Kennedy Center

The protein Syk is essential for clearing away neuron “corpses” in the developing peripheral nervous system. Read More

A combination of biomarkers may reveal new clues about causes of and potential interventions for autism. Read More

Country music artist Luke Bryan visits with participants of the recent ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, a partnership between the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Academy of Country Music. The residential camp has the dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome and other developmental disabilities and providing music… Read More

A new study on novel word learning uncovered clues on reading and plasticity in the brain that could determine interventions for children who struggle with reading. Read More

Autism experts from Vanderbilt University are available for interviews on World Autism Awareness Day, designated by the United Nations as April 2. Read More

Zachary Warren, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Vanderbilt University, says effective early identification and treatment of autism is a public health emergency. Read More

Undergraduate student Sarah Hart presents her research to Aaron Bowman and others at VKC Science Day 2012. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt University) Undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on the cusp of research careers in developmental disabilities got a chance to shine Feb. 28 during the annual Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day. Read More

Prospective parents have a lifeline at the Vanderbilt International Adoption Clinic L-r: Carol, Binyam and John Dunne (John Russell/Vanderbilt) Late at night in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Carol Dunne is huddled over a laptop computer, desperately trying to get an Internet connection. Dunne and her husband are in the final… Read More

A new resource developed by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center could improve sleep for children with autism. Read More

Treatment with a drug used to prevent organ rejection partially reverses the course of tuberous sclerosis, research in mice suggests. Read More

Therapeutic agents focusing on the brain region involved in stress-induced relapse may be effective in preventing relapse in patients with alcohol use disorders. Read More

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt University) The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) recognized the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center with three awards at their annual conference in November. The VKC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) received the association’s 2011 Council on Community Advocacy Award (COCA), nominated by… Read More

Students at Vanderbilt’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are proof that learning never stops Mary Pat Silveira (left), a retired United Nations official and instructor for the winter term course "The Other UN," speaks with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members. (Joe Howell/Vanderbilt) Tucked away in a second-floor meeting space at The Commons Center,… Read More

Aurbach (Vanderbilt) Michael Aurbach, professor of art, has received the 2011 Award for Outstanding Exhibition and Catalogue of Contemporary Materials from the Southeastern College Art Conference. Meghan Burke, a doctoral student in special education at Peabody College and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities… Read More

The "Tower of Hanoi" task (Courtesy Dan Levin) “Learning by teaching,” a method in which teaching facilitates the tutor’s own understanding, may be improved when the audience is not human, new research from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College finds. The study, based on research that suggests a person learns… Read More

This Week on VUCast: How sticky mittens could help kids with autism A new toolkit to make doctor’s visits easier May the force be with us… See Yoda’s ties to Vanderbilt It’s all in this week’s VUCast —… Read More

Lyne Bingham was photographed at J-J’s Market and Café, Nashville, Tenn. (John Russell/Vanderbilt)     Lyne Bingham’s gestures say a lot, whether she’s in the midst of a lively conversation or conducting a symphony orchestra. Such expressiveness and easy sociability in a person with Asperger’s syndrome might come as… Read More

Early motor experiences can shape infants’ preferences for objects and faces, new research indicates. The study supports evidence that early motor development and experiences contribute to infants’ understanding of their world and implies that when motor skills are delayed or impaired – as in autism – future social interactions could be negatively impacted. Read More

Brain imaging reveals clues about fear in Williams syndrome. Read More

Patients with major depression may have altered gene expression associated with stressful conditions in certain brain areas. Read More