Principal
Investigators
Contact
UAB IDDRC
Primary
Objectives
Examples
of our
research
Scheduling
Core
Facilities
Useful
Lab Protocols
External
Advisory
Committee
Clinical
Resources
Contact IDDRC
Web Staff
UAB
Web Disclaimer

Civitan
International Research Center
|
About
the UAB IDDRC
Welcome to the UAB Intellectual and Disabilities
Research Center (IDDRC) web site. Formerly
known as the UAB Mental Retardation Research
Center, we are part of a national network
of 21 IDDRCs
with AUCD membership
which includes 14 Centers with
current P30 core grant funding from the
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute
for Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) and 7 Centers that use alternative
funding mechanisms within the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) to support projects
relevant to intellectual disabilities.
Eight P30 NICHD funded research centers
are co-located in universities with UCEDDs or LENDs.
For more information about our new research
award please read the UAB
news release in PDF
format.
Our IDDRC includes a cadre of
investigators who represent a broad range of disciplines and approaches
committed to expanding the understanding of mental
retardation and neuro-developmental disabilities (IDD). These investigators
embrace our mission and dedication to the larger enterprise
of ameliorating the profound effects of IDD. Our investigators
are dedicated to elucidation of new knowledge regarding
human development in health and disease; the use of appropriate
model systems to uncover the principles of this development;
the dissemination of these advances to others including
individuals
with IDD and their families, political leaders, scientists,
health care providers, educators, and advocacy organizations
with an interest in IDD; and the translation of fundamental
advances into clinical practice. The UAB IDDRC encourages
collaborative research between scientists across a broad range of
disciplines and between clinical investigators and practitioners.
The
recently enhanced emphasis on translational research including,
the implementation of molecular genetics in early diagnosis,
utilization of functional imaging to explore brain dynamics,
expansion of clinical trials, use of molecular genetics
in early diagnosis, and expanded
clinical
research has significantly increased these opportunities
specifically for studies of sickle cell disease,
pediatric brain tumor therapies, pediatric
constraint therapy for cerebral palsy, neurofibromatosis,
environmental toxicology, neonatal hypoxia/ischemic events,
Alexander disease,
Rett
syndrome, teen parenting and child neglect, ADHD and
autism spectrum disorder.
The
IDDRC's administrative core facilities are located at the
UAB Civitan International Research Center, which
also serves as Alabama's University Center for
Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
(UCEDD) and
it's LEND programs
in coordination with the Civitan-Sparks
Clinics. Through
this website the UAB IDDRC provides information
and resources on IDD to scientists, students at all levels,
and
the
general
public. We welcome any suggestions that
can make this site more useful to you.
Click
the images below for more
information:
|
Images From Our Research

Image
from our research on Rett syndrome used on the cover of Learning & Memory
showing live eYFP-neurons transfected with an eYFP expression
vector provided by Core-C.
This procedure
was used to characterize the rapid effects of BDNF on dendritic
spine density.

Images
from research in Core-C.
Top: NeuN labeling of hippocampal slice culture. Bottom:
TRPC1 (green) and NeuN (red) labeling of CA1
region
(image enhanced for web display).

Click
image to go to national AUCD web site.
|