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Mutations that disrupt the function of the CHD8 gene are among the strongest known genetic risk factors for autism because they interfere with early brain development. Recently, Dr. Jason Stein, PhD (Department of Genetics and UNC Neuroscience Center) and his lab discovered small clusters of misplaced neurons, called cortical heterotopias,...

Dea Garic, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, received a Junior Faculty Award for her research investigating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in infants with neurodevelopmental disorders, including Down Syndrome (DS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and fragile X syndrome (FXS). Impaired CSF clearance has been implicated in...

Dr. Rebecca Grzadzinski, Assistant Professor at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, has received a Faculty Development Award to advance innovative research focused on early detection of neurodevelopmental differences in infants. Her project, Tracking the Pupil in Naturalistic Infant Assessment, aims to develop new wearable technology that measures subtle changes...

In March 2026, the UNC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) faculty and audiology trainees attended the 25th Annual Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. The conference opened with the LEND Audiology Workshop, which provided an opportunity for networking and collaboration with LEND audiology...

Alana Epstein, a doctoral student in the Audiology program at UNC-Chapel Hill, received the 2025 CIDD Trainee Research Award. Alana presented her research at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference in Washington, DC, in November 2025. Her presentation examined barriers to accessing audiological care, with a focus on understanding differences in...

The NC Council on Developmental Disabilities is a DD Network partner, and was created through the DD Act to support the needs of individuals with disabilities in each state. This council is made up of NC citizens, most of whom have lived experience, as well as the statewide agency stakeholders....

In collaboration with the University of North Carolina Down Syndrome Program, the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) launched an interdisciplinary Down Syndrome Evaluation and Consultation (DSEC) clinic to provide psychological evaluation and consultation services for individuals with Down syndrome and their families across the lifespan. The DSEC clinic is...

Gabriel Dichter, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Investigator at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Melissa Wash, PhD, Research Instructor, Department of Psychiatry received a 3-year award from the Foundation of Hope to study parkinsonism in autism. Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition, research has historically...

Researchers from the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) have received a 2025 Editor’s Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for their 2024 article published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (Language Section). The award was selected by Editor-in-Chief Julie Washington. The Editor’s Award is presented annually by...

Issue #34 (June 2025)