM

Highlights of 2016 educational advocacy efforts include the presentation of the Expect Employment report to Governor Haslam, lowering the age of primary caregiver eligibility for DIDD waivers from 80 to 75, and expanding TN STEP UP scholarships for 4-year college programs.

Public Policy Update: VKC educates to advocate on employment, aging caregivers, and expansion of the STEP UP Scholarship

Last Updated: 11/8/2016 10:31:17 AM

The mission of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of persons with developmental disabilities and their families. In order to ensure that such work continues for years to come, the VKC University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND seek and prepare young professionals who want to learn how best to serve children and adults.

Future of IDD services, research, and policy in good hands with VKC UCEDD, LEND trainees

Last Updated: 11/8/2016 10:25:44 AM

For Erin Barton, child’s play is serious business.

Taking playtime seriously

Last Updated: 11/8/2016 8:39:42 AM

Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos surprised psychology professor Craig A. Smith with the 2016 Chancellor’s Cup on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 21.

Psychology professor honored with annual Chancellor’s Cup

Last Updated: 11/3/2016 12:18:40 PM

A new kind of bioluminescent sensor causes individual brain cells to imitate fireflies and glow in the dark.

Bioluminescent sensor causes brain cells to glow in the dark

Last Updated: 10/31/2016 10:56:14 AM

America has been too quick to invest in prekindergarten programs without a clear strategy for success, according to a new Vanderbilt University report.

Spending more on pre-K doesn’t guarantee success: Report

Last Updated: 10/26/2016 4:29:07 PM

Using techniques related to acting or role-playing may help people with mental illness be more flexible, spontaneous, and social in their thoughts and behaviors.

Acting may help break down barriers for patients with mental illness

Last Updated: 10/24/2016 2:35:40 PM

GABA-A receptors – ion channel receptors composed of five protein subunits – maintain inhibitory tone in the brain, and mutations in single subunit genes (GABRs) are associated with inherited forms of epilepsy. Many variations have been identified in GABRs, but molecular characterization of their contribution as susceptibility alleles for sporadic genetic epilepsies is missing.

Culprits in genetic epilepsies

Last Updated: 10/14/2016 10:36:56 AM

In what could be a way to predict which children might be vulnerable to anxiety disorders, a Vanderbilt study has shown that an altered prefrontal cortex function in the brain marks a heightened anxiety risk in children.

Study may help predict anxiety risk in children

Last Updated: 10/14/2016 10:33:27 AM

Vanderbilt professor, disability activist and two-time Paralympian Anjali Forber-Pratt has been awarded a $212,000 grant by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to evaluate the foundation’s Paralysis Resource Center (PRC).

Professor, Paralympian chosen to evaluate Reeve Foundation’s Paralysis Resource Center

Last Updated: 9/29/2016 2:34:33 PM

The extraordinary academic achievements of nine Vanderbilt University faculty members who hold endowed chairs were recognized during a celebration Sept. 26 at the Student Life Center.

Celebration honors nine endowed chair recipients

Last Updated: 9/29/2016 2:27:53 PM

A Vanderbilt study may have clues to solving America’s high preschool expulsion rate. National studies show that preschool-age children are expelled for behavior problems at three times the rate of school-age children, with black children representing a disproportionate number of those expulsions.

Pyramid Model could reduce high expulsion rate of black preschoolers

Last Updated: 9/27/2016 2:22:37 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt and Harvard universities are testing an innovative toolkit designed to help teachers teach algebra more effectively. The three-year experiment is a partnership with Chelmsford, Massachusetts, public schools.

New ‘toolkit’ for math teachers designed to make algebra easier

Last Updated: 9/26/2016 12:57:39 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered a key mechanism that explains how compounds they’re developing can suppress schizophrenia-like symptoms in mice without side effects.

Researchers eye potential schizophrenia ‘switch’

Last Updated: 9/19/2016 7:18:26 AM

<p>Read how gifts from Jackson have helped struggling readers by providing scholarships for Vanderbilt Reading Clinic and have supported TRIAD’s Community Engagement partnerships with cultural organizations to welcome participation of families whose children have autism or other developmental disabilities. </p>

Building Promising Futures for All

Last Updated: 9/16/2016 10:24:53 AM

<p>Read how multi-year gifts from the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives charitable arm have affected not only the lives of persons with Williams syndrome but so many others.</p>

The Gift of Pure Joy & a Grateful Heart

Last Updated: 9/16/2016 10:03:43 AM

$The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, directed by Vanderbilt researchers Camilla P. Benbow and David Lubinski, is the subject of a feature article in the News and Comment section of the September issue of the high-impact scientific journal, Nature.$

Longest-running study of gifted children featured in ‘Nature’

Last Updated: 9/12/2016 3:19:30 PM

<p>( October - December at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center)</p><p>Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, this free annual exhibit features works of art by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p><p><a href="http://www.tpac.org/visiting/directions.asp">Tennessee Performing Arts Center Lobby</a>, 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN; call (615) 782-4000 for hours</p>

Creative Expressions XXII

Last Updated: 9/12/2016 2:26:27 PM

Three project replication guides on the topics of community participation through the arts and transitioning practice to community-based employment are now available through the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

SENSE Theatre®, TennesseeWorks, and TRIAD share key tools for program replication

Last Updated: 9/9/2016 3:37:21 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD), alongside Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Network partners (Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, University of Tennessee Boling Center, and Disability Rights Tennessee), provided self-advocates and stakeholders the opportunity to offer input into the implementation of the new Employment and Community First CHOICES Medicaid program through a series of focus groups held prior to the July 1 start date.

VKC impacting key policy changes for people with IDD and their families

Last Updated: 9/9/2016 3:35:24 PM

You’d never know school was out for the summer by the looks of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Reading Clinic. Despite the break between academic years, tutors and staff members stayed busy serving families during the Reading Clinic’s summer session.

VKC Reading Clinic identifies struggles, tailors tutoring to make reading fun

Last Updated: 9/9/2016 3:33:59 PM

Since it’s known that parental expectations influence what students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) do after high school, a VKC research study examined parents’ expectations, preferences, and concerns related to employment.

What’s next after high school? “Voices of parents”

Last Updated: 9/9/2016 3:29:35 PM

Register to participate in Oct. 19

Register to participate in Oct. 19's disAbility Mentoring Day

Last Updated: 9/8/2016 3:40:52 PM

Apply for a mini-grant to expand inclusive higher education in Tennessee

Last Updated: 9/7/2016 9:17:34 AM

$Vanderbilt professor Bethany Rittle-Johnson has co-authored an in-depth review of the impact of mathematics education research studies funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.$

Study: IES-funded research improves quality of math education

Last Updated: 9/2/2016 10:52:33 AM

New research from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development looks at the constraints of the popular practice of prompting students to provide self-explanation as a learning tool.

Study: Self-explanations don’t always enhance math learning

Last Updated: 8/29/2016 1:25:49 PM

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disease characterized by intellectual deficits, compulsivity, hyperphagia, obesity, growth hormone deficiencies and short stature.

Growth hormone for Prader-Willi

Last Updated: 8/26/2016 9:08:57 AM

Presentations illustrating ongoing research on how and why music affects us will be the focus of The Science of Song symposium at Vanderbilt University.

Science of Song symposium set for Sept. 12 at Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 8/24/2016 11:54:06 AM

With the goal of sharing best practices and building community partnerships in order to improve employment outcomes for Tennesseans with disabilities, the TennesseeWorks Partnership is bringing together families, policymakers, service providers, employers, educators, and self-advocates for a one-day conference. This year’s Think Employment! Summit will be the fourth annual Employment Summit sponsored by the partnership, a systems change project funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Summit focuses on changing employment landscape for Tennesseans with disabilities

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 11:08:54 AM

Research in the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD) aimed at developing innovative new treatments for schizophrenia just received a powerful assist from The William K. Warren Foundation.

Foundation’s support speeds search for new schizophrenia drugs at Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 8/19/2016 9:41:34 AM

Vanderbilt University researchers from diverse scientific disciplines are joining forces to help crack the stubborn mysteries of addiction.

New center will examine addiction at molecular level, develop treatments

Last Updated: 8/18/2016 1:51:53 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

2016 Science Day registration now open; poster winners announced

Last Updated: 8/11/2016 9:21:39 AM

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) Lifting Lives and the Vanderbilt Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD) hosted the seventh annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp June 23-29, bringing a week of smiles and unforgettable experiences to campers with Williams syndrome.

Campers meet Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts during 2016 ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp

Last Updated: 8/3/2016 9:23:43 AM

Research has shown that individuals with autism experience higher rates of peer victimization than the general population. However, little is known about the personal experiences, perceptions, and lingering effects of bullying on the individual with autism.

Study examines how youth with autism view bullying experiences

Last Updated: 8/3/2016 9:21:46 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has received a $3.5 million grant over 5 years from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to fund the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND for graduate-level training.

VKC interprofessional health professions training in neurodevelopmental disabilities funding renewed

Last Updated: 8/3/2016 9:16:57 AM

Associate Professor of Psychology Bunmi Olatunji is one of 45 members who the Association for Psychological Science has elevated this year to the status of fellow, which is awarded to individuals “who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service and/or application.”

Psychopathologist elected fellow of Association for Psychological Science

Last Updated: 7/27/2016 11:55:30 AM

Tyler Reimschisel, M.D., director of the Division of Developmental Medicine and the Center for Child Development, has been selected for the 2016 Class of Macy Faculty Scholars.

Reimschisel selected as a Macy Faculty Scholar

Last Updated: 7/25/2016 3:46:57 PM

Astronauts and pilots use them. So do truck drivers and Formula One race car drivers. Now there is a virtual reality simulator specifically designed to help teenagers with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, learn how to drive.

Using virtual reality to help teenagers with autism learn how to drive

Last Updated: 7/25/2016 3:07:14 PM

Five biomedical engineering professors and an electrical engineering and computer science professor are celebrating news about newly approved or resubmitted Research Project Grants (R01) from the Nationals Institutes of Health.

Six profs attract National Institutes of Health grants for wide-ranging research

Last Updated: 7/13/2016 1:29:28 PM

Vanderbilt University has decided to expand its popular dependent tuition assistance policy to include students with intellectual disabilities.

Vanderbilt University dependents with intellectual challenges to receive tuition benefit

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:55:20 AM

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has awarded three training and technical assistance grants totaling $3.25 million to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD). The funding will enhance statewide services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other intellectual and developmental disabilities from birth to kindergarten.

TRIAD partners with Tennessee Department of Education to expand services for families of young children with ASD

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:52:44 AM

A study conducted by Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator Carissa Cascio, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry, sought to determine the extent to which the fusiform face area (FFA) responds to images related to restricted interests in children and adolescents with autism, compared to typically developing peers who have strong interests or hobbies.

Neuroimaging study sheds light on the brain’s response to restricted interests in individuals with autism

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:50:40 AM

The achievements of five graduating Next Steps at Vanderbilt students were greeted by the applause of family and friends on April 27, and celebrated in the remarks of Next Steps graduate Jamie Galvin, Ambassadore Michael Flom, and Next Steps faculty director Erik Carter, Ph.D.

Raising and achieving aspirations—Next Steps at Vanderbilt 2016 Graduation

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:39:49 AM

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder’s Multicultural Outreach team has partnered with the Hispanic Family Foundation (HFF) to provide face-to-face assistance to Nashvillians in the Spanish-speaking community.

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder partners with Hispanic Family Foundation to provide hands-on community service

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:37:36 AM

More than 3 million Americans stutter. Stuttering is characterized by disruptions in the production of speech sounds, usually begins in early childhood, and can persist throughout life. The documented stigmatizing attitudes of others put children who stutter at an increased risk for experiences such as aggression and bullying, and therefore the disorder often has a negative impact on children’s development in educational, social, and vocational spheres of life.

New tool assesses implicit biases related to individuals who stutter

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:35:19 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) is one of a select group of sites selected to launch SPARK, an online research initiative designed to become the largest autism study ever undertaken in the United States.

Kennedy Center joins nation’s largest autism study

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 9:33:28 AM

Changing post-school pathways of youth and young adults with severe disabilities was the focus of Erik Carter’s presentation at a Congressional briefing, March 4, 2016, sponsored by the Friends of the Institute of Education Sciences (FIES).

Erik Carter was expert speaker at Congressional briefing

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 8:20:31 AM

The students of Next Steps at Vanderbilt received the Perry Wallace Courage Award presented by Vanderbilt Athletics to a group or individual on campus exemplifying the courage and fortitude of Perry Wallace, the first black scholarship athlete in the SEC.

Next Steps students celebrate courage and dreams

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 8:19:02 AM

Sleep problems are common among children with autism. These issues can include trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night, and trouble getting up in the morning.

Expanding community training to address autism-related sleep issues

Last Updated: 7/7/2016 8:17:29 AM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have relieved symptoms in a mouse model of Rett syndrome with a drug-like compound that works like the dimmer switch in an electrical circuit.

Study reveals possible ‘dimmer switch’ drug for Rett syndrome

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:21:49 PM

Through a new partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Disability Pathfinder is expanding access to community resources through its free online searchable database and added staff assistance.

Pathfinder expands resources through new partnership with Tennessee Department of Health

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:20:14 PM

TennesseeWorks, a statewide partnership of agencies and organizations committed to improving employment outcomes for Tennesseans with disabilities, is collaborating with key partners on several initiatives and activities.

TennesseeWorks partners collaborate on initiatives to transform employment landscape for people with disabilities

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:18:50 PM

A new model of case-based telehealth training will offer practical advice to Tennessee community health care providers on how to manage the health concerns of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

IDD Health Care Toolkit telehealth training aims to increase access to community-based care

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:17:34 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD) recently expanded their community outreach initiative exponentially thanks to collaboration with the Nashville Opera and a generous grant from the VSA Performing Arts Access for Kids Program. The outreach complements TRIAD’s plans to celebrate Autism Awareness Month in April with a series of community events promoting acceptance and inclusion.

VKC TRIAD expands community reach through Nashville Opera with VSA grant, announces Autism Awareness Month activities

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:16:18 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers have established a link between the neurotransmitter serotonin and certain behaviors of some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a link that may lead to new treatments for ASD.

Autism study links sensory difficulties, serotonin system

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:15:02 PM

Just as each snowflake is unique, so are each student’s learning processes. So when students come to the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) Learning Assessment Clinic, clinicians work together to develop an individual plan to identify and to target areas of learning challenges and to boost areas of proficiency to make learning effective.

VKC Learning Assessment Clinic “laser-focused” on tackling learning challenges

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:13:28 PM

For some children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, severe behavior problems threaten their success in school and society. By unraveling the causes of those behaviors and developing treatments tailored for them, teams at the Behavior Analysis Clinic (BAC) offer lifelines for those children and their families.

Behavior Analysis Clinic equips new generation of practitioners

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:12:02 PM

VKC TRIAD enhanced and widened the reach of its programming in 2015 and shows no sign of slowing in 2016. From partnerships with the TN Department of Education to the design of innovative telemedicine models of service delivery, TRIAD continues to make a profound impact on improving access to autism services in TN.

A growth spurt for TRIAD

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:10:23 PM

The Michael C. Walther II Discovery Grant and two Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grants have been awarded for 2016-17, announced Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) director and Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair.

Autism and Angelman syndrome targeted in 2016 Discovery Grants

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 4:08:48 PM

Vanderbilt University scientists are a step closer to understanding how inflammation in the body can affect mood and behavior.

Study further links immune response, serotonin signaling

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:59:18 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities plays a pivotal educational role as it partners with disability organizations, state officials, and committees to advance disability public policy in Tennessee.

VKC shares research and best practices with Tennessee policy makers

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:55:28 PM

New News Item

VKC researchers provide expertise on national disability policy and research initiatives

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:53:53 PM

The quality, impact, and reach of Next Steps at Vanderbilt will be expanded thanks to a 5-year, $1.93 million grant to Peabody College awarded by the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education.

Next Steps at Vanderbilt takes huge leap forward, thanks to federal grants

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:51:17 PM

Children with autism who participated in a 10-week, 40-hour, theatre-based program showed significant differences in social ability compared to a group of children with autism who did not participate, according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Children with autism benefit from theatre-based program

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:49:48 PM

TRIAD is training early childhood educators in rural East Tennessee through a model classroom in Cocke County, a 3-day workshop held in October, and follow-up coaching and mentoring during the 2015-16 school-year.

TRIAD trains rural Tennessee early childhood educators

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:48:24 PM

Two artists who have exhibited work at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center took part in an arts mentoring program with local artist and curator Lain York to prepare for their Fall 2015 solo exhibits.

Artists take part in VKC mentoring program

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:46:58 PM

Disruptions in a specific signaling pathway in the brain can cause overeating of high-fat food, researchers at Vanderbilt University have found. Basic research on obesity is relevant to the VKC mission because children and adults with developmental disabilities have high rates of obesity.

Study tracks brain’s trigger for overeating high-fat food

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:44:24 PM

Two free, short online training series focused on improving health care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been created by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC), in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) and TennCare.

Working together to improve health care for adults with IDD in Tennessee

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:42:32 PM

The 2015 TennesseeWorks Think Employment! Summit brought together more than 280 students with disabilities, family members, employers, service providers, and partners in state government for a 1-day conference, Sept. 16, focused on expanding employment opportunities for Tennesseans with disabilities.

Think Employment! Summit builds student and community engagement

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:41:00 PM

Researchers at Vanderbilt University for the first time have demonstrated in a mouse model that aggregation, the “clumping together” of abnormal proteins, can contribute to a severe form of genetic epilepsy.

Protein ‘clumping’ linked to severe form of genetic epilepsy

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:39:32 PM

Musicians and scientists connected in Music City USA at the 2015 biennial meeting of the Society of Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) Conference and the Vanderbilt Music and Mind Kickoff. Music researchers from around the globe flew into Nashville Aug. 1-5 to attend the biennial conference.

Science of music comes alive at 2015 Society of Music Perception and Cognition Conference

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:38:10 PM

Vanderbilt neurogeneticist Tyler Reimschisel, M.D., has led the development of a customizable neurodevelopmental disabilities curriculum resource that is now available to the national network of LEND and UCEDD programs. The curriculum utilizes the extensive expertise of more than 60 LEND and UCEDD faculty nationwide. It will provide core content for trainees from diverse professions to better meet the health and wellness needs of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities.

Vanderbilt LEND director leads development of national disabilities curriculum resource

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:36:43 PM

Sharing a love of music is one way in which individuals with Williams syndrome excel, as ACM Lifting Lives Music Campers showed when they performed with County Music artist Hunter Hayes during the recent Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles (LA).

Feels like home: ACM LL Music Campers at World Games

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 3:34:45 PM

VKC researchers at Peabody College are blazing new trails in language and learning programs designed to ensure that children with Down syndrome have the brightest possible futures.

VKC researchers pioneer Down syndrome speech and learning interventions

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:24:14 PM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) held its first Parent Stress Intervention Program (PSIP) Conference July 14-17. Instructors delved into each of the two intervention manuals created by VKC researchers to teach parents of children with disabilities how to manage stress.

Positive development, stress reduction main focus of PSIP conference

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:22:46 PM

How do you measure quality of life? How do you measure whether persons with intellectual disabilities are living a life similar to their neighbors? These questions lie at the heart of the National Core Indicators, and the VKC UCEDD is now part of this important effort in Tennessee.

Measuring quality of life –the National Core Indicators and Tennessee

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:21:23 PM

New News Item

Musicians not only hear in tune, they also see in tune

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:20:03 PM

Researchers collected supplemental alternate assessment data on 7,440 students with intellectual disabilities to measure reading performance, to identify variables associated with differences in performance, and to explore the potential utility of the alternate assessment to guide improvements in reading instruction.

Examining reading skills of students with ID

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:18:06 PM

Innovation and an interest in “big data” characterize the three Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grants awarded for 2015-16, which were announced by Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) director and Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair.

2015 Hobbs Discovery Grants announced

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:16:25 PM

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has awarded a 5-year, $10-million training grant to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), continuing a 16-year partnership to provide education and training opportunities for school personnel throughout the state.

Autism training for TN educators expands

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:14:37 PM

Every time you make a memory, somewhere in your brain a tiny filament reaches out from one neuron and forms an electrochemical connection to a neighboring neuron. VKC investigator Donna Webb heads a team of biologists who study how these connections are formed at the molecular and cellular level.

New insight into how the brain makes memories

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:13:12 PM

The VKC Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) has launched a pilot research study to improve treatment of children with autism hospitalized for serious behavioral issues.

TRIAD study aims to improve hospitalizations for children with autism

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:11:24 PM

From assisting congregations to connect members with disabilities to jobs to coordinating a national webinar series on how to honor spiritual needs, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) continues to address the issue of inclusion and belonging in faith communities.

VKC providing national leadership in the area of disabilities, religion, and inclusive spiritual supports

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:09:10 PM

The TennesseeWorks Partnership is dedicated to discovering best practices and promoting gainful employment for individuals with disabilities. They are taking their mission to the streets by way of Community Conversations across Tennessee.

TennesseeWorks takes employment questions to the public via Community Conversations

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:05:17 PM

Monitoring participants’ biological clocks may be the quickest way to determine the effectiveness of experimental drugs currently under development to treat Angelman syndrome (AS), a debilitating genetic disorder that occurs in more than 1 in every 15,000 live births.

Circadian clock—Angelman syndrome link established

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 2:03:35 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers are adapting a parent advocacy curriculum to improve transition from high school for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they pursue postsecondary education and/or employment.

Improving transition for youth with autism

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:50:45 PM

A darting mouse may hold an important clue in the development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism and bipolar disorder, according to a study by a Vanderbilt University-led research team published in October 2014 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Darting mice may hold clues to ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:47:09 PM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to join the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. The project will be led by Zachary Warren, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder (VKC TRIAD).

VU receives $1.8 million CDC autism surveillance grant

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:46:09 PM

Transinstitutional neuroimaging research at Vanderbilt University finds that the brain may be structured differently in children with dyslexia, a reading disorder that affects up to 17 percent of the population.

“White matter” behaves differently in children with dyslexia

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:44:39 PM

TRIAD’s Community Engagement team continues to make an impact on our community, earning awards at Autism Tennessee’s recent Fall Conference and receiving a Community Engagement grant from Jackson Bank’s National Community Fund. TRIAD—Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder—is the hub for autism assessment, treatment, training, and research within the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

TRIAD receives awards, grant for its community engagement work

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:43:54 PM

The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development has received $15 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). A 5-year $7.5 million grant will support the development of a national center focused on training teachers to educate children with disabilities. The Department also received $7.5 million from OSEP in the form of six 5-year $1.2 million training grants to support 131 master’s and 11 doctoral students.

$15M in grants for special education teacher training

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:43:17 PM

A child’s ability to distinguish musical rhythm is related to his or her capacity for understanding grammar, according to a recent study by Reyna Gordon, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Researchers explore links between grammar, rhythm

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:42:27 PM

In June 2013, Governor Bill Haslam signed Executive Order No. 28 establishing state support for the Employment First initiative and directing the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) to convene the Employment First Task Force. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center faculty and staff were among a group of key stakeholders charged with identifying the barriers to employment that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities typically face in Tennessee and with developing recommendations for eliminating those barriers.

Expect employment for people with disabilities

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:42:06 PM

Though little has been documented about the prominence of religion and spirituality for adolescents and young adults with intellectual disability and/or autism, a recently published VKC study identifies key spiritual expressions and themes that indicate its influence and importance.

Exploring spiritual dimensions in the lives of youth with intellectual disability or autism

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:41:16 PM

Depression is a common yet serious condition in children and adults with and without disabilities. In one study, a psychiatrist/neuroscientist explores an innovative diagnostic approach. In another study, a psychologist and colleagues investigate effectiveness of combining cognitive therapy with antidepressant medicine.

Investigating depression diagnosis and treatment

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:40:46 PM

Autism Speaks is renewing Vanderbilt University as an Autism Treatment Network (ATN) site with a 3-year, $420,000 grant. This elite designation allows Vanderbilt to continue improving medical care for children and adolescents with autism by offering comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, care, and counseling.

VU Autism Treatment Network receives grant renewal from Autism Speaks

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:40:12 PM

Although studies have shown that children with autism often have difficulty processing facial information, it has been unclear whether this is predictive of everyday social functioning. A new study shows it is predictive.

Face memory predicts social engagement in children with and without autism

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:39:07 PM

The TennesseeWorks Think Employment Summit brought together over 200 students with disabilities, family members, employers, service providers, and partners in state government to focus on improving employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities.

Think Employment Summit focuses on raising expectations, opportunities, and self-advocacy

Last Updated: 7/6/2016 12:37:21 PM

<p>(July - September 2016 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p><p> This exhibit features work by Next Steps at Vanderbilt students and their Ambassadores created during Spring 2016 Creative Art Workshops led by Jamshid Khoshnoodi, LEND/UCEDD Trainee, and Leandra Desjardins, UCEDD Trainee.</p>

Interactivity and Creativity

Last Updated: 7/1/2016 9:40:05 AM

Former Peabody psychology chair Phil Schoggen dies

Former Peabody psychology chair Phil Schoggen dies

Last Updated: 6/27/2016 10:06:21 AM

IDD Toolkit Telehealth Project

IDD Toolkit Telehealth Project offered for Tennessee physicians, nurses, and physician assistants

Last Updated: 6/23/2016 11:42:45 AM

New age-specific sleep recommendations for children issued

New age-specific sleep recommendations for children issued

Last Updated: 6/20/2016 1:55:20 PM

VUMC part of national effort to improve genomic science laws, regulations

VUMC part of national effort to improve genomic science laws, regulations

Last Updated: 6/20/2016 1:53:54 PM

SENSE Theatre Camp presents "The Year of the Ladybug" June 17-18

SENSE Theatre Camp presents "The Year of the Ladybug" June 17-18

Last Updated: 6/13/2016 3:07:31 PM

Alzheimer’s risk gene in younger adults

Alzheimer’s risk gene in younger adults

Last Updated: 6/6/2016 11:04:27 AM

Study confirms link between early test scores and adult achievement

Study confirms link between early test scores and adult achievement

Last Updated: 6/6/2016 9:28:54 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center leaders receive awards from The Arc Tennessee

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center leaders receive awards from The Arc Tennessee

Last Updated: 6/6/2016 9:26:04 AM

VKC at 2016 Tennessee Disability MegaConference

VKC at 2016 Tennessee Disability MegaConference

Last Updated: 5/24/2016 1:36:33 PM

2016 Science Day set for Sept. 19;

2016 Science Day set for Sept. 19

Last Updated: 5/24/2016 11:34:37 AM

Free symposium on autism, neuroscience and perceptual thinking May 23

Free symposium on autism, neuroscience and perceptual thinking May 23

Last Updated: 5/19/2016 10:54:45 AM

Vanderbilt dependents with intellectual challenges to receive tuition benefit

Last Updated: 5/11/2016 1:26:43 PM

June 2-3 Neuroscience & Education Symposium connects brain research, classroom application

June 2-3 Neuroscience & Education Symposium connects brain research, classroom application

Last Updated: 4/27/2016 10:26:38 AM

Kennedy Center joins nation’s largest autism study

Last Updated: 4/22/2016 9:35:37 AM

Farran named ‘Children’s Champion’ by NAAEYC

Farran named ‘Children’s Champion’ by NAAEYC

Last Updated: 4/13/2016 11:31:17 AM

The proof is in the pizza

The proof is in the pizza

Last Updated: 4/8/2016 11:00:59 AM

Instructional preference may boost children’s learning

Instructional preference may boost children’s learning

Last Updated: 4/8/2016 10:59:34 AM

<p>(April - June 2016 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p><p>In collaboration with <a href="http://www.thegoodluckgallery.com/exhibitions/past/noah-erenberg/">The Good Luck Gallery</a> in Los Angeles and the VKC Arts and Disabilities program, this free exhibit features works by Noah Erenberg. He works in a variety of mediums, and his art has been shown internationally for over 20 years. Art displayed April to June 2016. A reception honoring his art will be Monday, April 18, 4-6 p.m., at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. </p>

Drawings and Paintings by Noah Erenberg

Last Updated: 3/25/2016 9:35:40 AM

Peabody team’s storybook app wins first-round funding in federal competition

Peabody team’s storybook app wins first-round funding in federal competition

Last Updated: 3/24/2016 11:13:19 AM

Vanderbilt’s Susan Gray School honored with national accreditation

Vanderbilt’s Susan Gray School honored with national accreditation

Last Updated: 3/24/2016 11:08:25 AM

VKC TRIAD celebrates Autism Awareness Month in April

Last Updated: 3/23/2016 1:52:38 PM

American Academy of Audiology honors Tharpe, Grantham

American Academy of Audiology honors Tharpe, Grantham

Last Updated: 3/11/2016 11:25:33 AM

Erik Carter serves as expert speaker at Congressional briefing

Erik Carter serves as expert speaker at Congressional briefing

Last Updated: 3/8/2016 10:25:43 AM

Next Steps students celebrate courage and dreams

Next Steps students celebrate courage and dreams

Last Updated: 3/4/2016 1:59:00 PM

Study reveals possible ‘dimmer switch’ drug for Rett syndrome

Study reveals possible ‘dimmer switch’ drug for Rett syndrome

Last Updated: 3/3/2016 1:46:49 PM

Faith and Disability Community Conversation Nashville

Faith and Disability Conversation held in Nashville

Last Updated: 3/1/2016 3:07:15 PM

Thirteen honored at endowed chair holder celebration

Thirteen honored at endowed chair holder celebration

Last Updated: 2/22/2016 1:55:23 PM

School of Medicine’s Patel receives Presidential Early Career Award

School of Medicine’s Patel receives Presidential Early Career Award

Last Updated: 2/22/2016 1:51:33 PM

Obama names Lemons among extraordinary early-career scientists

Obama names Lemons among extraordinary early-career scientists

Last Updated: 2/19/2016 3:35:09 PM

Face recognition and social anxiety

Face recognition and social anxiety

Last Updated: 2/19/2016 9:50:14 AM

Dykens to step down as Vanderbilt Kennedy Center director

Dykens to step down as Vanderbilt Kennedy Center director

Last Updated: 2/9/2016 11:56:45 AM

VUMC study may offer answers for treating depression in alcoholics

VUMC study may offer answers for treating depression in alcoholics

Last Updated: 2/5/2016 2:21:25 PM

New News Item

Public Policy Update: 2016 Disability Day on the Hill

Last Updated: 2/1/2016 3:10:42 PM

Autism study links sensory difficulties, serotonin system

Autism study links sensory difficulties, serotonin system

Last Updated: 1/29/2016 10:11:02 AM

Effort seeks to integrate clinical, research data systems

Effort seeks to integrate clinical, research data systems

Last Updated: 1/28/2016 10:02:39 AM

Study shows brain function differs in obese children

Study shows brain function differs in obese children

Last Updated: 1/26/2016 11:50:00 AM

2016 Hobbs Discovery Grants announced

2016 Hobbs Discovery Grants announced

Last Updated: 1/21/2016 9:05:06 AM

Program helps faculty researchers with personal challenges

Program helps faculty researchers with personal challenges

Last Updated: 1/21/2016 8:51:33 AM

Remembering Norma Morris, VKC Graphics Artist

Remembering Norma Morris, VKC Graphics Artist

Last Updated: 1/21/2016 8:45:14 AM

Mark Wallace named dean of the Graduate School

Mark Wallace named dean of the Graduate School

Last Updated: 1/7/2016 11:09:46 AM

‘Sticky mittens’ offer clues to infant development

‘Sticky mittens’ offer clues to infant development

Last Updated: 1/7/2016 10:52:23 AM

<p>(January – March 2016 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center)</p><p>Sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, this free annual exhibit features works of art by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p><p><a href="http://www.tpac.org/visiting/directions.asp">Tennessee Performing Arts Center Lobby</a>, 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN; call (615) 782-4000 for hours</p>

Creative Expressions XXI - Local Inspiration

Last Updated: 1/4/2016 3:28:07 PM

Psychotherapies have long-term benefit for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome

Psychotherapies have long-term benefit for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome

Last Updated: 12/30/2015 11:18:46 AM

Gore named fellow of National Academy of Inventors

Gore named fellow of National Academy of Inventors

Last Updated: 12/15/2015 11:37:59 AM

Ten Vanderbilt faculty members elected AAAS fellows

Ten Vanderbilt faculty members elected AAAS fellows

Last Updated: 11/30/2015 8:38:11 AM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt takes huge leap forward thanks to federal grant

Next Steps at Vanderbilt takes huge leap forward thanks to federal grant

Last Updated: 11/25/2015 11:14:16 AM

New study to examine how ‘working memory’ affects math competency

New study to examine how ‘working memory’ affects math competency

Last Updated: 11/19/2015 1:12:24 PM

Harris honored by American Medical Informatics Association

Harris honored by American Medical Informatics Association

Last Updated: 11/19/2015 1:00:51 PM

VKC at the 2015 AUCD Conference

VKC at the 2015 AUCD Conference

Last Updated: 11/19/2015 9:31:28 AM

Erik Carter invited to present to President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Erik Carter invited to present to President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Last Updated: 11/16/2015 2:40:47 PM

Vanderbilt awardees recognized for disability service and research

Vanderbilt awardees recognized for disability service and research

Last Updated: 11/16/2015 2:37:44 PM

VKC Representation at the SOA Conference

Next Steps at Vanderbilt at the 2015 SOA Conference

Last Updated: 11/16/2015 8:55:55 AM

VKC UCEDD well-represented at International Transition Conference

VKC UCEDD well-represented at International Transition Conference

Last Updated: 11/10/2015 9:10:44 AM

New curriculum brings more science and math to pre-K

New curriculum brings more science and math to pre-K

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 11:49:28 AM

Thickness of grey matter predicts ability to recognize faces and objects

Thickness of grey matter predicts ability to recognize faces and objects

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 11:21:42 AM

Study further links immune response, serotonin signaling

Study further links immune response, serotonin signaling

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 9:47:07 AM

Study explores nicotine patch to treat memory loss

Study explores nicotine patch to treat memory loss

Last Updated: 10/30/2015 12:54:24 PM

Compound developed at VUMC may delay Huntington’s disease

Compound developed at VUMC may delay Huntington’s disease

Last Updated: 10/30/2015 12:53:46 PM

Julie Lounds Taylor appointed to Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Julie Lounds Taylor appointed to Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Last Updated: 10/28/2015 10:25:02 AM

Disability Mentoring Day

Disability Mentoring Day '15 educates, creates potential opportunities

Last Updated: 10/26/2015 2:45:32 PM

VKC honors longtime staff members with service awards

VKC honors longtime staff members with service awards

Last Updated: 10/26/2015 2:20:30 PM

Depression intervention for at-risk youth shows sustained effects

Depression intervention for at-risk youth shows sustained effects

Last Updated: 10/16/2015 11:40:35 AM

Working together to improve health care for adults with IDD in Tennessee

Working together to improve health care for adults with IDD in Tennessee

Last Updated: 10/16/2015 11:31:15 AM

Opening Doors, Transforming Lives

Opening Doors, Transforming Lives

Last Updated: 10/15/2015 1:44:59 PM

Creating Hope: A History of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Creating Hope: A History of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 10/14/2015 1:16:37 PM

Employment First task report presented to Governor Haslam

Employment First task report presented to Governor Haslam

Last Updated: 10/13/2015 9:29:20 AM

Interpreting ambiguous visual information is surprisingly low level brain function

Interpreting ambiguous visual information is surprisingly low level brain function

Last Updated: 10/9/2015 11:05:16 AM

Scientific literature overstates psychotherapy’s effectiveness in treating depression

Scientific literature overstates psychotherapy’s effectiveness in treating depression

Last Updated: 10/1/2015 1:24:06 PM

Depression runs in the family, but it may be preventable

Depression runs in the family, but it may be preventable

Last Updated: 9/30/2015 2:37:26 PM

Winners announced for 2015 VKC Science Day poster competition

Winners announced for 2015 VKC Science Day poster competition

Last Updated: 9/30/2015 9:44:20 AM

Pre-K in TN: How can we sustain the gains?

Pre-K in TN: How can we sustain the gains?

Last Updated: 9/28/2015 3:43:18 PM

<p>(October – December 2015 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)</p><p>Anne Ambrose started doing art by doodling as a way to express herself. From an early point, she wanted to render things that had to do with unity and inclusiveness. Many of her paintings have a psychological story and include fairies, angels, spirits, and bright colors. The first <em>Dolls Tea Party</em> painting is now in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum. </p><p>Over the years, Ambrose

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Anne Ambrose - Dolls Tea Party

Last Updated: 9/28/2015 1:30:49 PM

Vanderbilt Special Education researchers to speak on behavior disorders

Vanderbilt Special Education researchers to speak on behavior disorders

Last Updated: 9/25/2015 10:16:21 AM

Study seeks to ease ‘chemobrain’ for cancer patients

Study seeks to ease ‘chemobrain’ for cancer patients

Last Updated: 9/18/2015 3:50:43 PM

How your brain decides blame and punishment—and how it can be changed

How your brain decides blame and punishment—and how it can be changed

Last Updated: 9/17/2015 1:15:21 PM

Register to participate in Oct. 21

Register to participate in Oct. 21's disAbility Mentoring Day

Last Updated: 9/17/2015 11:43:24 AM

VKC Welcomes AOD Commissioner Aaron Bishop

VKC welcomes Aaron Bishop from AOD

Last Updated: 9/17/2015 9:09:37 AM

VKC to continue as national Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Center

VKC to continue as national Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Center

Last Updated: 9/16/2015 11:22:47 AM

2015 Science Day to honor VKC

2015 Science Day to honor VKC's 50th anniversary on Tuesday, Sept. 29

Last Updated: 9/9/2015 10:32:29 AM

Clayton to co-chair National Academies’ review committee

Clayton to co-chair National Academies’ review committee

Last Updated: 9/4/2015 9:13:16 AM

New program set to explore effects of music on the mind

New program set to explore effects of music on the mind

Last Updated: 9/3/2015 2:16:51 PM

Hudson, Emeson top faculty honorees at fall assembly

Hudson, Emeson top faculty honorees at fall assembly

Last Updated: 8/31/2015 11:04:25 AM

Remembering Terri Urbano

Remembering Terri Urbano

Last Updated: 8/28/2015 3:35:36 PM

Depression study seeks to predict treatment response

Depression study seeks to predict treatment response

Last Updated: 8/28/2015 9:03:01 AM

Call for Proposals open for PCRC; deadline to submit is Sept. 9

Call for Proposals open for PCRC; deadline to submit is Sept. 9

Last Updated: 8/18/2015 10:52:52 AM

Kennedy Center for Excellence lands five-year renewal grant

Kennedy Center for Excellence lands five-year renewal grant

Last Updated: 8/17/2015 3:25:49 PM

Eight Vanderbilt researchers named ‘Inspiring Women in STEM’

Eight Vanderbilt researchers named ‘Inspiring Women in STEM’

Last Updated: 8/17/2015 2:25:55 PM

Protein ‘clumping’ linked to severe form of genetic epilepsy

Protein ‘clumping’ linked to severe form of genetic epilepsy

Last Updated: 8/13/2015 1:49:40 PM

Origins of neuroblastoma

Origins of neuroblastoma

Last Updated: 8/13/2015 1:49:02 PM

Vanderbilt Divinity partnership addresses affordable housing need

Vanderbilt Divinity partnership addresses affordable housing need

Last Updated: 8/11/2015 1:50:43 PM

Six-week tennis program for kids with autism seeking participants

Six-week tennis program for kids with autism seeking participants

Last Updated: 8/10/2015 3:16:13 PM

Study shows effectiveness of pediatric stroke protocol

Study shows effectiveness of pediatric stroke protocol

Last Updated: 7/24/2015 1:17:00 PM

AUCD Director: Working together toward full integration

Last Updated: 7/22/2015 8:35:11 AM

Lubinski honored with Mensa Lifetime Achievement Award

Lubinski honored with Mensa Lifetime Achievement Award

Last Updated: 7/20/2015 11:09:56 AM

New study to examine how ‘working memory’ affects math competency

New study to examine how ‘working memory’ affects math competency

Last Updated: 7/20/2015 11:08:59 AM

Grant enhances mental illness drug research efforts

Grant enhances mental illness drug research efforts

Last Updated: 7/16/2015 1:58:02 PM

Signals of schizophrenia

Signals of schizophrenia

Last Updated: 7/10/2015 10:39:51 AM

A little jolt helps the brain get back on track

A little jolt helps the brain get back on track

Last Updated: 7/9/2015 9:41:31 AM

<p>(July - September 2015 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)<br><p> Preston Vienneau is a self-taught artist on the autism spectrum who dabbled in art from a young age, often creating his own comic books and creatures that were inspired by his passion for movies. He recently returned to painting as a form of self-expression. He has work featured in The ArtAble Collection of Village Green Hills, a luxury apartment building featuring gallery-curated works by artists with disAbilities. He was featured as one of three artists in Emerging: Works of Three Young Artists with Disabilities at the Shimai Gallery at the Loveless Café in Nashville, Tennessee.</p>

Preston Vienneau - Coalesce

Last Updated: 7/6/2015 4:38:32 PM

The 2015 Conference of the Society of Music Cognition & Perception (SMPC) will begin on Saturday, Aug. 1, with the Vanderbilt Music & Mind Kickoff to SMPC, open to the public from 1:00-7:00 p.m.at Ingram Hall, located at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, 2400 Blakemore Ave., Nashville.

Aug. 1 Vanderbilt Music & Mind Kickoff highlights the science of music

Last Updated: 7/2/2015 10:58:16 AM

Grant significantly expands Vanderbilt’s autism training for Tennessee educators

Grant significantly expands Vanderbilt’s autism training for Tennessee educators

Last Updated: 6/22/2015 10:36:29 AM

Study: Feedback can hinder kids’ math outcomes

Study: Feedback can hinder kids’ math outcomes

Last Updated: 6/22/2015 10:31:56 AM

Musicians not only hear in tune, they also see in tune

Musicians not only hear in tune, they also see in tune

Last Updated: 6/22/2015 10:30:16 AM

New News Item

VKC celebrates 50th anniversary with Tim Shriver visit

Last Updated: 6/4/2015 2:21:53 PM

2015 VKC Science Day poster submission EXTENDED to Aug. 3

2015 VKC Science Day poster submission EXTENDED to Aug. 3

Last Updated: 6/2/2015 9:34:24 AM

VKC at Tennessee Disability MegaConference

VKC at Tennessee Disability MegaConference

Last Updated: 5/29/2015 9:51:34 AM

VKC Represents at 2015 IMFAR

VKC Represents at 2015 IMFAR

Last Updated: 5/28/2015 11:18:30 AM

Head Start turns 50 – and there’s a Vanderbilt connection

Head Start turns 50 – and there’s a Vanderbilt connection

Last Updated: 5/26/2015 1:45:43 PM

Frist Center Community Partner Art Exhibition features artists with disabilities

Frist Center Community Partner Art Exhibition features artists with disabilities

Last Updated: 5/13/2015 3:52:08 PM

Next Steps students lead 2-day transition experience for HS students

Next Steps students lead 2-day transition experience for HS students

Last Updated: 5/13/2015 3:09:22 PM

Findings reveal new target in quest to ease schizophrenia

Findings reveal new target in quest to ease schizophrenia

Last Updated: 5/11/2015 9:35:20 AM

Congratulations to Next Steps at Vanderbilt Graduating Class of 2015

Congratulations to Next Steps at Vanderbilt Graduating Class of 2015

Last Updated: 5/5/2015 1:53:38 PM

VKC

VKC's Fleming serves on State Arts Citizen Advisory Panel

Last Updated: 4/30/2015 11:22:05 AM

Gauthier selected 2015 Professor of the Year by SEC

Gauthier selected 2015 Professor of the Year by SEC

Last Updated: 4/30/2015 11:20:40 AM

Nashville’s community pioneering for autism inclusion

Nashville’s community pioneering for autism inclusion

Last Updated: 4/28/2015 4:21:47 PM

New insight into how brain makes memories

New insight into how brain makes memories

Last Updated: 4/28/2015 9:02:22 AM

New News Item

Peabody faculty pioneer Down syndrome speech and learning interventions

Last Updated: 4/24/2015 9:36:56 AM

VUCast Extra: One mom’s race for a cure for son’s rare disorder

VUCast Extra: One mom’s race for a cure for son’s rare disorder

Last Updated: 4/9/2015 9:36:48 AM

Gauthier named winner of 2015 SEC Faculty Achievement Award

Gauthier named winner of 2015 SEC Faculty Achievement Award

Last Updated: 4/9/2015 9:29:33 AM

Wehby receives 2015 CEC Special Education Research Award

Wehby receives 2015 CEC Special Education Research Award

Last Updated: 4/3/2015 10:46:36 AM

New systems biology method may help improve vaccine evaluation

New systems biology method may help improve vaccine evaluation

Last Updated: 3/27/2015 10:22:17 AM

Common Core math should include ‘pattern abstraction’

Common Core math should include ‘pattern abstraction’

Last Updated: 3/20/2015 10:40:21 AM

Multi-sensory processing model explores autism, schizophrenia

Multi-sensory processing model explores autism, schizophrenia

Last Updated: 3/20/2015 10:39:30 AM

Network theory sheds new light on origins of consciousness

Network theory sheds new light on origins of consciousness

Last Updated: 3/10/2015 1:44:29 PM

Apply for a Tennessee Works mini-grant before Apr. 3 deadline

Apply for a Tennessee Works mini-grant before Apr. 3 deadline

Last Updated: 3/6/2015 2:39:21 PM

Community Conversations generate strategies on increasing employment opportunities

Community Conversations generate strategies on increasing employment opportunities

Last Updated: 3/3/2015 11:04:20 AM

VKC LEND Program receives funding to address trainee diversity

VKC LEND Program receives funding to address trainee diversity

Last Updated: 3/3/2015 10:27:57 AM

<p>Read how Advance Financial’s gift to the VKC Reading Clinic gives struggling readers a helping hand</p>

Advance Financial gift to VKC Reading Clinic gives struggling readers a helping hand

Last Updated: 2/27/2015 3:35:26 PM

Education experts offer 18 apps that make learning fun

Education experts offer 18 apps that make learning fun

Last Updated: 2/20/2015 9:33:13 AM

Study sheds light on a ‘guardian’ protein of brain function

Study sheds light on a ‘guardian’ protein of brain function

Last Updated: 2/19/2015 3:05:36 PM

Inclement weather cancelations

Inclement Weather Cancellations

Last Updated: 2/17/2015 9:32:53 AM

Report calls for new chronic fatigue guidelines

Report calls for new chronic fatigue guidelines

Last Updated: 2/13/2015 10:38:28 AM

Inaugural Chancellor Faculty Fellows named

Inaugural Chancellor Faculty Fellows named

Last Updated: 2/12/2015 1:46:59 PM

Blakely Lab named Greenest Group on Campus

Blakely Lab named Greenest Group on Campus

Last Updated: 2/12/2015 1:46:20 PM

VKC welcomes Autism Partnership founder John McEachin on Feb. 23

VKC welcomes Autism Partnership founder John McEachin on Feb. 23

Last Updated: 2/10/2015 1:36:21 PM

Circadian clock – Angelman syndrome link established

Circadian clock – Angelman syndrome link established

Last Updated: 2/6/2015 10:17:09 AM

VUMC lands grant to join CDC autism surveillance network

VUMC lands grant to join CDC autism surveillance network

Last Updated: 2/5/2015 3:02:29 PM

Disability Day on the Hill raises awareness

Disability Day on the Hill raises awareness

Last Updated: 2/5/2015 11:08:51 AM

White House assembles top minds in neuroscience and learning for workshop

White House assembles top minds in neuroscience and learning for workshop

Last Updated: 2/4/2015 2:20:20 PM

Event honors new holders of endowed chairs at VU

Event honors new holders of endowed chairs at VU

Last Updated: 2/4/2015 8:22:33 AM

New ‘reset’ button discovered for circadian clock

New ‘reset’ button discovered for circadian clock

Last Updated: 2/2/2015 1:15:43 PM

Vanderbilt Star competition rescheduled for March 22

Last Updated: 2/2/2015 9:51:42 AM

VKC has wide reach at the 2015 Partners in Education Conference

VKC has wide reach at the 2015 Partners in Education Conference

Last Updated: 1/30/2015 9:06:53 AM

Altered dopamine signaling may offer a clue to autism

Altered dopamine signaling may offer a clue to autism

Last Updated: 1/30/2015 8:11:00 AM

Imparato visit begins VKC’s 50th anniversary festivities

Imparato visit begins VKC’s 50th anniversary festivities

Last Updated: 1/27/2015 3:20:02 PM

Brain study sheds light on how children with autism process social play

Brain study sheds light on how children with autism process social play

Last Updated: 1/27/2015 11:19:09 AM

New view of dopamine heteromers

New view of dopamine heteromers

Last Updated: 1/23/2015 3:04:21 PM

Awards recognize crucial efforts of research staff

Awards recognize crucial efforts of research staff

Last Updated: 1/15/2015 2:16:26 PM

Registration open for 2015 Augmentative, Alternative Communication events Feb. 26-27

Registration open for 2015 Augmentative, Alternative Communication events Feb. 26-27

Last Updated: 1/13/2015 4:00:28 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center celebrates 50 years in 2015

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center celebrates 50 years in 2015

Last Updated: 1/12/2015 9:24:55 AM

Vanderbilt education faculty named among top influencers

Vanderbilt education faculty named among top influencers

Last Updated: 1/8/2015 2:50:19 PM

Employment First meeting outlines vision for upcoming year

Employment First meeting outlines vision for upcoming year

Last Updated: 12/29/2014 1:20:15 PM

Autism Speaks lauds Camarata

Autism Speaks lauds Camarata's contributions, years of support

Last Updated: 12/19/2014 9:33:49 AM

Blood pressure gene tied to cognitive decline

Blood pressure gene tied to cognitive decline

Last Updated: 12/5/2014 12:17:26 PM

Goldman awarded TASH Emerging Scholar

UCEDD Trainee Receives TASH Emerging Scholar Award

Last Updated: 12/5/2014 10:02:05 AM

Natural ‘high’ could avoid chronic marijuana use, Vanderbilt study finds

Natural ‘high’ could avoid chronic marijuana use, Vanderbilt study finds

Last Updated: 12/2/2014 11:34:11 AM

<p>(December 2014 - June 2015 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center)<br>(January - April 2015 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick St., Nashville, TN. Call (615) 782-4000 for hours.)</p><p>Co-sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, this free annual exhibit features works of art by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p>

Creative Expressions XX - Creativity and the Modern City

Last Updated: 12/2/2014 9:36:44 AM

Rebecca Wilson book-signing event benefits Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Last Updated: 12/2/2014 9:25:20 AM

Garden project opens hearts of young adults with disabilities

Garden project opens hearts of young adults with disabilities

Last Updated: 12/2/2014 8:17:58 AM

VKC Director Elisabeth Dykens receives 2014 NADD Research Award

VKC Director Elisabeth Dykens receives 2014 NADD Research Award

Last Updated: 12/1/2014 2:59:11 PM

Overcoming obstacles and inspiring young minds

Overcoming obstacles and inspiring young minds

Last Updated: 11/26/2014 10:14:48 AM

Twelve Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS fellows

Twelve Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS fellows

Last Updated: 11/24/2014 2:10:27 PM

Next Steps at State of the Art Conference

Next Steps at the State of the Art Conference on PSE

Last Updated: 11/21/2014 2:22:49 PM

Last Updated: 11/21/2014 2:22:06 PM

Gifted men and women define success differently, 40-year study says

Gifted men and women define success differently, 40-year study says

Last Updated: 11/20/2014 9:52:56 AM

McMillan receives 2014 Mollie Burd Gavigan Service Award

McMillan receives 2014 Mollie Burd Gavigan Service Award

Last Updated: 11/14/2014 8:44:01 AM

Two from Vanderbilt will partner with Brazilian researchers

Two from Vanderbilt will partner with Brazilian researchers

Last Updated: 11/12/2014 11:03:55 AM

Optogenetics sheds new light on brain’s behavior modulators

Optogenetics sheds new light on brain’s behavior modulators

Last Updated: 11/11/2014 8:47:31 AM

Vanderbilt lands $15M in grants for special education teacher training

Vanderbilt lands $15M in grants for special education teacher training

Last Updated: 10/31/2014 12:50:40 PM

Researchers explore links between grammar, rhythm

Researchers explore links between grammar, rhythm

Last Updated: 10/31/2014 11:18:25 AM

Mindfulness training for parents of children with ASD studied

Mindfulness training for parents of children with ASD studied

Last Updated: 10/31/2014 11:17:54 AM

Hemmeter receives McEvoy Award for special education research

Hemmeter receives McEvoy Award for special education research

Last Updated: 10/31/2014 11:17:12 AM

'White matter' behaves differently in children with dyslexia

Last Updated: 10/30/2014 11:17:58 AM

Disability Mentoring Day

Disability Mentoring Day '14 educates, creates potential opportunities

Last Updated: 10/29/2014 1:31:33 PM

'Darting' mice may hold clues to ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder

Last Updated: 10/24/2014 11:18:51 AM

Jobs for Life aims to connect people with disabilities to work opportunities

Jobs for Life aims to connect people with disabilities to work opportunities

Last Updated: 10/21/2014 4:14:33 PM

Malow co-authors "Solving Sleep Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders"

Malow co-authors "Solving Sleep Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders"

Last Updated: 10/17/2014 11:09:57 AM

Neuronal culprit in genetic disease

Neuronal culprit in genetic disease

Last Updated: 10/17/2014 10:53:22 AM

Seizure mutation impairs receptor

Seizure mutation impairs receptor

Last Updated: 10/3/2014 10:26:50 AM

<p>Read how Jackson National Community Fund Sets the Stage for Inclusion</p>

Jackson National Community Fund Sets the Stage for Inclusion

Last Updated: 10/1/2014 3:45:59 PM

Sarah Blumberg, TRIAD Community Outreach team receive Autism Tennessee awards

Sarah Blumberg, TRIAD Community Outreach team receive Autism Tennessee awards

Last Updated: 9/23/2014 3:51:03 PM

Think Employment! Summit focuses on raising expectations, opportunities, and future self-advocates

Think Employment! Summit focuses on raising expectations, opportunities, and future self-advocates

Last Updated: 9/19/2014 9:03:00 AM

Stephen Camarata authors new book, "Late-Talking Children: A Symptom or a Stage?"

Stephen Camarata authors new book, "Late-Talking Children: A Symptom or a Stage?"

Last Updated: 9/17/2014 1:42:17 PM

National education official visits Susan Gray School

National education official visits Susan Gray School

Last Updated: 9/15/2014 10:17:08 AM

New York Times: When the caregivers need healing

New York Times: When the caregivers need healing

Last Updated: 9/15/2014 9:19:05 AM

<p>(September 9 - October 2014)</p> <p>This free exhibit features works of art produced by the artists of <a href="http://www.pacesetterstn.com/"> Pacesetters, Inc.</a>, a nonprofit agency providing services to persons with disabilities. Pacesetters established its Painting the Tale art program to tap into the talents of individuals who had never considered creating art. Work in the exhibit is available for purchase. </p>

Polar Bears Plus New Favorites - The Artists of Pacesetters, Inc.

Last Updated: 9/9/2014 9:50:22 AM

Celebration honors nine new faculty chair holders

Celebration honors nine new faculty chair holders

Last Updated: 9/8/2014 2:52:07 PM

Foundation grants bolster autism, dystonia research

Foundation grants bolster autism, dystonia research

Last Updated: 9/5/2014 9:44:16 AM

Skin biopsy to diagnose depression?

Skin biopsy to diagnose depression?

Last Updated: 8/29/2014 10:16:26 AM

VU receives grant renewal from Autism Speaks

VU receives grant renewal from Autism Speaks

Last Updated: 8/29/2014 9:30:22 AM

Mentee applications available for Oct. 14 Disability Mentoring Day

Mentee applications available for Oct. 14 Disability Mentoring Day

Last Updated: 8/22/2014 9:54:57 AM

Combined drugs and therapy most effective for severe nonchronic depression

Combined drugs and therapy most effective for severe nonchronic depression

Last Updated: 8/21/2014 2:01:13 PM

Call for Proposals now open for 2015 Gatlinburg Conference

Call for Proposals now open for 2015 Gatlinburg Conference

Last Updated: 8/21/2014 10:46:22 AM

Vanderbilt enrolling children with autism in medication-related weight gain study

Vanderbilt enrolling children with autism in medication-related weight gain study

Last Updated: 8/19/2014 12:49:38 PM

$Is math hard because we$

Is math hard because we're teaching it wrong?

Last Updated: 8/15/2014 11:53:40 AM

Conn lands Javits Neuroscience Investigator award

Conn lands Javits Neuroscience Investigator award

Last Updated: 8/8/2014 11:46:35 AM

ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp 2014

Last Updated: 8/8/2014 9:57:41 AM

Fault trumps evidence when it comes to idea of justice

Fault trumps evidence when it comes to idea of justice

Last Updated: 8/5/2014 2:44:24 PM

Study: Behavior-focused therapies help children with autism

Study: Behavior-focused therapies help children with autism

Last Updated: 7/25/2014 1:03:28 PM

Reversing stress-induced anxiety

Reversing stress-induced anxiety

Last Updated: 7/22/2014 12:03:52 PM

Mothers of children with autism benefit from peer-led intervention: study

Mothers of children with autism benefit from peer-led intervention: study

Last Updated: 7/21/2014 9:35:22 AM

Developmental class for babies creates good vibes

Class for babies creates good vibes

Last Updated: 7/21/2014 9:11:52 AM

TRIAD to present at Middle TN Behavior Analysis Meeting

Last Updated: 7/16/2014 1:16:57 PM

Sanders named new TRIAD Medical Director

Sanders named new TRIAD Medical Director

Last Updated: 7/11/2014 2:52:20 PM

Next Steps Summer Institute kicks off July 13

Next Steps Summer Institute kicks off July 13

Last Updated: 7/10/2014 8:48:08 AM

Tennessee-based congressional staff spend day at Vanderbilt

Tennessee-based congressional staff spend day at Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 7/3/2014 9:13:20 AM

VKC welcomes Tennessee congressional staff

VKC welcomes Tennessee congressional staff

Last Updated: 7/1/2014 11:17:57 AM

Tickets on sale for ACM Lifting Lives performance at Grand Ole Opry

Tickets on sale for ACM Lifting Lives performance at Grand Ole Opry

Last Updated: 6/25/2014 11:42:00 AM

VKC faculty, staff earn awards at AAIDD Meeting in Orlando

VKC faculty, staff earn awards at AAIDD Meeting in Orlando

Last Updated: 6/23/2014 2:53:15 PM

Vanderbilt study supports notion of

Vanderbilt study supports notion of 'you are what you eat'

Last Updated: 6/9/2014 8:38:09 AM

<p>(June 11 - August 2014)</p><p>Grace Walker Goad was diagnosed with moderately severe autism with intellectual disAbilities and severe speech/language disorder at just under age three, in 1997, and has been painting since she was four. Because autism subtly affects the muscle tone of portions of her grasp, her work is largely abstract. Yet, her advanced use of color and composition has been lauded in gallery exhibits in Tennessee and other states. See <a href="http://www.GraceGoad.com">www.GraceGoad.com</a> and on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Goad-Autism-Art/323835837658358">Grace Goad | Autism Art</a>.</p>

Grace Walker Goad - Two Decades in Color

Last Updated: 6/6/2014 3:31:55 PM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center at Tennessee Disability MegaConference

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center at Tennessee Disability MegaConference

Last Updated: 6/2/2014 8:43:43 AM

Russell the Robot goes to Washington

Russell the Robot goes to Washington

Last Updated: 5/23/2014 10:49:41 AM

Register for

Register for June 5-6 'Neuroscience and Education' symposium

Last Updated: 5/12/2014

Next Steps at Vanderbilt graduated its fourth class of students on April 30, 2014, at the Wyatt Center on Vanderbilt

2014 Next Steps at Vanderbilt Graduation

Last Updated: 5/8/2014

The Tennessee Arts Commission invited VKC UCEDD Programmer Laurie Fleming as a panelist to review and advise.

Fleming serves on State of TN arts panel

Last Updated: 5/5/2014 11:43:54 AM

Sixth Annual TABS Conference

Highlights from the 2014 TABS Conference

Last Updated: 5/2/2014 2:42:47 PM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt graduated its fourth class of students on April 30, in a ceremony held in the Wyatt Center on Vanderbilt’s Peabody campus.

Onward and Upward: Congratulations to Next Steps at Vanderbilt Graduates

Last Updated: 5/1/2014 2:21:56 PM

Developing and marketing a nutritional supplement for Guatemalan children, building a comprehensive filmography of Shakespeare’s works, and testing the impact of music lessons on low-income children were among the topics studied by undergraduates in the first year of the Littlejohn Family Undergraduate Research Program at Vanderbilt University.

New undergraduate, faculty research collaborations inspire, inform

Last Updated: 4/30/2014 11:38:53 AM

Andrea McDermott Sanders, Vanderbilt special education alumna, ran in her tenth and final Country Music Marathon to raise support for the Team William Scholarship for students in the Vanderbilt Kennedy Reading Clinic.

Ten Years of Team William

Last Updated: 4/29/2014 11:14:40 AM

Camilla P. Benbow has been reappointed as dean of Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. The reappointment is for a five-year term, beginning July 1, 2015.

Benbow reappointed as dean of Peabody College

Last Updated: 4/22/2014 11:49:28 AM

In an effort to encourage reflection upon their experiences at Next Steps at Vanderbilt, current and graduating students developed and delivered end-of-the-semester presentations to a room full of their friends, professors, mentors, supporters, and families.

Next Steps Students Reflect and Share Their College Experiences

Last Updated: 4/21/2014 7:59:05 AM

Vanderbilt University’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) and the Tennessee Department of Education are partnering to bring a novel intervention program to families of young children with autism in Middle Tennessee.

Tennessee, Vanderbilt launch novel autism intervention program

Last Updated: 4/15/2014 2:54:03 PM

A deficiency of peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP22) – a protein expressed by the cells that “wrap” myelin around nerve axons to speed signaling – causes an inherited neuropathy (HNPP) that results in focal sensory loss and limb paralysis.

Myelin junctions key to conduction

Last Updated: 4/11/2014 2:36:45 PM

The American Psychological Association has awarded Vanderbilt professor Velma McBride Murry a presidential citation for distinguished research contributions, inspirational teaching and mentoring; and dedicated leadership as an advocate for children, youth and HIV risk prevention.

Velma McBride Murry honored for HIV/AIDS awareness, research efforts

Last Updated: 4/7/2014 11:12:12 AM

Patient-centered outcomes research is the focus of a $3.3 million, five-year, institutional K12 training grant awarded to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Grant bolsters patient-centered outcomes research

Last Updated: 4/7/2014 11:09:30 AM

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been selected as one of three sites to share a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the potential therapeutic properties of manganese, a chemical element and biologically essential trace mineral, in treating Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

Grant aids search for Restless Legs Syndrome treatment

Last Updated: 4/4/2014 2:39:15 PM

Common psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and addiction, likely result from changes in brain circuitry.

Mapping brain circuitry

Last Updated: 3/28/2014 10:27:13 AM

Researchers at Vanderbilt have been able to alter mouse behavior by silencing gene expression in interneurons, distinct populations of nerve cells that are the main regulators of brain circuits.

Study team able to disrupt 'building blocks' of behavior

Last Updated: 3/24/2014 9:18:49 AM

Professors Paul Yoder and Zachary Warren of Vanderbilt University and Wendy Stone of the University of Washington’s Autism Center have received at five-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to study communication interventions for younger siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Communication disorders in siblings of children with autism focus of NIH grant

Last Updated: 3/19/2014 11:44:52 AM

The theme of the 47th Annual Gatlinburg Conference, held Mar. 5-7, was "The Co-Occurrence of Mental Illness and Developmental Disability."

VKC faculty, staff attend 2014 Gatlinburg Conference in Chicago

Last Updated: 3/18/2014 4:28:22 PM

<p>The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center hosted the 2014 Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, March 5-7, 2014, in Chicago.</p>

<p>For more information about the Gatlinburg Conference, visit <a href="http://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/gatlinburg/">the conference website</a>.</p>

2014 Gatlinburg Conference Photo Gallery

Last Updated: 3/18/2014 10:25:56 AM

<p>The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center hosted the 2014 Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, March 5-7, 2014, in Chicago.</p>

<p>For more information about the Gatlinburg Conference, visit <a href="http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/gatlinburg/index.html">the conference website</a>.</p>

2014 Gatlinburg Conference Photo Gallery

Last Updated: 3/18/2014 10:25:56 AM

The site lists local events in April dedicated to ASD awareness.

VKC TRIAD announces Autism Awareness Month website

Last Updated: 3/18/2014 9:43:28 AM

The winner of Vanderbilt’s version of American Idol is Sarah Jennings, a third-year master’s student at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Jennings won the Vanderbilt Star songwriting contest on March 14 at Ingram Hall with her winning song “Addicted to You.”

WATCH: A star is born... Vandy-style

Last Updated: 3/14/2014 11:56:18 AM

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and Vanderbilt University have discovered a “missing link” in the structure of a transmembrane receptor that could lead to new treatments for autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

'Missing link' may spur new brain disorder drugs

Last Updated: 3/14/2014 11:49:22 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will serve as the lead site for a $500,000 grant focused on building capacity of faith communities, such as churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious organizations, to support employment for members with disabilities.

Grant puts faith to work for people with disabilities

Last Updated: 3/14/2014 10:35:24 AM

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will visit Vanderbilt University’s campus Wednesday to pledge his support to putting an end to the “R Word,” which has negative and hurtful connotations to people with disabilities.

Mayor Karl Dean pledges to help wipe out the 'R word'

Last Updated: 3/13/2014 9:25:08 AM

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean visited the Vanderbilt campus March 12 for Spread the Word to End the Word, an annual event presented by the award-winning Vanderbilt chapter of Best Buddies.

Mayor Karl Dean signs pledge at Best Buddies event

Last Updated: 3/13/2014 9:23:59 AM

This month, Governor Bill Haslam signed a proclamation designating March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Gov. Haslam proclaims March 'Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month'

Last Updated: 3/13/2014 9:18:45 AM

The 2014 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award of the American Educational Research Association has been awarded to the research team of Doug Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs.

Vanderbilt research team earns top AERA award

Last Updated: 3/12/2014 9:34:51 AM

A Vanderbilt songwriting star will be born on Thursday, March 13 at 6:00PM. Next Steps at Vanderbilt will host Vanderbilt Star, an American Idol-inspired fundraiser with Vanderbilt singer/songwriters performing at this live concert event.

Next Steps Benefit Showcases Vanderbilt Student Songwriters

Last Updated: 3/11/2014 8:13:41 AM

Premature babies who receive an interventional therapy combining their mother’s voice and a pacifier-activated music player learn to eat more efficiently and have their feeding tubes removed sooner than other preemies, according to a Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt study published today in Pediatrics.

Vanderbilt study shows mother's voice improves feeding in preemies

Last Updated: 2/28/2014 10:34:29 AM

The Tennessean’s Ms. Cheap (alter ego for Mary Hance) had lunch today with Next Steps students and VKC staff who contributed to the success of the Penny Drive benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank. We talked about ways to save money especially when that helps us be more generous, how employers can benefit by hiring persons with disabilities, and no-cost VKC programs that help families who have a family member with a disability.

Tennessean's 'Ms. Cheap' visits the VKC

Last Updated: 2/28/2014 10:27:14 AM

Registration is open online for both a free Thursday night presentation (Feb. 27, 2014) and an all-day Friday workhop (Feb. 28, 2014).

Registration open for 2014 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Workshop

Last Updated: 2/25/2014 10:47:12 AM

For one magical week in June, music-making dreams came true in a unique partnership between the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music.

ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp 2013

Last Updated: 2/24/2014 2:40:00 PM

SENSE Theatre Campers will present the original play "Mergatroid and the Candy Store" on Mar. 7-8 at Belmont

SENSE Winter Theatre Camp presents "Mergatroid and the Candy Store" Mar. 7-8

Last Updated: 2/24/2014 10:53:47 AM

Many of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s researchers, faculty, staff, and students participated in the 2014 Partners in Education Conference: A Continuum of Services for ALL Children on February 11-13, 2014.

VKC at the Partners in Education Conference

Last Updated: 2/17/2014 2:13:33 PM

Smith-Lemli-Optiz syndrome (SLOS) is a rare single-gene disorder that causes multiple congenital malformations, impaired cognitive function and behaviors of the autism spectrum disorder.

Antioxidants promising for rare disorder

Last Updated: 2/12/2014 9:48:09 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, along with three other UCEDDs, were awarded a nearly half-million dollar Signature Employment Grant from the Kessler Foundation focused on building the capacity of faith communities to support employment for members with disabilities.

Putting Faith to Work: Kessler Foundation Employment Grant Awarded to VKC

Last Updated: 2/7/2014 2:29:12 PM

Fifty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, black individuals still earn 20 percent less than their white counterparts for doing the same job and are twice as likely to live in poverty conditions, a Vanderbilt researcher says.

50 years later, the civil rights movement has a long way to go

Last Updated: 2/6/2014 10:08:31 AM

Last spring, President Obama established the federal BRAIN Initiative to give scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action.

In the brain, the number of neurons in a network may not matter

Last Updated: 2/4/2014 2:50:25 PM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt students Haley Kellar and Hardin Manhein, along with Next Steps director Tammy Day, attended the Youth Act Leadership training in Washington, D.C. on January 17-19. Youth Act aims to equip youth with disabilities, ages 12 to 25, with skills and knowledge in leadership and advocacy so they can speak up about what all youth need to be successful during the transition to adulthood.

Next Steps Students Attend Youth Act in Washington, D.C.

Last Updated: 2/3/2014 11:22:40 AM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt students Haley Kellar and Hardin Manhein, along with Next Steps director Tammy Day, attended the Youth Act Leadership training in Washington, D.C.

Slides: Next Steps Students Attend Youth Act in Washington, D.C.

Last Updated: 2/3/2014 11:20:26 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center TRIAD (Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders) Community Outreach Program has collaborated with the Nashville Opera to create a free performance of "Billy Goats Gruff" that is specifically tailored to children with autism spectrum disorder.

TRIAD and Nashville Opera Offer Free ASD-friendly performance

Last Updated: 1/30/2014 3:23:20 PM

The IDD Toolkit, a website devoted to information for the primary care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is now available online.

IDD Healthcare E-Toolkit now available online

Last Updated: 1/30/2014 8:58:41 AM

Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears, according to a Vanderbilt study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism

Last Updated: 1/29/2014 1:06:52 PM

The theme of the 47th annual Gatlinburg Conference is "The Co-Occurrence of Mental Illness and Developmental Disability."

Registration open for Gatlinburg Conference Mar. 5-7 in Chicago

Last Updated: 1/24/2014 9:03:47 AM

Ann Kaiser, premier scholar in child language intervention, has been selected to receive the prestigious J. E. Wallace Wallin Lifetime Achievement Award of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Kaiser to receive CEC Lifetime Achievement Award

Last Updated: 1/24/2014 9:03:24 AM

Four Nicholas Hobbs Discovery Grants have been awarded for 2014, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) director Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., announced.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center announces 2014 Hobbs Discovery grants

Last Updated: 1/24/2014 9:02:55 AM

Frequent VKC art exhibit collaborator and Nashville artist Lain York will have his art featured in the exhibit "Lain York Selections from the National Gallery" in the Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts from Jan. 31-May 11.

VKC art collaborator Lain York featured at Frist Jan. 31-May 11

Last Updated: 1/24/2014 9:02:33 AM

More than 200 people attended this year

Image Gallery from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day 2014

Last Updated: 1/20/2014 11:07:07 AM

VKC representatives participate in Disability Policy Seminar

VKC representatives participate in Disability Policy Seminar

Last Updated: 1/18/2014

The Forum will provide helpful information to individuals with developmental disabilities and families, direct support providers, clinicians, program staff and administrators, and public policy makers concerned about adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are at risk of or who are experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

State and Community Forum: Aging, Dementia, and Developmental Disabilities

Last Updated: 1/13/2014 2:40:00 PM

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are a common source of distress in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the relationship between GI symptoms and autism-related behavior is unclear.

Brain-gut connection in autism

Last Updated: 1/10/2014 9:43:39 AM

More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a Vanderbilt study released in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Employment may lead to improvement in autism symptoms

Last Updated: 1/10/2014 9:39:13 AM

Gifted children are likely to be the next generation’s innovators and leaders—yet the exceptionally smart are often invisible in the classroom, lacking the curricula, teacher input and external motivation to reach full potential.

2014 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day set for Jan. 14

Last Updated: 1/9/2014 10:55:20 AM

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and The Arc Tennessee are seeking stories about Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities related to issues of aging. What joys and challenges arise as individuals with disabilities age? What hopes or fears come up for their parents and caregivers?

Seeking stories: Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability and Aging

Last Updated: 1/8/2014 10:16:56 AM

Gifted children are likely to be the next generation’s innovators and leaders—yet the exceptionally smart are often invisible in the classroom, lacking the curricula, teacher input and external motivation to reach full potential.

Are gifted children getting lost in the shuffle?

Last Updated: 1/8/2014 10:14:27 AM

The animated characters in your preschooler’s favorite TV show invite her to interact, play and learn. But is she learning? Only a little, according to a Vanderbilt study, which found that educational programming is minimally effective unless parents watch too—and engage the child

Pre-schoolers learn little from 'educational' TV unless parents do one simple thing

Last Updated: 12/23/2013 11:54:04 AM

Tamoxifen – commonly known as a medicine used to treat and prevent breast cancer – improves cognitive performance in post-menopausal women, Vanderbilt researchers have found.

Cancer drug enhances cognition

Last Updated: 12/17/2013 11:24:10 AM

The cerebellum — the “little brain” at the base of the brain — plays important roles in motor control, and has recently been implicated in cognition and social behavior.

VU study points to central regulator of neuron development

Last Updated: 12/13/2013 1:49:52 PM

Peer solicitation – a child inviting another to play – can improve reciprocal social interaction among children with autism, according to a Vanderbilt University study released today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Children with autism benefit from peers inviting them to play

Last Updated: 12/12/2013 2:37:07 PM

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Chapter of Best Buddies will be celebrating Intellectual Disabilities (ID) Awareness Week with a collection of educational and fun events the week of Dec. 9.

Next Steps students celebrate with holiday party

Last Updated: 12/10/2013 3:52:50 PM

Vanderbilt University’s Danny Winder, Ph.D., professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, is among 15 scientists nationwide to receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants this fall for their “cutting-edge” research.

Brain research foundation lands VU's Winder, Park

Last Updated: 12/6/2013 1:46:55 PM

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Chapter of Best Buddies will be celebrating Intellectual Disabilities (ID) Awareness Week with a collection of educational and fun events the week of Dec. 9.

Vandy Med Best Buddies Chapter will celebrate ID Awareness Week Dec. 9-13

Last Updated: 12/6/2013 1:27:28 PM

Registration is open online for both a free Thursday night presentation (Feb. 27, 2014) and an all-day Friday workhop (Feb. 28, 2014).

Registration open for 2014 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Workshop

Last Updated: 12/5/2013 12:56:29 PM

Variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) – the genetic material of the cell’s energy factories – impacts human characteristics and disease. Current models posit that mtDNA variation within an individual (called heteroplasmy) results from inherited or random spontaneous mutations.

Mitochondrial mutations not random

Last Updated: 12/2/2013 10:24:20 AM

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are largely unresponsive to social rewards, such as smiling faces. The source of this unresponsiveness is related to differences in how the brain’s reward system functions in people with ASD and those with typical development (TD).

Autism narrows brain's reward response

Last Updated: 12/2/2013 10:18:31 AM

Eighteen academic and administrative leaders at Vanderbilt University have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this year.

Vanderbilt celebrates 18 elected fellows of the AAAS

Last Updated: 11/26/2013 11:18:53 AM

From left, VKC UCEDD co-director Elise McMillan and DIDD Office of Health Services director Tom Cheetham stand with Lynne O

Healthcare E-Toolkit presented at AUCD Conference in Washington, D.C.

Last Updated: 11/18/2013 3:31:40 PM

The pioneering research of Jon Kaas has formed one of the foundations of modern neuroscience and has provided the basis for improved therapies for brain injury.

Jon Kaas wins major neuroscience award

Last Updated: 11/15/2013 9:58:35 AM

The iPad you use to check email, watch episodes of Mad Men and play Words with Friends may hold the key to enabling children with autism spectrum disorders to express themselves through speech.

iPads help late-speaking children with autism develop language

Last Updated: 11/14/2013 8:44:36 AM

Researchers are inviting siblings (ages 18-30) across the state to participate in a short survey titled "Strengths and Social Connections of Siblings with and without Developmental Disabilities."

Participants sought for survey about siblings and developmental disabilities

Last Updated: 11/8/2013 11:10:33 AM

New research indicates the shadows you see in the dark may not be hocus pocus, but your brain perceiving and interpreting your own movements in the dark.

Even in the dark, brain "sees" its own body's movement

Last Updated: 11/1/2013 12:01:41 PM

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder

TN Disability Pathfinder offers videos en espanol for Spanish-speaking families

Last Updated: 11/1/2013 11:09:07 AM

A non-invasive measure of electrical brain activity in preterm infants predicts cognitive and communication functioning during early childhood, according to a new Vanderbilt University study.

Tool predicts risk for developmental delays in early childhood

Last Updated: 10/29/2013 10:48:04 AM

Vanderbilt professor Velma McBride Murry has worked tirelessly throughout her career to inspire her current and former students to be resounding agents of change in their communities.

Peabody professor Velma Murry to receive Beckman Award

Last Updated: 10/25/2013 2:05:01 PM

A novel autism intervention program using theatre to teach reciprocal communication skills is improving social deficits in adolescents with the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children, Vanderbilt University researchers released today in the journal Autism Research.

Theatre offers promise for yourth with autism, Vanderbilt study finds

Last Updated: 10/22/2013 4:07:01 PM

Ellen Wright Clayton, M.D., J.D., the Craig-Weaver Professor of Pediatrics and professor of Law at Vanderbilt University, has won the David Rall Medal from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for “exemplary” service to the institute.

Institute of Medicine honors Vanderbilt's Clayton

Last Updated: 10/22/2013 3:54:23 PM

TennesseeWorks Hosts Inaugural Employment Summit

TennesseeWorks Hosts Inaugural Employment Summit

Last Updated: 10/21/2013 1:25:12 PM

Next Steps at Vanderbilt graduate Will McMillan will be awarded the 2013 DSAMT Self-Advocate Award during DSAMT

Next Steps grad Will McMillan to receive 2013 DSAMT Self-Advocate Award

Last Updated: 10/16/2013 2:46:39 PM

Disability Mentoring Day

Disability Mentoring Day

Last Updated: 10/16/2013 1:34:03 PM

Staff members of VKC

TennesseeWorks participates in Governor's Economic Community Development Conference

Last Updated: 10/10/2013 2:15:45 PM

A Faculty Senate meeting was delayed briefly Oct. 3 by a surprise guest—Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos—who interrupted the session to award the 2013 Chancellor’s Cup, now in its 50th year. The recipient was Joe Wehby, associate professor of special education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development.

Wehby named Chancellor's Cup recipient

Last Updated: 10/7/2013 9:28:42 AM

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program (VVRP) has received a contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue its work as one of the nation’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEU).

Vaccine Research Program lands major NIH renewal

Last Updated: 9/27/2013 9:58:12 AM

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center staffers are seeking Vanderbilt employees who are willing to mentor an individual with disabilities through job shadowing on disAbility Mentoring Day 2013, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 2013.

Vanderbilt employees needed for annual disAbility Mentoring Day Oct. 16

Last Updated: 9/26/2013 10:06:55 AM

A Rett Syndrome Symposium, “Raising Awareness Within the Community,” will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 5:00 p.m. in Room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, located at 110 Magnolia Circle, Nashville.

Vanderbilt Rett Syndrome Symposium scheduled for Oct. 16

Last Updated: 9/24/2013 9:03:38 AM

Special Education doctoral student and UCEDD trainee Matthew Brock has received the prestigious Alice H. Hayden Emerging Leader Award from TASH.

VKC UCEDD trainee receives international Emerging Leader Award

Last Updated: 9/23/2013 8:11:12 AM

Parent sleep education is beneficial in improving sleep and aspects of daytime behavior and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Sleep education helps families of children with autism

Last Updated: 9/13/2013 9:37:51 AM

ACEing Autism, organized by Vanderbilt student Chandler Semjen, is seeking children with autism ages 6-14 to learn the game of tennis and have fun at the same time.

Tennis class for students with autism seeking participants

Last Updated: 9/9/2013 4:10:13 PM

Research conducted at Vanderbilt is featured in Brains on Trial with Alan Alda, a two-part televised series airing Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 on PBS that explores how the growing ability to separate truth from lies may radically affect the way criminal trials are conducted in the future.

Two Vanderbilt professors part of PBS series 'Brains on Trial'

Last Updated: 9/6/2013 11:22:03 AM

Positive interactions in a pre-kindergarten classroom may be equally or more important to the future academic development of 4-year-olds than learning letters and numbers, according to Dale Farran, senior associate director of the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College for education and human development.

Positive classroom interactions vital to pre-K learning

Last Updated: 9/4/2013 10:32:28 AM

See VKC Investigator Lynn Walker discuss tummy aches and anxiety, and VKC Member Niru Madduri explains My Routine, a visual support system for doctor

VUCast: When is it more than just a tummy ache?

Last Updated: 9/3/2013 3:31:00 PM

Blythe Corbett was interviewed on ADHD-focused Attention Talk Radio about stress and anxiety.

VKC Investigator interviewed about ADHD, anxiety for internet radio

Last Updated: 8/29/2013 9:12:18 AM

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) has awarded a team of Vanderbilt University professors $10 million to develop new math and reading strategies aimed at improving student success.

$10M grant establishes center to boost outcomes for children with learning disabilities

Last Updated: 8/28/2013 2:56:07 PM

A small group of unconventiaonal students makes a big impact on the campus community

Vanderbilt Magazine illustrates impact students with intellectual disabilities have on the campus community

Last Updated: 8/28/2013 1:17:10 PM

Poster and abstract submission links are open on the Gatlinburg Conference Web site.

Poster, symposium abstracts now being accepted for 2014 Gatlinburg Conference in Chicago

Last Updated: 8/22/2013 2:09:58 PM

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who also have gastrointestinal dysfunction (GID) are more likely than others with autism to have severely disrupted metabolic function, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Southern California.

Oxidative stress in autism

Last Updated: 8/16/2013 10:01:49 AM

In an effort to understand how neurons develop different “architectures,” Vanderbilt developmental biologists have discovered a genetic switch that controls one type of neuron branching in the nematode worm.

Researchers track neuron branching's genetic control switch

Last Updated: 8/16/2013 9:51:07 AM

Carole Moore-Slater, recently retired director of Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, has received the Floyd Stewart Accessibility Award from the Middle Tennessee Center for Independent Living.

Retired Tennessee Disability Pathfinder Director Receives Floyd Stewart Accessibility Award

Last Updated: 8/12/2013 10:45:26 AM

A theater and a leafy playground are unlikely venues for research or therapy, yet those are laboratories for Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University.

Children With Autism Learn From Peers Through Play and Theatre

Last Updated: 8/12/2013 10:43:59 AM

Chemically modified inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme relieve anxiety behaviors in mice by activating natural “endocannabinoids” without gastrointestinal side effects, Vanderbilt University scientists will report next week.

Vanderbilt scientists discover potential new way to treat anxiety

Last Updated: 8/6/2013 10:50:27 AM

<p>(August - September 2013) </p><p>This exhibit features works of art produced by the artists of Pacesetters, Inc. An interest in protecting these species in Tennessee—or, for elephants, in the world—led to the exhibit focus. For the owls, an inspiration has been the story “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.” </p> <p> Pacesetters, Inc., is a nonprofit agency with five centers providing services to persons with disabilities. Pacesetters’ “Painting the Tale” art program is led by visual artists Merritt Ireland, Ramie Nunley and storyteller Marcia Donovan as artists-in-residence. “Painting the Tale” began in 2000 with a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. Since 2007, the program has been completely supported by Pacesetters, Inc. </p>

Sandhill Cranes, Owls, and Elephants

Last Updated: 8/2/2013 10:52:29 AM

Adults have calendar applications on all their digital devices to remind them of appointments and what’s next on their agenda. Now, children who function well with schedules and routines for tasks have a new Vanderbilt-created app for that.

App helps children manage their health care routines

Last Updated: 7/26/2013 4:25:30 PM

A Vanderbilt research program that trains community pediatricians to diagnose autism within their individual practices may lead to more effective treatment of the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children.

Training program meets 'critical need' for earlier autism identification

Last Updated: 7/23/2013 8:36:25 AM

Exceptional spatial ability at age 13 predicts creative and scholarly achievements more than 30 years later, according to results from a Vanderbilt University longitudinal study, published today in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Early spatial reasoning predicts later creativity and innovation, especially in STEM fields

Last Updated: 7/23/2013 8:34:30 AM

In Memoriam: Brenda Dillon

Last Updated: 7/18/2013 9:54:03 AM

ACM Lifting Lives Series at Vanderbilt is an innovative vocational experience for young adults with developmental disabilities. The goal is to help participants learn vocational and social skills aimed at improving the potential for gaining employment in the entertainment industry.

ACM Lifting Lives Series at Vanderbilt helps adults with disabilities

Last Updated: 7/17/2013 12:08:36 PM

Jeanne Gavigan's TPAC Story

Last Updated: 7/11/2013 3:56:49 PM

The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) will convene an Employment First Task Force to focus on employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Coalition forms to focus on employment for persons with disabilities

Last Updated: 7/9/2013 3:52:08 PM

Students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in Next Steps at Vanderbilt played a prominent riole in advocating for the expansion of Tennessee

Next Steps Students Advocate for Lottery Scholarships

Last Updated: 6/6/2013 1:59:03 PM

<p>(April - July, 2013)</p><p>The ART of AUTISM features artists from around the world.
Their mission is to find places and spaces for artists on the
spectrum to be seen and heard. This exhibit at the Vanderbilt
Kennedy Center organized by The Art of Autism features
participating artists from Tennessee and neighboring states.</p><p>
The ART of AUTISM (www.the-art-of-autism.com) is a socialentrepreneurship
project that connects artists and performers
of all ages on the autism spectrum with opportunities and
venues to showcase their varied talents. They help artists
through mentorships, building resumés, portfolios, and direct
work experience in the arts.</p><p>
By showcasing the artistic gifts of people on the spectrum,
the ART of AUTISM inspires the general public, gives hope
to parents of children on the spectrum, and provides selfadvocates
with tools for professional development.</p>

The Art of Autism

Last Updated: 4/2/2013 9:57:21 AM

Pathfinder releases PSA in Spanish, Kurdish, Persian

Last Updated: 1/17/2013 2:47:20 PM

<p>(January - April, 2013)</p><p>Paul Miktarian discovered his artistic talent when he created
his first cats 8 years ago for “Painting the Tale,” an art program
organized by Pacesetters, Inc. A Sparta resident, Miktarian
applied for a small vocational grant for art supplies and set up
a home studio. Today he is a successful artist whose paintings
of cats, dogs, owls, other animals, and especially his houses are
purchased by collectors. He has had four one-person exhibits.
His honors include Best of Show in WAVES’ exhibit “Through
the Artist Window” and being selected for the “Artists Voices”
exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville.</p><p>
Pacesetters, Inc., is a nonprofit agency with five centers serving
persons with disabilities. Pacesetters’ “Painting the Tale” art
program is led by visual artists Merritt Ireland, Ramie Nunnley,
and storyteller Marcia Donovan as artists-in-residence.</p>

KALEIDOSCOPE - Art of Paul Miktarian

Last Updated: 1/14/2013 4:52:07 PM

<p>Read how Carol Henderson supported inclusive education for students with disabilities</p>

Committed to Inclusive Postsecondary Education—Carol Henderson

Last Updated: 11/1/2012 3:38:58 PM

<p>Read how the McCoy-Jespersen Family’s gift for research in positive psychology is a living memorial to their son Martin’s positive, joyful spirit</p>

Joy of Discovery

Last Updated: 11/1/2012 3:36:42 PM

<p>Read how Linda Brooks helps Next Steps take some next steps</p>

Linda Brooks Helps Next Steps at Vanderbilt

Last Updated: 11/1/2012 3:33:35 PM

<p>Read how the Team William helped children with Down syndrome learn to read</p>

Team William Runs for Down Syndrome

Last Updated: 11/1/2012 3:29:50 PM

<p>Read how the Landreths enabled important autism research</p>

Grandparents, The Landreth Family—Catalysts for Discovery

Last Updated: 11/1/2012 3:24:20 PM

Fall 2012 Leadership Council Meeting Photo Gallery

Fall 2012 Leadership Council Meeting Photo Gallery

Last Updated: 9/21/2012 9:14:20 AM

<p>(September 1 - December 31, 2012)</p><p>Jointly sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the
Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with
Disabilities, this annual exhibit features work in a variety of
media by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and
ages. Since its inception in 1976, the Mayor’s Advisory
Committee has promoted public education and awareness,
and advocated for persons with disabilities and their family
members. Selected works will be exhibited and artists will
be recognized at the 31st Annual Awards Celebration of the
Mayor’s Advisory Committee.</p>

Creative Expressions XVIII

Last Updated: 9/1/2012 4:52:40 PM

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards $50,000 grant to VKC Reading Clinic

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards $50,000 grant to VKC Reading Clinic

Last Updated: 8/30/2012 1:50:29 PM

<p>(June - August 2012)</p><p>In 2011, with VSA national funding, VSA Tennessee began a
“dream” project: a fashion design course for young people with
autism focused on creating Superhero costumes. In March
and April, 23 youth attended sessions in the Human Sciences
Department of Middle Tennessee State University. The youth
created hand sketches and renderings, worked on Adobe
Illustrator and InDesign, operated Brother Innovis 500D sewing
machines, and presented a public style show of their costumes.</p><p>
VSA Tennessee (<a href="www.vsatn.org">www.vsatn.org</a>) provides opportunities for
people with disabilities to participate in and express themselves
through the arts and arts education. It is an affiliate of VSA
(<a href="www.vsarts.org">www.vsarts.org</a>), a part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and was founded in 1974
by Jean Kennedy Smith.</p>

Superheroes

Last Updated: 5/31/2012 12:44:40 PM

<p>(Februrary - May 2012)</p> <p>Jerry Adams and Matthew Drumright are artists whose creative
expression in various media provokes fresh insights. Each artist
has a developmental disability. Thus their art also provokes us
to see ability beyond disability. They are entrepreneurs who
have focused their careers on art.</p>
<p>View their art in this exhibit and on the artists’ websites:
</p>
<p>Jerry Adams <br/>
<a href="http://www.midtnads.com/Adams.shtml">www.midtnads.com/Adams.shtml</a>
</p><p>Matthew Drumright<br/>
<a href="http://www.matthewdrumrightphotography.com">
www.matthewdrumrightphotography.com</a></p>

Provocateurs Entrepreneurs

Last Updated: 5/21/2012 1:50:31 PM

<p> (September 1 - December 31, 2011)</p><p> Jointly sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, this annual exhibit features work in a variety of media by artists with a wide range of abilities/disabilities and ages.</p>

Creative Expressions XVII

Last Updated: 8/29/2011 10:09:55 AM

<p> (April - August 2011)<p>This exhibit features works of art published in Birds of Tennessee + One,
an alphabet book produced by artists and writers of Pacesetters, Inc.
The book illustrates 40 bird species native to Tennessee and features
poems, text, and images for each letter of the alphabet.</p>

BIRDS OF TENNESSEE + ONE: A “Painting the Tale”

Last Updated: 4/11/2011 7:54:02 AM

<p> (January - April 2011)</p><p>This exhibit features works in collage created by students from the first
class of Next Steps at Vanderbilt, a 2-year postsecondary certificate
program for students with intellectual disabilities. The students created
these images during a workshop held with visiting artist-in-residence
Elizabeth Garlington at Sarratt Art Studios during the spring of 2010.
There will be a panel discussion at 5:30 p.m. and an opening reception
at 6:15 p.m. on January 24 at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. The
public is welcome. Please check the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center website
at kc.vanderbilt.edu for details.</p>

Reflections in Collage / Reflections in College

Last Updated: 12/28/2010 9:44:55 AM

<p> (September 2010 - January 2011)</p><p>Jointly sponsored by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Nashville
Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, this annual
exhibit features work in a variety of media by artists with a wide range of
abilities/disabilities and ages. Since its inception in 1976, theMayor’s
Advisory Committee has promoted public education and awareness, and
advocated for persons with disabilities and their family members. The
artists will be recognized at the 29th Annual Awards Celebration of the
Mayor’s Advisory Committee. </p>

Creative Expressions XVI

Last Updated: 9/23/2010 2:47:04 PM

Resources for flood victims with disabilities and their families including information referral and other information.

Flood Relief Information for Persons with Disabilities and Families

Last Updated: 6/24/2010 10:42:04 AM

<p>(April - August 2010) </p><p>This exhibit of photographs and decorated wood guitars is the result of the 2009 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Music Camp.</p>

Guitart From the 2009 VKC Music Camp

Last Updated: 4/1/2010 8:53:44 AM

<p>(January - March 2010) </p><p>The new book and exhibit, From Heartache to Hope: middle tennessee families living with autism, features 18 families who are racially and socioeconomically diverse residents of rural and urban settings. This exhibit showcases Nashville photographer Rebekah Pope’s stunning black-and-white photography, which accompanies the book’s moving stories by author Leisa A. Hammett.</p>

From Heartache to Hope: Middle Tennessee Families Living With Autism

Last Updated: 1/1/2010 9:27:12 AM

<p>Read how corporate donors such as the Dollar General are able to help children in Middle Tennessee learn to read</p>

Saving Lives Through Literacy
Dollar General Literacy Foundation

Last Updated: 10/1/2009 2:46:23 PM

<p>Read how Robb and Mary Jane Swaney were able to make a huge impact on the lives of children with and without developmental disabilities</p>

A Passion for the Arts, a Passion for Service

Last Updated: 10/1/2009 2:41:15 PM

<p>Read how Lorie and John Lytle brought music to the lives of people with developmental disabilities</p>

Music of the Heart

Last Updated: 10/1/2009 2:22:32 PM

The Tennessee Task Force for Postsecondary Education for Students With Intellectual
Disabilities was formed in May 2007 to increase awareness about the need for postsecondary
opportunities in Tennessee, to gather information about postsecondary programs in other states,
and to develop a pilot program on a Tennessee college campus.

Creating Postsecondary Education Opportunities for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Last Updated: 8/14/2008 10:05:45 AM