“The Promise of Discovery” is a podcast hosted by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) that highlights research in intellectual and developmental disabilities. The goals of the podcast are to host conversations about research in plain language and to highlight “real world” implications. The discussions cover why the research matters in the lives of people with disabilities and families, how the research impacts and enhances what we know already and/or raises additional questions in the field, and what implications the research might have for policy.

The Promise of Discovery - Season 1

The Promise of Discovery Season 2, Episode 3:

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers in this episode are studying how technology (wearable sensors, new apps, and machine learning) might improve how we understand, predict, and treat problem behaviors in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They also dig into the ethical considerations of their study and of behavioral interventions more broadly. 

VKC Researchers: 
Amy Weitlauf, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics; VKC TRIAD Associate Director of Research

John Staubitz, M.Ed., BCBA, TRIAD Behavior Consultation Coordinator; Behavioral/Educational Consultant; Assistant in Pediatrics, School of Medicine

Wearable technology and identifying pre-cursors of challenging behaviors

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 1

Adults with Down syndrome have a greatly increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. Ongoing research focuses on investigating different markers of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down Syndrome. These studies are specifically examining a neurotransmitter system called the cholinergic system that is vitally important for cognition and known to decline early in Alzheimer's disease in the neurotypical population. Understanding the progression of these different markers associated with Alzheimer's disease will provide essential data for future therapeutic trials in adults with Down Syndrome.

Center for Cognitive Medicine website: https://www.vumc.org/ccm/welcome

Trial Ready Cohort for Down Syndrome: https://www.vumc.org/ccm/trcds

Featuring: Jason Russell, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry

Interviewer: Paul Newhouse, M.D., Jim Turner Professor of Cognitive Disorders; Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Pharmacology, and Medicine; Director, Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine; VKC Member

Investigating markers of Alzheimer’s in individuals with Down syndrome

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 2

Manganese is essential for brain development and human health. However, excess manganese can be toxic. The Harrison lab discusses how manganese exposures can alter the response to some drugs currently used to treat intellectual and developmental disabilities. 


Featuring: Adriana Tienda, Lab Manager, Harrison Lab

Interviewer: Fiona Harrison, Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine; Director, IDDRC Behavioral Phenotyping Core (Core D); Mouse Behavioral Phenotyping Faculty Coordinator; VKC Member

Chronic developmental manganese exposure alters response to amphetamine and methylphenidate

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 3

Many people with autism experience executive functioning (EF) impairments, and its widely acknowledged that these challenges play a significant role in autism. Anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent and impairing challenges for autistic youth, and emerging evidence suggests EF impairments exacerbate anxiety. This study examines how everyday EF impairments are related to specific anxiety symptoms in autistic youth. 

Featuring: Christina Burroughs, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Vanderbilt University

Interviewer: Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., James G. Blakemore Chair and Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Professor of Psychology; Associate Director, Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and VKC Member

Associations Between Executive Functioning Impairments and Anxiety Symptoms among Youth with Autism

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 4

This research examines mGlu7, a transmembrane receptor involved in several neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Rett syndrome, ADHD, schizophrenia, and Neurofibromatosis Type 1. The project discussed studies the mechanism of mGlu7 activation by allosteric modulators to develop new treatments and help guide drug discovery efforts.

Featuring: Xia Lei, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Vanderbilt University

Interviewer: Colleen Niswender, Ph.D., associate professor of Pharmacology; Director of Molecular Pharmacology, Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery; and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Activation Mechanisms for Context-Dependent Allosteric Modulation of the mGlu7 receptor

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 5

The needs of siblings of individuals with disabilities are under studied. The research presented in this episode highlights theme areas of support as raised by 446 siblings of individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. It asks and answers the question: What would have been beneficial to you growing up as the sibling of a person with a disability? 

Featuring: Gillian Neff, graduate student, Vanderbilt University
Interviewer: Alexandra Da Fonte, Ph.D., associate professor of the practice, Special Education; and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Support needs of siblings who have brothers and sisters with disabilities

The Promise of Discovery Season 4, Episode 7

While public attitudes towards many stigmatized groups have improved in recent years, the same has not been true for people living with schizophrenia, making those with the disorder particularly at risk for social exclusion. The research presented in this episode explores how people with schizophrenia experience and respond to social exclusion, as well as what can be done to promote inclusion. 

Featuring: Lauren Weittenhiller, M.A., Clinical Psychology Intern, Vanderbilt University

Interviewer: Julia Sheffield, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Jack Martin, M.D., Research Professor in Psychopharmacology; and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Social Exclusion and Schizophrenia

The Promise of Discovery Season 5, Episode 2
 
Although children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) more often experience mental health concerns, they do not always receive mental health services. This episode outlines a study that examined the barriers of caregiver familiarity with services.
 
Featuring: Verity Rodrigues, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; TRIAD Educational Consultant

Interviewer: Robert Hodapp, Ph.D., Professor of Special Education and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Caregiver familiarity with mental health services for children with IDD

The Promise of Discovery Season 5, Episode 3

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a neurodevelopmental disease which affects about 100,000 people in the US. Around 80% of these patients experience cognitive and intellectual impairments which are unaffected by currently approved therapies for NF1. A recent genetic study from our lab identified an association between the NF1 disease and a receptor protein called metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu7). This project investigates how using small molecules to augment mGlu7 function could help identify new therapies for NF1 patients struggling with cognitive impairments.

Featuring: Harrison Parent, Ph.D. Candidate- Niswender Lab, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Interviewer: Colleen Niswender, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology; Director of Molecular Pharmacology, Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Identifying new therapies for Neurofibromatosis Type 1

The Promise of Discovery Season 5, Episode 4

This research explored how combining visual perception with motor practice—specifically drawing unfamiliar symbols—leads to lasting brain changes that support learning. Participants trained by drawing new letter-like symbols over four days while researchers tracked their brain activity using fMRI scans before, immediately after, and one-week post-training. The after-training scans revealed significant differences in activity within several brain regions—including the motor cortex—during the perception of trained compared to untrained symbols that were greater one-week post-training. This suggests that hands-on, visual-motor learning builds long-term changes in how the brain processes visual information, with potential implications for educational strategies and interventions.

Featuring: Shelby Buettner, Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University

Interviewer: Sophia Vinci-Booher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology & Human Development and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Visual perception with motor practice leads to lasting brain changes that support learning

The Promise of Discovery Season 5, Episode 5

It’s important for speech language pathologists to learn about children’s grammar because grammar deficits are often a sign of a language impairment. For this experiment, researchers had parents and speech language pathologists fill out a checklist (Children’s Communication Checklist-2), to report on children communication skills, and then we compared the results. We learned that parents and speech language pathologists both identified speech deficits in children but that parents are not sensitive to differences in their children’s grammar.  

Featuring: Jane (Janie) Sommer Eppstein, Ph.D. Student; Vanderbilt University

Interviewer: Melanie Schuele, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Member

Are Parents of School-Age Children Valid Reporters of Their Children's Grammatical Skills?

The Promise of Discovery Episode 1: 
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researchers are using electronic medical record information and biological samples to better understand how Down syndrome is related to a variety of disorders and conditions. 

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researcher: Jeffrey Neul, M.D., Ph.D., Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair and Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Pharmacology, and Special Education

Interviewer: Elise McMillan, J.D., Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Understanding critical issues in Down syndrome

The Promise of Discovery Episode 2:
Language growth in in young children with disabilities

The Vanderbilt KidTalk project facilitates studies focused on language learning in young children with disabilities. Interventions typically focus on teaching partners (parents, siblings, peers, etc.) to support language development in children who have language delays. 

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researcher: Ann Kaiser, Ph.D., Susan Gray Chair in Education and Human Development; Professor of Special Education and Psychology

Interviewer: Elise McMillan, J.D., Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Language Growth In Young Children With Disabilities

The Promise of Discovery Episode 3:
Learning how children with autism spectrum disorders process sensory information

A multidisciplinary, 5-year project focused on understanding how the brain integrates information coming in from multiple senses, and whether we can train multisensory integration abilities in children with autism.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researchers:
Mark Wallace, Ph.D., Louise B. McGavock Endowed Chair; Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and Psychology; Dean, Vanderbilt University Graduate School
Tiffany Woynaroski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences
Carissa Cascio, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Interviewer: Jacob Feldman, Hearing and Speech Sciences Graduate Student

Learning How Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Process Sensory Information

The Promise of Discovery Episode 4:
Paul Yoder: A career in helping children learn to talk 

Paul Yoder, Ph.D., retired from Vanderbilt University in late 2019. A long-time Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator, he studied communication and language and intervention in children with language delays. In this episode, Yoder discusses what he learned over the course of his career about young children and communication.   

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researcher: Paul Yoder, Ph.D., Professor of Special Education (Retired)

Interviewer: Catherine Bush

Paul Yoder: A career in helping children learn to talk

The Promise of Discovery Episode 5:

Laurie Cutting: Understanding how brain mechanisms interact to predict academic outcomes

Cutting is among only 33 Vanderbilt researchers to have received an NIH Merit Award, and one of only 5 women. In this NIH research, she is measuring academic achievement and changes in brain structure and function. The ultimate goal is to develop brain-based causal models of academic achievement to effectively individualize instruction in a way that promotes academic success and prevents academic struggles.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researcher: Laurie Cutting, Ph.D., Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Special Education; Professor of Psychology, Radiology, and Pediatrics; Associate Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; Director, IDDRC Translational Neuroimaging Core C; Faculty Director, VKC Reading Clinic.

Interviewer: Sissy Peters, Program Director, VKC Reading Clinic and ECHO Reading

Understanding how brain mechanisms interact to predict academic outcomes

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) facilitates discoveries and best practices to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. More than 200 faculty affiliated with Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are engaged in multidisciplinary research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination. The VKC’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) works to improve assessment and treatment services for children with autism while advancing knowledge and training.

Wearable technology and identifying pre-cursors of challenging behaviors

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

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