HUGO W MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KENNEDY KRIEGER INC

SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS AT THE HUGO W. MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE ARE LEADERS IN THE WORLDWIDE EFFORT TO PREVENT AND TREAT DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN, SPINAL CORD, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. OUR INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO BREAK NEW GROUND WITH INNOVATIVE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNOLOGY, INVESTIGATE CRITICAL AREAS, SUCH AS THE ROLE OF GENETICS IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, AND DEVELOP NEW TREATMENT MODELS AND THERAPIES. KENNEDY KRIEGER IS COMMITTED TO SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED AND USED BY OTHER HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS TO BENEFIT PATIENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.AREAS OF RESEARCH ADDRESSED BY THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:ADVANCED BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH - THE F.M. KIRBY RESEARCH CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL BRAIN IMAGING WITHIN THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE IS AN NIH-RECOGNIZED NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF NEUROIMAGING TECHNOLOGY. RESEARCHERS AT THE KIRBY CENTER USE MRI TECHNOLOGY TO MAP THE ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN. INVESTIGATORS AT THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE USE THESE TECHNIQUES TO STUDY AUTISM, ADHD, ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY, BRAIN INJURY, CEREBRAL PALSY, LEARNING DISORDERS, RETT'S SYNDROME, AND NUMEROUS OTHER DISORDERS. AUTISM AND NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS RESEARCH - THE PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT AND CARD ARE INVOLVED IN RESEARCH PROJECTS WHERE STRIDES TAKEN IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS HAVE IMPROVED THERAPIES FOR THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES OFTEN SEEN IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.BEHAVIOR AND FEEDING DISORDERS RESEARCH - THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL UNIT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF PRODUCING DATA-BASED RESEARCH IN A NUMBER OF AREAS CRITICAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND TREATMENT OF BEHAVIOR DISORDERS. TODAY, THE UNIT SYSTEMATICALLY EXPLORES REFINEMENTS OF THE METHODS OF ASSESSING THE FUNCTIONS OF CHILDREN'S PROBLEM BEHAVIOR.BIOINFORMATICS RESEARCH - BIOINFORMATICS IS THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY USING THE TOOLS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE. BIOINFORMATICS ENABLES THE STUDY OF PROTEINS, GENES, AND GENOMES USING COMPUTER ALGORITHMS AND COMPUTER DATABASES.BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH - THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SUPPORTS DIVERSE EFFORTS DEVOTED TO COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN WITH BRAIN TUMORS, TO UNDERSTANDING HOW TUMORS ALTER FUNCTION OF THE CHILD'S BRAIN AND TO UNDERSTANDING THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PATHWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRAIN TUMOR GROWTH. MORE BASIC RESEARCH USING BRAIN TUMOR ANIMAL MODELS AND CULTURED CELLS TO IDENTIFY NEW MOLECULAR THERAPEUTIC TARGETS AND NOVEL GENES LINKED TO MALIGNANCY IS UNDERTAKEN. NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATIONS WITH BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES.CDC "RISE" (RESEARCH INITIATIVES FOR STUDENT ENHANCEMENT) - RISE IS A CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION FUNDED RESEARCH EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE AND MEDICAL STUDENTS ATTENDING HISTORICALLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH. STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN MENTORED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WITH FACULTY AT KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE, JHU BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO CHILDREN. POTENTIAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES ARE DIVERSE AND INCLUDE APPLIED AND LABORATORY STUDIES ENCOMPASSING AREAS SUCH AS ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, AND CHILD MALTREATMENT.CENTER FOR GENETIC DISORDERS OF COGNITION AND BEHAVIOR (THE "GCB CENTER") - THE GCB CENTER FOCUSES ON ADVANCING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE ON GENETIC DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. MAJOR DISORDERS INVESTIGATED BY THE CENTER INCLUDE FRAGILE X SYNDROME, RETT SYNDROME, AND DOWN SYNDROME, ETC.CEREBRAL PALSY AND OTHER MOVEMENT DISORDERS RESEARCH - RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, AND ARE FORMULATED ON THE BASIS OF NEEDS OF AFFECTED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.GENETIC, METABOLIC, AND DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISORDERS RESEARCH - MORE THAN A THOUSAND GENETIC DISORDERS THAT LEAD TO ABNORMALITIES OF BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. THEY INCLUDE A LARGE NUMBER OF NEUROMETABOLIC DISORDERS IN WHICH THE PRECISE BIOCHEMICAL DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. OTHER DISORDERS SUCH AS DOWN SYNDROME, IN WHICH ABNORMALITIES IN THE NUMBER OR STRUCTURE OF CHROMOSOMES OCCURS, HAS ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNIQUES SUCH AS LIQUID AND HIGH PERFORMANCE CHROMATOGRAPHY, MASS SPECTROMETRY, ENZYMATIC, CYTOGENETICS AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES AND STUDIES IN ANIMAL MODELS OF HUMAN DISEASE STATES HAVE LED TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE DISORDERS DAMAGE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HAVE ALSO LED TO NEW TREATMENTS. THESE TREATMENTS MAY INVOLVE DIET, SPECIAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS, PHARMACOLOGICAL AGENTS, AND TRANSPLANTS.LEARNING AND OTHER COGNITIVE DISORDERS RESEARCH - RESEARCHERS AT THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE ARE DEDICATED TO UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS OF LEARNING AND COMMUNICATION DISABILITIES, THEIR PREVENTION, EARLY IDENTIFICATION, AND TREATMENT, WHEN THEY INTERFERE WITH A CHILD'S PROGRESS AT HOME AND IN SCHOOL. THE NEUROLOGIC AND GENETIC BASES FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS, COMMUNICATION DISORDERS AND ATTENTION-DEFICIT DISORDERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED THROUGH NEUROGENETIC TESTING, NEUROIMAGING AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF NORMAL AND AFFECTED CHILDREN. EARLY IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS INCLUDE NEW TEST DEVELOPMENT AND TRACKING OF HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS. INVESTIGATIONS OF NEW TREATMENT APPROACHES INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, LANGUAGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS, USE OF MEDICATIONS, AND USE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN AFFECTED CHILDREN.MENTAL RETARDATION/ DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH CENTER - THIS CENTER FEATURES INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AND A CENTRAL THEME, BRAIN MECHANISMS WHEREBY GENOTYPES RESULT IN A SPECIFIC COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPES OF MENTAL RETARDATION OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY.MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH - MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE STANDS AT THE FRONTIER WHERE RAPID PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR GENETICS CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO THERAPIES FOR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR WHICH THERE IS CURRENTLY NO TREATMENT. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN DISORDERS WORLDWIDE IS DEFICIENCY OF THE HORMONE THYROXINE CAUSED BY A DEFICIENCY OF IODINE. THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S PROGRAM IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE IS MAKING FUNDAMENTAL DISCOVERIES ABOUT HOW THE BRAIN DEVELOPS SO THAT THEY CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO THERAPIES FOR CURRENTLY INCURABLE DISEASES.NEUROBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH UNIT - THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH UNIT (THE "NBRU"), LOCATED WITHIN THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, IS ONE OF FOUR RESEARCH UNITS OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER (THE "GCRC"). THE GCRC PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1960 TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN SPECIALIZED RESOURCES IN WHICH CLINICAL INVESTIGATORS CAN OBSERVE AND STUDY HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AS WELL AS STUDY AND TREAT DISEASE WITH INNOVATIVE APPROACHES. CENTERS OPERATE AS DISCRETE, MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL, MULTI-CATEGORICAL RESOURCES WHERE SCIENTISTS FROM MANY DEPARTMENTS COMPLEMENT THEIR LABORATORY STUDIES WITH CAREFULLY CONTROLLED CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS AND ANALYSES. JHU HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST, MOST COMPREHENSIVE GCRCS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE NBRU, UNDER A SUB-CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH THE GCRC, IS A CLINICAL RESEARCH UNIT DEVOTED TO NEUROBEHAVIOR ANALYSIS WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON RARE BRAIN DISORDERS.REHABILITATION RESEARCH - THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S PROGRAM IN REHABILITATION RESEARCH IS MAKING DISCOVERIES ON BRAIN-BEHAVIOR RELATIONSHIPS; MEASURING, PREDICTING AND IMPROVING OUTCOMES; AND TRANSLATING BASIC SCIENCE TO THE BEDSIDE IN TRIALS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.SPINAL CORD INJURY AND PARALYSIS RESEARCH - CLINICAL TRIALS ARE UNDER WAY TO SUPPORT THE VALUE OF ADVANCED RESTORATION THERAPIES IN HELPING INDIVIDUALS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY RECOVER SENSATION, FUNCTION AND MOBILITY. THE NEXT STEP FOR SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCHERS WILL BE EVALUATING THE RESULTS OF CLINICAL TRIALS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE THERAPIES' EFFICACY. A RETROSPECTIVE TRIAL OF 60 ADULT PATIENTS' RESPONSE TO ADVANCED RESTORATION THERAPIES IS ALREADY UNDERWAY; A NEW COLLABORATION BETWEEN KENNEDY KRIEGER AND PHILADELPHIA'S SHRINER'S HOSPITAL WILL INVOLVE PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF THE THERAPY'S IMPACT ON PEDIATRIC SPINAL CORD INJURIES. IN ADDITION TO THE CLINICAL TRIALS, RESEARCHERS ARE EXPLORING NEW WAYS TO PERFORM CELL TRANSPLANTATION.