Down Syndrome

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will welcome Anna Esbensen, assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, as its first speaker for the 2021-22 Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities. Esbensen will present her virtual lecture, “Down Syndrome and ADHD,” on Monday, Oct. 25, from 4:10 to 5:10 p.m. CT. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee will co-sponsor a webinar, “Risks of Alzheimer's Disease in Adults with Down Syndrome and Introduction to a Research Study,” on Monday, March 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. CT. Read More

A one-year $604,000 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development will allow researchers to to examine biological and phenotypic markers of Down syndrome. Read More

Former Commodore All-SEC running back Zac Stacy will host the first annual Zac Stacy/National Down Syndrome Society All-Star Clinic on Saturday, May 5, at the Vanderbilt Recreation Center. The event will feature football drills and games, lunch and a photo and autograph session for children with Down syndrome and other disorders. Read More

The Alison Piepmeier Memorial Lecture is set for Sept. 25, featuring speaker George Estreich, author of a book about raising his daughter who has Down syndrome. Read More

President Barack Obama honored Christopher J. Lemons during the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers at the White House May 5. Read More

The students of Next Steps at Vanderbilt are this year’s recipient of the Perry Wallace Courage Award. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are blazing new trails in language and learning programs designed to ensure children with Down syndrome have the brightest possible futures. Read More

Elise McMillan, J.D., received the Mollie Burd Gavigan Service Award from the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee (DSAMT) in recognition of McMillan’s “instrumental role in improving the lives of individuals with Down syndrome in Middle Tennessee.” The award was presented recently at the annual DSAMT Buddy Race. Read More

The Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee has honored Will McMillan, a 2013 graduate of Next Steps at Vanderbilt, with the 2013 Self-Advocate Award. Read More

Inspired by William Spickard, Peabody alumna Andrea McDermott Sanders, M.Ed., founded “Team William” in 2005 to support scholarships for children with Down syndrome to the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Reading Clinic. Read More

Next Steps at Vanderbilt Director Tammy Day (center) with Joan Pynn (left) and Karen Antle of the College of the North Atlantic. (Photo by Tony Maupin) Canadian college officials toured Vanderbilt March 26 to get a closer look at the work being done in the… Read More

(iStockphoto) It is now possible to receive a noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome that can be administered at 10 weeks of gestation and is reportedly 99 percent accurate. As technology advances and allows for genetic tests, such as MaterniT21, to be developed, what ethical considerations arise? This topic… Read More

Children of childhood cancer survivors who were treated with radiation or some forms of do not have an increased risk for birth defects compared to children of cancer survivors who did not receive such treatments. Read More

Vanderbilt University will host Grammy-nominated artist LynnMarie Oct. 16 as a benefit and fundraiser for The Susan Gray School. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers hope to uncover the mysteries of early aging in Down syndrome through a new study at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Read More

A new study finds higher infant mortality rates among babies with Down syndrome, offering insights into a variety of health issues among children with Down syndrome. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers from the Department of Pediatrics, Peabody College and the Divinity School joined with parent advocates for a panel discussion on the ethical considerations of "curing" disabilities. Read More