UC Davis MIND Institute

Our LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) program is accepting applications through March 7! Advocates with a disability, family members, graduate level students, or postgraduate professionals are encouraged to apply. The program begins this September and continues through May 2026 for the next cohort of trainees. This unique program offers interdisciplinary and leadership training to prepare future visionary leaders for their work in improving the health, developmental and behavioral outcomes of autistic individuals and those with other developmental disabilities. Join us! Learn more about LEND here: https://lnkd.in/gpQxB7Zf

On this international #RareDiseaseDay, we are highlighting new efforts by Professor Jill Silverman and Postdoctoral Researcher Sarah Olguin to advance research into #KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare neurodevelopmental condition. Silverman and Olguin are in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute. Silverman is Olguin's mentor. They are using new ideas and new technology to give families hope. Silverman was recently chosen for a $68,667 pilot grant from the KCNT1 Epilepsy Foundation as part of the Penn Medicine Orphan Disease Center’s Million Dollar Bike Ride campaign. Olguin also received a two-year, $100,000 fellowship from the Hartwell Foundation, a prestigious honor for early-career researchers. https://lnkd.in/gaK3ma7k

Join us March 12 for our next Distinguished Lecturer Series event! Our presenter will be Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, pediatric neurologist and researcher at Rush University and world-renowned fragile X expert. She will present on targeted treatments in neurodevelopmental conditions. *When: Wednesday, March 12 from 4:30-6 p.m. *Who: Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, Rush University *Talk Title: “Translation of Disease - Targeted Treatments in Neurodevelopmental Conditions: Efforts to Cross the Chasm" *Where: UC Davis MIND Institute Auditorium, 2825 50th St., Sacramento All lectures are free and open to all. No reservations are needed. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is available in Parking Structure 2, adjacent to the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center. More about the Distinguished Lecturer Series speakers this season: https://bit.ly/3CCTgEz

Did you catch our first Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation of 2025? The University of Pittsburgh's Benjamin Handen recently shared the details of a large, long-term study looking for biomarkers of Alzheimer's in Down syndrome. The study includes 94 co-investigators and more than 600 participants. Watch the full lecture here: https://lnkd.in/gD-VVmMC https://lnkd.in/gXJHUj_Z

Congratulations to the MIND Institute's Kathy Angkustsiri, who is now president of WSPR, the Western Society for Pediatric Research! Angkustsiri is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. She is serving a three-year term with WSPR. In 2024, she was past president, this year she is president, and next year she'll serve as past president. WSPR's mission is to encourage research endeavors at all levels. WSPR supports trainee and young faculty travel awards and recognizes outstanding research and education in pediatrics. WSPR hosts an annual conference and provides a forum for the presentation and dissemination of innovative ideas and research.

The UC Davis MIND Institute is now recruiting community agencies to join our research study exploring how autistic children respond to different types of intervention. Some providers will have the opportunity to learn the Early Start Denver Model, a comprehensive intervention for autistic children ages 1-4. We welcome agencies that serve English- and Spanish-speaking autistic children. Contact our team from the UC Davis MIND Institute at [email protected] to learn more!

Are you a neurodivergent adult looking to strengthen your social skills and confidence in work, school, and community life? The ACCESS Program is a 20-week group designed to help neurodivergent adults develop strategies for success. Participants work with a social partner and expert facilitators to build coping, planning, and social skills. When? Tuesdays, June 24 – November 4, 2025, from 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM (In-person and Virtual sessions available) Where? UC Davis MIND Institute or Virtual via Zoom Program Fee & Insurance: The program is fee-based. We are partnered with select insurance providers and the Alta Regional Center, serving clients across a 10-county region, including Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties. Participants do not need to be UC Davis Health patients to enroll. We also have limited need-based scholarships available. Contact Nicki Rodriguez at [email protected] for more information.

Congratulations to Megan Dennis, who was named a UC Davis Chancellor's Fellow, a prestigious honor for early-career faculty members! Dennis is a faculty member at the MIND Institute and the Genome Center and an associate professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. She is a leader in studying how genes affect the brain, especially in conditions like autism, and is a dedicated teacher and mentor. Dennis has also worked with international teams like the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, the group behind the first complete assembly of a human genome. Learn more about her work (link is also in our bio): https://bit.ly/4gNjphV

Thanks to everyone who joined us Wednesday night for a fantastic Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation by Benjamin Handen of the University of Pittsburgh! The lecture, which was about identifying biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome, will be posted to our YouTube channel in a few days. Join us March 12 for our next speaker, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, pediatric neurologist and researcher at Rush University and a world-renowned fragile X expert. She will present on targeted treatments in neurodevelopmental conditions. All lectures are at 4:30, are free, open to the public and held at the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento. Learn more about the series: https://bit.ly/3CCTgEz

We are looking for participants for the TEDI study in Spanish! (See Spanish text below.) In this study, we are testing a telehealth developmental evaluation for babies whose families speak Spanish. We will complete one telehealth session with parents or caregivers and their babies and ask for their feedback about the evaluation. If needed, we can help identify resources and additional supports. This study will take place completely online. More information and a link to be contacted can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gq-zxNSB ?Estamos buscando participantes para el estudio TEDI en espa?ol! En el estudio, realizaremos una evaluación del desarrollo infantil a través de telesalud para bebés de familias que hablan espa?ol. Tendremos una visita de telesalud con padres o cuidadores y sus bebés y les preguntaremos su opinión y sugerencias sobre la evaluación. Si es necesario, podemos ayudar a identificar recursos y apoyos adicionales. Este estudio se realizará completamente en línea. Puede encontrar más información y un enlace para contactarnos aquí: https://lnkd.in/gq-zxNSB