Fellowship Factsheet
Center Leadership
Nancy S. Grasmick, PhD, Director
Mark Mahone, PhD, ABPP, Co-Director
What Leaders In The Field Are Saying About the Center
"This program thoughtfully brings together cutting edge partners that together will create a high-caliber, hands-on environment for learning. Those that complete the program will be sought after by many school systems for leadership positions in special education."
- Kim Lewis, EdD
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Elective Content Areas
Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in “minor” elective rotations, which occur simultaneously with instruction in the primary content areas. Participation in elective rotations represents approximately 25 percent of the fellow’s time during the first six months (July through December), and approximately 15 percent of the fellow’s time during the second six months. Electives are chosen by the fellow in order to allow for greater focus within a specific topic area, or with a specific type of patient population. At the beginning of the fellowship, trainees meet with their primary mentor and choose elective rotations that best suit their individual training needs and goals.
An emphasis throughout the elective rotations is that of translational neuroscience, including application of discoveries from basic biomedical research to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurodevelopmental disorders, with the ultimate goal of improving child and family functioning and public health. Through minor rotations, the fellow will also be exposed to screening tests, including biomarkers, to identify individuals at risk for disorders in order to allow for early and targeted intervention. Through mentored participation and observation in a series of laboratories throughout the Institute, the fellow will gain appreciation for how scientists acquire new knowledge about brain development and dysfunction, and how this knowledge is applied to the treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Examples of elective rotation training experiences:
- Motion Analysis Laboratory (Amy Bastian, PhD)
- Brain Injury Outpatient Clinics (Beth Slomine, PhD, Stacy Suskauer, MD)
- Sleep Disorders Clinic and Laboratory (Jennifer Accardo, MD)
- International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (John McDonald, MD, PhD)
- Center for Development and Learning (Paul Lipkin, MD)
- Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory (Josh Ewen, MD)
- FM Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging (Jim Pekar, PhD)
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders (Rebecca Landa, PhD)
- Laboratory for Neurocognitive and Imaging Research (Stewart Mostofsky, MD)
- NICU Follow-up Clinic (Mary Leppert, MD)
- Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy and Neurodevelopmental Medicine (Alec Hoon)
- Down Syndrome Clinic and Research Center (George Capone, MD)
- Family Center (Elizabeth Thompson, PhD)
- Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Center (Ann Comi, MD)
- Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) (Christopher L. Smith, PhD)
- Fragile X Clinic (Dejan Budimirovic, MD)
- Philip A. Keelty Center for Spina Bifida and Related Conditions (Scott Schultz, MD)
- Deafness-Related Evaluations and More (DREAM) Clinic (Jennifer Reesman, PhD)
- Feeding Disorders Clinic (Chuck Gulotta, PhD)
- International Adoption Clinic (Cecilia Davoli, MD)
A full list of clinics and programs that may serve as elective rotations can be found at: