UAB
IDDRC News, Publications and Events
National
IDD Research News
Go
to the national news website for IDDRC information at the Association
of University Centers on Disabilities.
UAB
in Second Phase of NIH Rare Disease Research Network
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the second
phase of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN)
including funds for 19 research institutions, among them the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The network and a
data-management coordinating center will be awarded in excess
of $117 million during the next five years. The research conducted
with the new funding will explore the natural history, epidemiology,
diagnosis and treatment of more than 95 rare diseases. For more
information read the press release in
PDF version.
Governor
Bob Riley Proclaims October
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
In order to increase awareness of Rett syndrome for families
seeking healthcare and among health professionals treating this
complex disorder, Governor Bob Riley of Alabama has declared
October 2009 Rett Syndrome Awareness Month. UAB IDDRC PI Alan
Percy, M.D., is among the world's leading researchers focusing
on Rett syndrome, and has played a key role in developing and
devoting resources in the effort to unravel the mysteries surrounding
this devastating disorder which primarily affects young women.
For more information about Rett syndrome please visit the International
Rett Syndrome Foundation website.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley
meets with Korinna Blankenship during Proclamation events. Click
here for a Montgomery Advertiser article on how this news
affects families. Regional information for families can be found
at the Southeastern
Rett Syndrome Alliance website.
AUCD
Honors Life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Please visit this
link to visit the tribute page to Eunice Kennedy Shriver on the national
AUCD website. Her life and work is truly an inspiration to all associated with
the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
UAB IDDRC Sponsors Summer Program in Neuroscience
In addition to the groundbreaking research performed in the
IDDRC's science cores the Center is now a primary sponsor
of UAB's
Summer Program in Neuroscience. This program draws undergraduate
students from around the nation to participate in research
efforts during the summer months. The program is administered
through the UAB Department of Neurobiology in association with
the UAB IDDRC and the UAB Civitan International Research
Center. To learn more please visit that website.
UAB
CIRC Announces Civitan McNulty Scientist and Civitan Emerging
Scholars Awards for 2008-2009
The UAB Civitan International Research recently announced research
awards for the annual Civitan McNulty Scientist and Civitan
Emerging Scholars. This year the CIRC is proving $100,000 to
emerging
scholar research programs as well as a significant financial
award to the Civitan McNulty Scientist. All emerging scholar
program
recipients are working closely with scientists associated with
the UAB IDDRC. Visit
the UAB CIRC website for a detailed listing of this year's
awardees as well as background on how Civitan International supports
these grants. Also, stay tuned to this news site for upcoming
announcements in
of
research awards that will be announced based on proposals submitted
to the UAB IDDRC by young researchers.
UAB's
IDDRC Receives $5.24-million Award for New Research
The UAB Civitan
International Research Center is one of 12 institutions
in the nation to receive a $5.24 million grant from the
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development to spur new research into developmental
disorders.
The five-year grant will create the UAB Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), which
will promote research that may lead to new ways to treat
conditions such as autism, Rett Syndrome, cerebral palsy,
behavioral disorders or rare genetic diseases. “This
award demonstrates that UAB is recognized nationally as a
leader in research on intellectual and developmental disabilities,” says Alan Percy, M.D.,
medical director of the Civitan International Research
Center (CIRC) and principal investigator. “This
funding greatly expands opportunities for much needed research
in developmental disabilities and involves a multidisciplinary
cadre of researchers across UAB.” Percy is joined
in leading the IDDRC by Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., director
of
the CIRC and the UAB Center for Glial Biology in Medicine,
and Bruce Korf, M.D., chair of the UAB Department of Genetics.
Read the entire UAB News Release in
PDF format.
Research
on Malignant Glioma in the News
Since the announcement that U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy had been
diagnosed with a form of malignant glioma national news media
have focused new attention on current treatment and research
for this deadly cancer. Dr. Harald Sontheimer, director of the
UAB Civitan International Research Center and the UAB Center
for Glial Biology in Medicine, has made research on glioma a
primary focus in his lab for the last 15 years. Based on his
research, a cancer killing drug called
chlorotoxin derived from the venom if the Giant Israeli "Death
Stalker" scorpion is now in Phase II clinical trials
at major medical centers around
the
country. The results have been promising for the 60 Phase II
patients receiving the treatment, and now a Phase III clinical
trial, in which many more patients will have access to the drug,
is slated to begin in the near future. Research
on chlorotoxin is inspiring researchers at numerous universities
to create a variety of cancer fighting strategies. Below are
some key links to news and ongoing research on
malignant glioma.
Tour
of the UAB Functional Neuroimaging Lab at the UAB CIRC
Shastry Akella,
Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, is
Director of the UAB Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory.
In the video linked below he provides a tour and overview
of
some the primary activities of one of the few head-only
Functional Magnetic
Imaging facilities in the world devoted strictly to research.
This new facility at the UAB
Civitan International Research Center is a key component
in a wide range of research projects looking at the brain's
mysteries and numerous brain related disorders and
diseases. For a video
tour of the facility the lab's CIRC
web site.
Alabama Autism Task Force Meets at UAB
Click
photo for larger image
Members
of the Alabama Autism Task Force recently toured UAB Civitan-Sparks
Clinics and met with members of the clinical evaluation and
research faculty who work closely with consumers and families
with or at risk for autism spectrum disorder. The
tour of the clinics hosted by Dr. Fred Biasini, Associate
Director (Psychology), and was
followed by a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Griffith (Psychology)
on current clinical, training
and research
activities associated with autism at UAB. The presentation
was followed by a larger public meeting on campus where consumers
were provided with details about the state of autism-focused
resources in Alabama and to discuss and vote upon recommendations
to be
presented
to the state legislature.
The public meeting was hosted by Alabama State Representative
Cam Ward and featured comments by Dr. Eli Capilouto, UAB
Provost, and Lieutenant Governor, James Folsom,
Jr., about their personal experiences with family members
challenged by autism. The goal of the task force is to build
a bi-partisan
concensus about the resources and services needed to serve
Alabama families with autism.
For more about autism disorders and clinical services please
visit the UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics website.
See
the U-Tube UAB Blazercast about the UAB Autism Clinic.
First
of its kind UAB Glial Biology Research Center established
The UAB Center for Glial Biology in Medicine – the first of its kind in
the nation – will support basic and clinical research on the biology
of glial cells, which have been recognized to be of critical importance in
many
brain and spinal cord injuries, glial-derived brain tumors and neurological
disorders such as multiple sclerosis and periventricular leukomalatia. About
25,000 Americans
are diagnosed annually with often-fatal glioblastoma brain tumors. The center
is directed by Harald W. Sontheimer, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology and
director of the Civitan International Research Center and
Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program. The center
also uniquely positions UAB as a leader in glial research, which crosses the
boundaries of
clinical neurology, surgery, rehabilitation medicine and the basic sciences. Visit
the UAB Center for Glial Biology in Medicine web site.
Click
here for archived news items from 2005-2007.
