Overview of the Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities Research Center (MRDDRC) at Kennedy Krieger Institute (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

There are five cores funded by P30 HD24061, now in its 14th year. There is also a new program development component that has been in effect since 1998 and is currently devoted to its second young Investigator. Core A (administrative/biostatistical) provides through the administration of Dr. Denckla (MRDDRC) pre-approved, filtered (and scientifically shaped) access to Dr. Scott Zeger, who oversees assignments of biostatistical analyses to appropriate members of the Department he directs (in the Bloomberg School of Public Health). This core has permitted many young new Investigators with relatively small budgets to access a varied and sophisticated “menu” of designs and analysis methods. Core B (genetics) provides a broad range of cytogenetic and molecular (including microarray technology) consultations of clearly high relevance to studies of mental retardation in particular. Core C (neuroscience) is divided into (a) an excitatory amino acids focus and (b) a fatty acids/cholesterol metabolic focus, each of which draws upon the expertise of a renowned laboratory, that of (a) Dr. Michael Johnston and (b) Dr. Hugo Moser, facilitating research on these important receptor and metabolic pathophysiologies. Core E (neuroimaging) has since 1998 undergone the greatest expansion, with added funding from core D that previously existed (hence the skipped letter designation). Headed by an M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Michael Kraut (neuroradiologist), this core offers investigators a broad “menu” of expertise, including functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, volumetricanatomic and diffusion-tensor-anatomic imaging. The expanded roles and university−wide impact of core E reflect the creation over 2 years ago of the F.M. Kirby Imaging