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Latest News
The CIDD T32 Post-doctoral Research Training Program Announces New Directors and the New Trainees Starting in July 2023
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Listen to CIDD Disability Advocate, Kenneth Kelty, interview Dr. Pat Porter, former Chief of DD services and Senior Policy Advisor to the NC General Assembly, about the DPS crisis.
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Please join Deputy Secretary Dave Richard and Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SAS) Director Kelly Crosbie for a virtual town hall to discuss the DHHS Plan for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Click on More to register.
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For the first time, scientists have found that brain differences in the visual brain systems of infants who later are diagnosed with autism are associated with inherited genetic factors.
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“Yo siempre pensaba, tú entre más conozcas el problema, más puedes ayudar…”
“I always thought, the more you know about the problem, the more you can help...”
-Mother of a child with autism
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The UNC Autism Research Center is hosting the third annual UNC Autism Fathers Conference on April 30, 2022, on Zoom. The virtual event will feature expert speakers with useful insight into raising children with autism.
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CIDD Disability Advocate, Kenneth Kelty has a new podcast - Exceeding Expectations with Kenneth Kelty. Listen to his first episode, an interview with the founders of B3 Coffee.
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The 2021 Special Issue includes contributions from the NICHD IDDRCs around the country. The theme this year is ‘Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders’. Many thanks to Becca Grzadzinski who did the heavy lifting on the contribution from UNC.
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The RIDE UNITED NC call center is now open to help schedule free round-trip rides for low-income residents needing transportation to COVID-19 vaccine appointments! Call 1-844-771-RIDE.
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Research published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders shows that rapid saliva test screenings – aimed at early detection of the virus – contributed to exceedingly low transmission of the virus among students, teachers and staff in the six schools overseen by the Special School District of St. Louis County, the largest specialized education provider in Missouri. Precautions such as masking and social distancing also were implemented when appropriate. The study was led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in collaboration with Special School District.
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Gabriel Dichter, one of SPARK's first researchers, has a deep sense that incredible discoveries about autism are coming in the next five to 10 years.
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B3 Coffee, founded by CIDD LEND Trainee, Jacklyn Googins, and fellow UNC student, Hannah Steen, is a non-profit coffee shop and online community that serves as a platform of positive visibility and community connection for people of all abilities. One cup at a time, B3 Coffee aims to influence change toward a more inclusive and equitable world. Now more than ever, they are dedicated to bringing people together safely through virtual social and civic engagement opportunities. B3 Coffee offers consistent online programming including weekly team meetings & socials, monthly community leadership development seminars, barista trainings, and remote volunteer roles.
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Applicants can apply to both HEELS Prep – Online and to HEELS Bridge.
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The CIDD is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, non-discriminatory, and anti-racist environment for all individuals and families we serve, as well as for our trainees, faculty, staff, and community partners. The CIDD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has released our DEI mission statement.
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Their Cas9 gene therapy for Angelman syndrome was featured as a notable paper for 2020 (listed #2!) and in the hot topics list.
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The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (www.cidd.unc.edu) invites applications for postdoctoral leadership training in psychology.
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During this ongoing and stressful period, the CIDD would like to share some information and resources related to COVID-19, particularly those that may assist persons with disabilities and their families.
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Listen to Drs. Joe Piven & Mark Zylka’s interview on NPR Here & Now
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The UNC Autism Fathers Conference is a collaboration between television broadcaster Dwayne Ballen and Dr. Joe Piven, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics and the director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Both men wanted this conference to address the challenges a father faces raising a child with autism spectrum disorder and to let these fathers know they are not alone. The conference is set for September 14, 2019.
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The CIDD offers interdisciplinary clinical and research training designed to promote advanced competencies in intellectual/developmental disabilities. The postdoctoral fellowship allows specialization in intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, early childhood, genetic conditions, co-occurring psychiatric/behavioral disorders, community consultations, and pediatric neuropsychology. The postdoctoral training experience will emphasize specialized ASD/DD assessment, intervention, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. There will be additional opportunities for manuscript writing, conference presentations and support for pilot studies/grant writing. Other responsibilities may include supervision of graduate-level trainees and community outreach and education. The fellowship is a minimum of twelve months in duration, beginning September 1st with the possibility of a second year of training pending funding. Salary determination follows NIH and university guidelines.
Requirements include:
- completed doctoral degree in an applied area of psychology
- clinically-based psychology internship
- demonstrated interest and experience in intellectual/developmental disabilities
To apply, please send a letter detailing professional interests and goals, CV, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Rebecca Pretzel, CIDD, UNC-CH, CB# 7255, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7255. Email applications are preferred becky.edmondson@cidd.unc.edu).
Application deadline is January 3, 2020. UNC is an Equal Opportunity/ADA employer.
Now enrolling: A clinical trial in boys and girls with FXS ages 3 through 17.
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First Summer Session
Fridays, May 18 - June 15, 2018 – 9 AM – 12:00 Noon
SOWO 709 - Autism Spectrum Disorder: Social Cognitive Interventions – 1.5 credits
Instructor: Sherry C. Mergner, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Assistant Professor
Contact: sherry.mergner@cidd.unc.edu for information on this course.
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The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities is recruiting a trainee with a developmental disability for inclusion in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program for the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications are due March 31, 2018. For more information or to request an application contact deborah.zuver@cidd.unc.edu.
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There is no charge to attend this meeting but registration is required. For questions or additional information contact: Jackson Roush, PhD jroush@med.unc.edu
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The meeting will be of interest to professionals involved in screening, diagnosis, or treatment of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who have, or are suspected of having, an autism spectrum disorder, as well as students in a relevant professional discipline.
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The UNC Department of Psychiatry awarded CIDD Director of Research Dr. Gabriel Dichter with the 2017 Junior Faculty Mentor of the Year Award. This award was established by the department to recognize the commitment of faculty members to the career development specifically of junior faculty.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded nine research grants totaling nearly $100 million over the next five years for the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), a program that supports large research projects aimed at understanding and developing interventions for autism spectrum disorder. The ACE program was created in 2007 from the consolidation of previous programs. Grants have been awarded every five years, and 2017 marks the third cycle of ACE grants. UNC-Chapel Hill is one of only two lead sites to have earned grants in all three cycles, in addition to having been awarded a Center grant under the previous mechanism awarded in 2002, the NIH Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment (STAART) Centers.
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UNC-Chapel Hill has long been one of the world’s premier autism research universities, and now its expertise and leading research programs will fall under one virtual roof at the UNC Autism Research Center.
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In two previous studies, CIDD researchers and colleagues linked infant brain anatomy differences to autism diagnoses at age two. Now they show differences in functional connections between brain regions at 6 months to predict autism at age two.
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Please join the “UNC CIDD” team at the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) walk on Saturday, May 20, 2017 in Durham. This year our team will join more than 10,000 people across the US, Canada and Mexico for the 2017 Angelman Syndrome Foundation Walk to raise funds for treatments and a cure for Angelman Syndrome.
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CIDD researchers have made breakthroughs ranging from findings that identify new genes linked to autism, to a new study that shows it is possible to use MRI scans to predict whether babies with autistic siblings will develop autism themselves. Host Frank Stasio talks about this innovative research with CIDD Director, Dr. Joseph Piven, on WUNC’s program the State of Things.
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MRIs show a brain anomaly in nearly 70 percent of babies at high risk of developing the condition who go on to be diagnosed, laying the groundwork for a predictive aid for pediatricians and the search for a potential treatment.
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Research study to explore possible benefits of a broccoli extract supplement (sulforaphane) for young men with autism. If you or someone you know may be interested in participating in this study, please contact: Olivia Sawh 919-962-8462 or Olivia.Sawh@cidd.unc.edu.
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Presented by Debbie Reinhartsen, PhD, CCC-SLP, this workshop is being offered on February 27 & 28, 2017 at the Carolina Institute for 13 Credit Hours.
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AUCD commentary for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month highlights contributions by CIDD Investigators.
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On April 21, 2016 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped launch SPARK, a research initiative designed to become the largest genetic research study for autism ever undertaken in the United States. The nationwide project will collect information and DNA from 50,000 individuals with autism - and their families - to better understand the causes of this condition and help usher in an era for personalized medicine and targeted treatment for people on the autism spectrum.
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The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) has awarded Accelerator Grants to two exceptional projects that will study new treatment mechanisms and improve data collection methods in community settings. Principal Investigators on the projects are CIDD graduate research assistants, Rachel Greene (supervised by Garret Stuber and Gabriel Dichter) and Maya Mosner (supervised by Gabriel Dichter). These studies were the only two awards funded by the ASF in this round of selection.
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Joseph Piven, MD, and his team at the CIDD are trying to fill the gaps in our understanding of what it has meant and will mean to live with autism as older adults.
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CIDD Investigator and faculty member, Gabriel Dichter, Ph.D., has been awarded the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty for his advances in understanding the neural mechanisms of social motivation in autism. Prior CIDD research faculty award winners include Drs. Garret Stuber, Mark Zylka, and Ayse Belger.
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Last December, researchers identified more than 1,000 gene mutations in individuals with autism, but how these mutations increased risk for autism was unclear. Now, UNC School of Medicine researchers are the first to show how one of these mutations disables a molecular switch in one of these genes and causes autism.
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The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is recruiting a trainee with a developmental disability for inclusion in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. This is a nine-month commitment for the 2015-2016 academic year. Applications are due March 20, 2015. For more information contact Donna.Yerby@cidd.unc.edu.
The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (www.cidd.unc.edu) invites applications for postdoctoral leadership training in psychology. The CIDD is home to three core federal training initiatives which offer clinical and research opportunities: University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD); Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND); and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC).
The CIDD offers interdisciplinary clinical and research training designed to promote advanced competencies in intellectual/developmental disabilities. The post-doctoral fellowship allows specialization in intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, early childhood, genetic conditions, co-occurring psychiatric/behavioral disorders, community consultations, and pediatric neuropsychology.
The fellowship is a minimum of twelve months in duration, beginning September 1, 2015 with the possibility of a second year of training pending funding. Salary determination follows NIH and university guidelines.
Requirements include:
- completed doctoral degree in an applied area of psychology
- clinically-based psychology internship
- demonstrated interest and experience in intellectual/developmental disabilities
To apply, please send a letter detailing professional interests and goals, CV, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel, CIDD, UNC-CH, CB# 7255, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7255. Email applications are preferred (becky.edmondson@cidd.unc.edu).
Application deadline is January 9, 2015. UNC is an Equal Opportunity/ADA employer.
CIDD faculty Deborah Zuver and Donna
Carlson Yerby, co-facilitators of the North Carolina Postsecondary Education Alliance,
are working to improve college education for students with developmental
disabilities.
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Click here to go to the CIDD Facebook page and view our video.
The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel, PhD as the new Associate Director of the Institute. Dr. Pretzel is a psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry. At the CIDD, she serves as the Associate Director of our federally-funded University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program, Director of Clinical Services, and Psychology Section Head. In addition, she is an investigator on a variety of research and training grants and supervises numerous graduate students and junior faculty. Through her longstanding experience working with many N.C. service agencies (e.g., the Department of Public Instruction, Early Intervention Branch and Division of MH/DD/SAS), Dr. Pretzel has played an important role in raising the level of care for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in the state.
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Several CIDD staff and affiliates, including Dr. Mark Zylka, are featured in WBTV News 3's "On Your Side" special, "Autism: Answers and Understanding". The show examined many of the key issues facing families who have a child on the Autism spectrum.
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Ann Palmer is the new Family Faculty member for the LEND Program at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) located at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She is a parent of an adult son with autism and a professional working in the field of autism for the last 20 years.
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Questionnaire completed by parents may help identify 1-year-olds at risk for autism.
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Features
UNC-Chapel Hill scientists led by Mark Zylka, PhD, found measurable levels of a biomarker for azoxystrobin in pregnant women and young kids, and investigated the fungicide’s ability to pass from mothers to embryos in utero in mice and during lactation.
Read More>> »
Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder associated with complete or partial absence of an X chromosome affecting approximately 1/2000 live female births. Learn more about CIDD research, Turner syndrome: language profile of young girls at 12 and 24 months of age, published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
View Article »
View the September 8, 2021 Community Talk: “Individuals with I/DD and Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Panel Discussion”
SELF-ADVOCATES AND I/DD PROFESSIONALS PANEL share their knowledge and experiences getting the COVID vaccine, where you can get it, and resources that address fears and challenges. Includes Q&A. Moderated by Anna Ward, CIDD Director of Advocacy and Inclusion. View Video
View Video »
Congrats to Dr. Jessica Girault whose paper, Quantitative trait variation in ASD probands and toddler sibling outcomes at 24 months. J Neurodev Disord. 2020;12(1):5, was mentioned in the end of year review by Autism Science Foundation.
Read More>> »
Michael O’Shea, along with colleagues Alan Leviton, Nigel Paneth, and Olaf Dammann, edited the book “Extremely Preterm Birth and its Consequences” published by MacKeith Press. This book summarizes the results of the ELGAN (Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn) study. The book is intended as a concise distillation of the main findings from over 150 published manuscripts arising from the ELGAN Study, including epidemiological studies of the antecedents and outcomes associated with early life inflammation and initiators of that inflammation.
Chapter 1 of the book is available as a free download. »
Congratulations to CIDD child neurologist, Diana Cejas, MD, MPH, recipient of this year’s UNC Broyhill Research Award in Child Neurology. Dr. Cejas was awarded $12,500 to improve healthcare transition of patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities from a child-centered to an adult-oriented health care system.
Read More>> »
CIDD Autism Imaging Research Published in National Geographic. The brains of infants who develop the disorder grow too fast, a UNC-Chapel Hill discovery that could help doctors prevent impairments before they appear.
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Five-year-old Logan Bomar was diagnosed with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome in November 2015. Logan’s family is on a mission to spread awareness about Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome and raise funds for research for a cure. All donations made to the Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation in honor of Logan will be used to fund CIDD research into finding a cure for Pitt Hopkins.
Read Logan Becomes a Tar Heel! >> »
CIDD Director, Joseph Piven, MD, was interviewed on CNN about research published in Nature. This first-of-its-kind study used MRIs to image the brains of infants, and then researchers used brain measurements and a computer algorithm to accurately predict autism before symptoms set in.
View Video on CNN »
Kellen Hassell rode his bike from Miami, Fla., to Chapel Hill in seven days, traveling almost 1,000 miles, to draw attention to Angelman Syndrome, a rare developmental disorder that affects his 4-year-old son Luciano, and to raise funds for research for a cure. Hassell raised more than $15,000 and presented the check to UNC's Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities.
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SPARK, the largest genetic research effort ever in the United States, could help doctors better understand the cause and effects of autism, which could lead to more targeted treatments.
View Video on WRAL >> »
A new UNC School of Medicine study shows how chemicals designed to protect crops can cause gene expression changes in mouse brain cells that look strikingly similar to changes in the brains of people with autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
Read more >> »
Steven J. Gray is featured in a CBS News report on a new gene therapy approach to treat rare diseases.
View Video on CBS »
Dendrites, the branch-like projections of neurons, were once thought to be passive wiring in the brain. But now researchers at UNC have shown that dendrites actively process information, multiplying the brain’s computing power. The finding could help researchers better understand neurological disorders.
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Ben Philpot, Mark Zylka, colleagues find potential cause of autism. Findings published in the journal Nature outline the effects that key enzymes called topoisomerases can have on the genetic machinery behind brain development.
Read the article »
CIDD faculty discuss scientific challenges to autism cure on the CBS Evening News
View Video on CBS »
Researchers led by Benjamin D. Philpot, PhD, may have pinpointed an underlying cause of the seizures in people with Angelman syndrome (AS).
Read Abstract at Neuron »
Dr. Joe Piven, Director of the Carolina Institute, discusses using brain scans to detect early signs of Autism.
View Video on NBC »
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