Colleagues,
We welcome you to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The Center functions as a research partnership between Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University, drawing on resources from both institutions. The overall mission of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) is to serve as the nucleus of multidisciplinary research interest within the field of developmental disorders, as well as to facilitate new discoveries that ultimately improve the lives of individuals affected by these conditions.
It is a particularly exciting time to be a scientist in the field of developmental disabilities. Cutting edge technologies are now available for advancing the understanding of how genetics and environmental factors interact to contribute to typical and atypical brain development and functioning. Our faculty provides expert consultation to investigators studying the full range of developmental conditions. Working in tandem with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program and the Maryland Center Developmental Disabilities (MCDD), the IDDRC serves as a central resource to enhance the growth of scientific inquiry and cutting edge methodology throughout the greater Kennedy Krieger/Johns Hopkins research community.
Initially founded in 1987, the IDDRC at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins has grown steadily for the past 33 years. In 2020, the program remains one of the largest multidisciplinary centers of research in the world targeting intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our Center is presently one of 14 IDDRCs in the United States, with funding provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U54 HD079123). We enjoy an active partnership in the Mid-Atlantic Consortium with neighboring IDDRCs at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
In the past 5 years alone, our Center has provided expert consultation to over 200 investigators and projects, producing nearly 500 published contributions to the scientific literature. Since its inception, the Center has produced major discoveries in the field of translational neuroscience, genetics, neuroimaging, and behavioral sciences. These advances also help us to recognize how far we still have to go toward a better understanding of these developmental conditions and crafting personalized treatments. Our IDDRC will continue to play its role in this great endeavor, and with continued partnerships among all interested communities, we are confident that even more impressive advances are to come.
Sincerely,
Brad and Ali
