# Washington University Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center

> **NIH NIH P50** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $1,244,586

## Abstract

Overall Project Abstract
For the third cycle of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University,
we propose a next phase in a comprehensive approach to understanding, ameliorating, and/or preventing
neurodevelopmental disability through translational scientific investigation at the respective levels of cell,
synapse, circuit, and behavior, capitalizing upon major strengths of WUSTL in genomics, behavioral/cognitive
neuroscience, and clinical-translational science. The overarching goals of our Center are as follows: (1) To
sustain and evolve an integrated structure of core scientific facilities that occupy a critical niche in the scientific
community, attract and support highly-qualified investigators, and facilitate high-caliber, translational research
on the pathogenesis and treatment of IDDs. In this application we propose specific enhancements to each of our
scientific core facilities: an expanded technical team for the Developmental Neuroimaging Core, a dedicated
cellular models unit within the Model Systems Core (methods calibrated with a cross-IDDRC working group for
cellular models of IDD co-led by the IDDRC@WUSTL), and a new clinical trials / natural history studies unit
within the Clinical-Translational Core (CTC). The CTC will continue to facilitate the collection and interpretation
of genomic, phenotypic, environmental and biomarker data across generations, and promote step-wise
translation of new discoveries on risk and pathogenesis to higher-impact interventions for patients. The
IDDRC@WUSTL will provide critical infrastructure for research efforts that have created synergies with other
intramural and extramural Centers/Institutes, including a newly-funded in-depth longitudinal study of infants born
to mothers enrolled in the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Cohort, the launch of a prospective
replication cohort for the Infant Brain Imaging Study of Autism (IBIS), two multisite initiatives in Down Syndrome,
and an NIH Autism Center of Excellence Network in gene discovery. (2) To cultivate nodes of new
interdisciplinary scientific activity within the Center, in frontiers of IDD research which are critical for the derivation
of higher-impact treatment and preventive intervention, along the Center’s four major themes: (i) the prevention
of prematurity and its neurodevelopmental consequences; (ii) the identification of intermediate phenotypes in the
development of IDD; (iii) structural and functional characterization of the developing human brain, and (iv)
functional genomics relevant to IDD pathogenesis. In this cycle we will build on prior successes in cultivating a
dynamic, interactive, and productive community of scientists engaged in IDD-science, challenging itself to
generate and harness new knowledge toward translational advances in therapeutics and prevention. (3) To
conduct a signature research project that represents a bold, critical step toward higher-impact intervention for
I...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10085124
- **Project number:** 1P50HD103525-01
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN N. CONSTANTINO
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,244,586
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-28 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10085124

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10085124, Washington University Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (1P50HD103525-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10085124. Licensed CC0.

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