Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

03/27/2026

Evan Dewey and his family travel from Atlanta to participate in the ABATE study, a clinical trial evaluating a treatment that could reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease development in individuals with Down syndrome.

LINK:

Evan Dewey travels with his father on a bus from Atlanta to take part in the ABATE clinical trial. Clinical trials related to Alzheimer’s for those with Down syndrome are new, even though they are a high-risk group.

03/27/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
VKC Special Lecture: "The Benefits and Risks of ADHD Medication: Evidence from Real-World Practice"

Monday, April 13, 2026, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT
OMC 241, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building and online
REGISTER HERE: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7178
A small number of lunches will be provided, first come, first served.

Presented by Brian D'Onofrio, Ph.D., Sharon Stephens Brehm Endowed Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairment across the lifespan. ADHD treatment guidelines recommend pharmacotherapy based largely on highly controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Yet, there are serious limitations of the existing RCTs that hinder the potential to apply an evidence-based approach to ADHD treatment. To help address these limitations and inform clinical care, this presentation will review evidence from large-scale observational studies leveraging national datasets and advanced epidemiologic designs.

03/26/2026

NEXT TUESDAY! DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?

We are so excited for the third annual Evening for Autism on Tuesday, Mar. 31, starting at 6 p.m. at The Nashville Palace! Come listen to great music and support Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD).

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/event/an-evening-for-autism-2026/e771105

03/26/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SHARE! FREE webinar for daycare providers!

"Partnering with TEIS to Support Success for Children with Developmental Delays"
Thursday, April 16
11 a.m.-12 p.m. CT (12-1 p.m. ET)
RSVP HERE: https://redcap.vumc.org/surveys/?s=FF73C7MTRRACX8MJ

Is your child in a daycare setting? If so, Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) has an upcoming training open to their teachers! At the end of this training, participants will be able to plan for how to use evidence-based classroom strategies to set up students for success; identify ways to partner with TN Early Intervention Services (TEIS) developmental therapists; and understand how to support caregivers in initiating the TEIS referral process.

Register HERE: https://redcap.vumc.org/surveys/?s=FF73C7MTRRACX8MJ

03/25/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Fuel your research at the VICTR RESOURCE FAIR!
Apr. 2, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Light Hall, VUMC North Lobby

Looking to take your research to the next level without the headache? Join us for an energized, open-house event designed especially for researchers at every stage
of their journey. Explore the powerful data, tools, and support available through VICTR—and learn how they can help move your research forward faster. No posters, no formal presentations—just the tools and experts you need to succeed.

Why Attend?
-- Expert Access
-- Navigation Help
-- Free Lunch!
-- Low Pressure

Who?
All are welcome!
-- Early Career
-- Investigators
-- Mid-Senior Investigators
-- Students and Trainees
-- VICTR resource users

No Registration Required
Walk-ins are welcome! Bring a friend or colleague who’s curious about research!

STOP BY. GRAB A SLICE. SUPERCHARGE YOUR STUDY.

03/24/2026

IN ONE WEEK! DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?

We are so excited for the third annual Evening for Autism on Tuesday, Mar. 31, starting at 6 p.m. at The Nashville Palace! Come listen to great music and support Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD).

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/event/an-evening-for-autism-2026/e771105

03/23/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: A study published in Scientific Reports challenges longtime notions about how deaf children learn to read.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://news.vumc.org/2026/01/21/new-study-finds-that-deaf-children-with-cochlear-implants-read-well-despite-weak-speech-sound-processing/

A study published in Scientific Reports challenges longtime notions about how deaf children learn to read.

03/20/2026

03/20/2026

https://www.facebook.com/VanderbiltHealth/posts/pfbid0EupGjE1K61ZKqwx2qPUpRJkdWEEky6zHxWMNHkg4vxFMsJsjbk9Z3KysxBM7mXEql

03/19/2026

From the latest issue of VKC Notables: Each year, Vanderbilt University students interview individuals with disabilities and their families as part of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability project. The conversations focus on topics that highlight barriers to services and supports and that connect to current policy discussions at the state and federal levels.

Not subscribed to Notables yet? Visit https://vkc.vumc.org/subscribe/ to sign up!

ARTICLE LINK: https://notables.vkcsites.org/2026/02/housing-opportunities-and-barriers-insights-from-tennessee-kindred-stories-of-disability/

Each year, Vanderbilt University students interview individuals with disabilities and their families as part of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability project. The conversations focus on topics that highlight barriers to services and...Read more

03/19/2026

TODAY AT NOON!

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Lecture on Development and Developmental Disabilities: "Developing Gene Targeted Therapies and Clinical Trial Readiness for Rare Neurodevelopmental Disorders"

Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT
OMC 241, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building and online. A small number of lunches will be provided, first come, first served.
REGISTER HERE: https://vkc.vumc.org/events/7140

Presented by Benjamin Prosser, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology; Associate Director, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute (PMI), Perelman School of Medicine; Director, Center for Epilepsy and NeuroDevelopment Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania

The overarching mission of the Prosser Lab is to develop first-in-class therapeutics for rare, genetic neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). A central focus of the lab is precision strategies to correct gene haploinsufficiency through targeted upregulation of disease-causing genes. To this end, we have pioneered antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based approaches that modulate RNA processing through multiple mechanisms to increase functional gene expression.

In this lecture, Dr. Prosser will highlight the conceptual framework and experimental validation of ASO-mediated gene upregulation, with a particular focus on synaptic disorders caused by STXBP1 and SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency. He will also discuss complementary efforts within the Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD) at Penn and CHOP to accelerate therapeutic translation for these conditions, including disease model development and coordinated initiatives to enable clinical trial readiness..

For more information, call (615) 322-8240.