MIND Institute Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center

ORIGINAL PROJECT SUMMARY – OVERALL PARENT AWARD The present application seeks funding to continue the MIND Institute Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at the University of California, Davis. The IDDRC was launched in 2013 and is the newest of the 14 IDDRCs in the network. The MIND Institute IDDRC will address four specific aims. Aim 1 is to conduct interdisciplinary translational research that yields insights into the nature, causes, and consequences of IDD and leads to innovative evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment. To this end, we propose 81 externally funded projects that reflect the themes of Integrated Biobehavioral Characterization of IDD, Genetic and Environmental Contributions to IDD, and Treatment of IDD. These projects are led by 43 investigators from 16 academic departments and 5 schools/colleges. 68 projects are funded by the NIH, including 16 by NICHD. Aim 2 is to accelerate the pace of interdisciplinary translational research via the operation of cost-effective, innovative, and widely used scientific cores. In addition to an Administrative Core, we propose four scientific cores. The Clinical Translational Core will facilitate recruitment of various populations of human participants, provide specialized clinical expertise to diagnose and characterize participants, support complex phenotyping, collect and store biospecimens, and integrate digital technologies into treatment studies. The Biological and Molecular Analysis Core will provide access to expertise and technologies in the areas of immune function, cellular and molecular imaging, epigenetics, and environmental exposures as they relate to neural development. The Rodent Behavior Core will provide assays of mouse and rat behavior, guidance in the development of mutant rodent models, and support for preclinical evaluations of drug safety and efficacy. The Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Research Design Core will provide support for study design, creation of electronic data capture and management systems, and statistical analysis of complex multidimensional datasets. Aim 3 is to improve the lives of people with IDD and reduce health and social discrepancies in care by developing a robust plan for disseminating and implementing scientific discoveries. The plan will involve multiple paths of communication to target professionals and policy makers, reach numerous communities, while being informed by the perspectives of people with IDD and their families. Aim 4 is to conduct a signature research project that examines the heterogeneity of outcomes and mechanisms underlying those outcomes in maternal autoantibody related (MAR) autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may account for as much as 20% of ASD cases. The project will make use of existing human clinical data to inform the creation of rat model systems to test hypotheses about causal mechanisms. The signature project addresses three RFA themes: Preventing and mitigating the impact of exposures that can cause IDD, Outcome measures or biomarkers for interventions or treatments, and Development of biomarkers or assessment measures in more than one IDD condition.