Clinical Translational Research Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This is an application for 2025-2026 bridge funding for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at the University of North Carolina (UNC). The UNC IDDRC is an interdisciplinary program with the overarching goal of supporting and promoting research relevant to understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. The UNC IDDRC is a critical component of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), which is the focal point for clinical services, research, and training relevant to intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) on the UNC campus. The UNC IDDRC currently supports 55 investigators from 13 University departments, and includes 110 externally-funded research projects. The broad-based research program of this IDDRC is integrated around three themes: (1) Brain and Behavior Development; (2) Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders; and, (3) Early Detection/Intervention (including Clinical Trials), and the cross-cutting themes of Genetics/Genomics and Environmental Influences on IDDs. The UNC IDDRC is a highly collaborative program highlighted by the presence of several NIH-funded, interdisciplinary research centers/programs. This application seeks support for the same activities as the currently funded center: (1) an Administrative Core; (2) three research cores – the Clinical Translational Core, which includes the Research Participant Registry and Brain-Behavior Measurement Laboratory; the PreClinical Core, which includes the Preclinical Microscopy Core, Preclinical MRI Core, and the Preclinical Behavioral Core; the Data Science Core Core; and (3) a signature research project (a continuation of the project in the currently funded center) to study the pathophysiology of CSF and the meningeal lymphatic system in idiopathic autism, Fragile X syndrome, and Angelman syndrome by examining the mechanisms and clinical links to increased EA-CSF in etiologically and phenotypically distinct IDDs, and their mouse-model counterparts. This project has the potential to elucidate novel directions for targeted treatment development and to identify novel predictive biomarkers. The three proposed research cores provide cutting-edge, high-quality and cost effective support for this integrated, multidisciplinary, translational program of IDD-relevant research. Overall, this Center has had a major impact on IDD research and scientific training at the University of North Carolina, and renewal would allow us to continue our support of the truly exceptional program of IDD research conducted at UNC. Project Number: 3P50HD103573-05S1 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | Principal Investigator: GABRIEL DICHTER | Institution: UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL, CHAPEL HILL, NC | Award Amount: $1,152,823 | Activity Code: P50 View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3P50HD10357305S1