This prestigious designation makes the MIND Institute one of only fifteen Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers in the country. Transition into this program is made possible by a five-year $6.5 million NIH grant and gives the institute critical new resources that will accelerate its progress in neurodevelopment research.
One in twenty Americans are affected with neurodevelopmental disorders. It is the mission of UC Davis’ MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute to ensure better futures for these affected individuals by increasing awareness, knowledge, prevention and treatment, and developing cures. Currently researchers have over 60 ongoing studies within the institute that focus on autism, fragile X syndrome, ADHD, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and Down syndrome in hopes of helping the many individuals impacted by this prevalent problem.
The new IDDRC designation will increase the center’s capacity for interdisciplinary research and accelerate translation into targeted treatments and technologies. It will also enable the institute to easily share its discoveries with other IDDRCs, bringing the network closer to finding better treatments, preventions, and cures.
The program will also bring in new scientific resources. These include:
- A Biological Analysis Core that will provide cellular and molecular biology imaging, immunoassays, and assays of environmental contaminants.
- A Neurobehavioral Analysis Core to allow measurement of complex human behavior and establish endophenotypes.
- A Rodent Behavior Core to aid in genetic analyses and preclinical drug evaluations.
- A Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Research Design Core to better manage and analyze research findings.
- A new Clinical Translational Core to recruit more study participants.
The MIND institute is part of the greater UC Davis Health System, which is among the nation's leading NIH-funded institutions. The UCD School of Medicine ranked 34th among 139 medical schools in 2013 funding, advancing it three places from its 2012 ranking of 37th. In the fiscal year 2012-2013, total research funding topped $754 million, including $67.2 million from over 1,000 research grants and contracts. The NSF also ranked UC Davis 21st in total research and development expenditure for 2012.
Researchers at this well-funded marketplace are always looking for the latest in technologies and services. Lab supply companies will soon have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with UC Davis researchers and provide them with information about new products, at the University of California, Davis Medical Center BioResearch Product Faire™on June 3, 2014.
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