The University of Washington’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), based at the Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD), provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary research program in the field of intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and related aspects of human development. Research is carried out in three major domains:
- Developmental and Molecular Genetics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Developmental Processes and Behavioral Science.
Interdisciplinary collaborations are emphasized in research carried out in connection with Collaborative Research Areas:
- Acquired Central Nervous System Injury
- Autism, Craniofacial Malformations
- Developmental Toxicology, Ecological Factors
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Fragile X Syndrome, Disorders of Hindbrain Development
- Learning Disabilities, and Neurodegenerative Disorders.
Five scientific core facilities and one administrative core enhance the effectiveness of scientists carrying out their research as part of the IDDRC. The scientific core support facilities are as follows:
- Animal Behavior
- Behavioral Science
- Brain Imaging
- Cellular Morphology
- Genetics
- Instrument Development Laboratory.
Other IDDRC objectives include training researchers in various disciplines, disseminating research findings, and maintaining linkages to clinical training activities and exemplary service programs.