Tag Archives: fragile x syndrome

Conner Black at 2019 Gatlinburg Conference

Graduate Student Conner Black Joins Nationwide Children’s Hospital

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Conner Black, a doctoral student in the School Psychology program and a valued member of the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lab team, has accepted an internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Conner Black, also known as “Mr. Conner,” joined the NDD Lab in 2017. During this time, Conner has completed over 85 assessments, authored 16 conference presentations, and authored, or co-authored, four papers.

During his time at the NDD Lab, Conner’s primary research interests were investigating prodromal features of social anxiety in infants with fragile X syndrome and the utilization of ERP methodology to assess neurophysiological markers of anxiety. In 2019, he was awarded a SPARC Graduate Research Grant entitled “Biological Mechanisms Related to Social Anxiety in Young Children with Fragile X Syndrome.”

Conner will be missed at the NDD Lab, but we are excited to see what he does next!


NDD Lab at the National Fragile X Conference

Superheroines of Fragile X Research!

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Being trailblazers of Fragile X research is no small feat!  Dr. Bridgette Tonnesen, Dr. Debra Reisinger, and Dr. Jane Roberts attended the National Fragile X Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio last week where they presented their research alongside the world’s leading Fragile X experts.  This family-friendly forum which occurs every two years helps families affected by FXS get the support which they need.  For more information,   stay up to date by following the National Fragile X Foundation:  https://fragilex.org/


Robin Blackwood and her son Sam

Advocating for Children’s Health

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Local community leader, Robin Blackwood, headed to Washington, D.C. to share the story of her son Sam, who was diagnosed with fragile X syndrome, with legislators. Blackwood joined parents from around the nation as part of the 14th annual Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day. Blackwood advocated for children’s health, particularly to safeguard care for children with special needs. Thanks for bringing awareness to such an important issue! Read more about her efforts at Greenville Online and Fox Carolina.


Debra Reisinger

Congratulations to Debra Reisinger for accepting a post-doctoral position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital!

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Debra Reisinger is a current graduate student on internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute at the John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore Maryland.  She is on track to graduate with her doctorate this year and has already accepted a post-doctoral position at Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital!  She will be working in Dr. Craig Erickson’s lab where they primarily examine pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment efficacy in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, including ASD and FXS.


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Where is the Hope?

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Great Read: A grandmother of a newly diagnosed grandson once called me to talk about the diagnosis. “Where is the hope?” she asked  https://fragilex.org/2017/community/where-is-the-hope/


Dr. Elizabeth Will

Welcome Dr. Elizabeth Will!!

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Starting this July, the Neurodevelopmental Lab will have a new postdoctoral fellow as part of our research team!!  Dr. Elizabeth Will is coming to us from Colorado State University where she received her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Science.  Dr. Will’s postdoctoral research will focus on delineating syndrome-specific vulnerabilities and underlying psychophysiological mechanisms contributing to differential outcomes for individuals with fragile X syndrome.


Dr. Jane Roberts gave a talk at UC Davis Distinguished Lecture Series

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Dr. Jane Roberts participated in UC Davis’ Distinguished Lecture Series on April 12th 2017.  Her talk was entitled, Biobehavioral Profiles in Infants with Fragile X Syndrome: Emergence of Autism and Anxiety in Fragile X Syndrome.   She spoke about characterizing the phenotype of fragile X syndrome, the leading known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorders. In addition, Dr. Roberts talked about her latest research which focuses on the role of anxiety in autism and their interface across the developmental spectrum.


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Congratulations to Sara Matherly!!

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A big congratulations to Sara Matherly who received $5,000 funding from the University of South Carolina through the SPARC Graduate Research Grant Program! Sara, a graduate student in the School Psychology Ph.D. program, will be attending a training on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule and Autism Spectrum Addendum to capture distinct profiles of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders. This will help to better understand the impact of anxiety across multiple domains impacting young adult independence within cross-syndrome ASD.


Dr. Abigail Hogan presents to the CAS Board of Visitors!

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Dr. Abigail Hogan presented her poster on Neural Processing in Fragile X Syndrome and Autism to the CAS Board of Visitors on December 2, 2016. It was an honor to present the experimental design of our NIH-funded preschool grant to a governing body of the College of Arts and Sciences.


Our FXLA participant, Jeffrey Creighton, was featured on ABC News

Our FXLA participant, Jeffrey Creighton, was featured on ABC News!!

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We are overjoyed to see that Jeffrey was able to play football for his high school team!  It is beautiful to see so many people come together to support him and we consider it a big win for people struggling with developmental disabilities!!   Great news about a wonderful family:

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/high-school-football-manager-suits-time-43347012


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