Dr. Bianchi reflects on the life and contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver ahead of Mrs. Shriver’s 100th birthday and how improving equity, diversity, and inclusion at NICHD continues Mrs. Shriver’s work.
News
NICHD issues News Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Spotlight and Research Feature articles explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement of relevant information, such as a notable staff change.
Director's Corner: Reflecting on our Science Advances in 2020
2020 was a year filled with many challenges. NICHD remained focused on our core mission, advancing key research in women’s health, reproductive science, rare childhood diseases and many more. Watch the video below and review our research highlights of 2020.
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2020
Read about NICHD’s research findings and activities from 2020.
Director's Corner: Celebrating 30 Years of Medical Rehabilitation Research
Our National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research has advanced the field with significant achievements over the past 30 years that have improved the health, independence and quality of life of people with disabilities.
Media Advisory: Plant compound reduces cognitive deficits in mouse model of Down syndrome
The plant compound apigenin improved the cognitive and memory deficits usually seen in a mouse model of Down syndrome, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Apigenin is found in chamomile flowers, parsley, celery, peppermint and citrus fruits. The findings raise the possibility that a treatment to lessen the cognitive deficits seen in Down syndrome could one day be offered to pregnant women whose fetuses have been diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal testing.
Director's Corner: It’s a Family Matter: The NIH INCLUDE Project
The pandemic reinforces why the NIH INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project matters to families and communities.
Item of Interest: NIH Selects Centers to Advance Research on Fragile X Syndrome and Related Conditions
NIH announces funding for three centers for collaborative research on Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual and developmental disability, and related conditions.
Director's Corner: Push to IMPROVE health outcomes for pregnant women
NIH has launched a new initiative that will combat the growing problem of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.
Media Advisory: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities disproportionately affected by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), write the directors of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC) Network, a nationwide group funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A large number of people with IDD who require in-person care have lost the support of trained caregivers and community service providers due to the pandemic.
Media Advisory: NIH-funded effort may help people with intellectual disability participate in clinical studies
The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery—an assessment of cognitive functioning for adults and children participating in neuroscience research—can be adapted to people with intellectual disabilities by modifying some test components and making accommodations for the test-takers’ disabilities, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. The adaptations ensure that the battery can be used to assess the cognitive ability of people with intellectual disabilities who have a mental age of 5 years and above, providing objective measures that could be used in a wide variety of studies.
Item of Interest: Duane Alexander, Former NICHD Director, Dies
Duane Alexander, M.D., a former director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), died on February 16, 2020, from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 79 years old.
Spotlight: A Decade of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) Research
NICHD marks a 10-year partnership with WALTHAM® PetCare Science Institute, a division of Mars, to support research exploring the impact of interactions between animals and human companions.
Director's Corner: Reflecting on 2019
NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi looks back at 2019 and NICHD’s many amazing accomplishments.
Item of Interest: Now Available: NIH Research Plan on Fragile X and Associated Conditions
The Trans-NIH Fragile X Coordinating Committee, led by NICHD, recently published the final NIH Strategic Research Plan on FMR1-Associated Conditions.
Science Update: Fragile X carriers may be at higher risk for several health conditions, NIH-funded study suggests
Carriers of the FMR1 premutation—a mutation in the gene associated with the developmental disorder Fragile X syndrome—may have a higher risk for several health conditions, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Item of Interest: Four NICHD Grantees Honored with PECASE Award
Four NICHD grantees will be honored July 25 in Washington, DC, with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. More than 300 researchers across the country are award recipients, the White House announced July 2.
Spotlight: NICHD Looks Back on 50 Years of Learning Disabilities Research
NICHD’s contributions to research on learning disabilities highlight decades of studies that informed the identification, recognition and treatment of these disorders.
Item of Interest: Focus on FMR1: NIH Invites Comments on its Research Plan on Fragile X and Associated Conditions
NIH invites scientists, advocacy and family groups, representatives from federal and local agencies, and others to provide comments and suggestions on its draft research plan on Fragile X syndrome and associated conditions.
Spotlight: How artificial intelligence and other new technologies are advancing healthcare
Scientists and engineers are pioneering new tools and methods to advance healthcare in revolutionary ways. Learn about emerging technologies funded by NICHD.
Item of Interest: Interested in Medical Rehabilitation? NIH Wants to Hear from You
NIH invites comments on its Plan of Rehabilitation Research to help update the plan.