Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network
The IBIS Network is a well-established consortium of researchers across North America specializing in MRI imaging and behavioral characterization of infants with and without developmental delays. Our team of researchers and scientists pioneer MRI technology that allows us to look at the shape, function, and connections within the brain to better understand early brain development in infants with Down syndrome. Families participate in research at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington University in St Louis, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Our Principal Investigator
Kelly N. Botteron, MD
- Principal Investigator
- Down Syndrome Infant Brain Imaging Study
- Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology
- Division of Child Psychiatry
- Washington University School of Medicine
Dr. Botteron’s clinical research focuses on child and adolescent psychiatry, early onset depression, very early brain development in developmental disorders, and structural differences in children and adolescents with affective disorders and ADHD.
About Our Study Sites
The Center for Autism Research (CAR) is a collaboration between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania. CAR’s multidisciplinary research team is working every day to uncover the underlying causes of autism spectrum disorder in order to develop precision treatments that can dramatically improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and related developmental disabilities.
As of August 2019, CAR’s research team is also working to increase our understanding of how the brain is affected in infants and school-age children with and without Down syndrome. Our goal is to help identify therapeutic targets for intervention for individuals with Down syndrome. In addition, CAR works closely with CHOP’s Trisomy 21 clinic and their pediatricians, neurologists, nurse practitioners, physical therapists and social workers with the goal of providing the most successful outcomes for children with Down Syndrome. Federal- and state-funded autism projects led by CAR investigators have included epidemiological studies, studies of behavioral and brain development, training grants and intervention studies. In addition to research, CAR’s mission is to support families and train professionals through community outreach and evidence-based education and training in the latest developments in ASD, Down Syndrome, and other screening, diagnosis and treatment, and to provide training for the next generation of master clinicians and researchers in the field.
You can contact the IBIS team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia via email at ibis@email.chop.edu or phone at 267-425-1727.
The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine conducts research and training and provides clinical services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The institute brings together three federally funded programs of national significance: the University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), North Carolina Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) programs.
The CIDD also maintains strong research and clinical ties with the UNC Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH) Autism Program. Multidisciplinary research teams at CIDD collaborate in their focus on a range of neurodevelopmental disorders and their underlying mechanisms. The institute’s overarching aim is to translate basic science and clinical research findings into real-world interventions in the community and the clinic.
You can contact the IBIS team at UNC via email at ibisnetwork@cidd.unc.edu or phone at 919-843-1331.
The UW Autism Center is devoted to supporting individuals and families affected by developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder through exceptional clinical services, innovative scientific research and high-quality training. Their mission is to offer state-of-the-art clinical services to individuals with developmental disabilities from birth through young adulthood, and their families; to increase community knowledge and service capacity through public awareness and professional training; and to conduct research on what causes developmental disabilities and ASD, how they develop, and how we can help individuals reach their highest potential.
The UW Autism Center is part of the Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD) at the University of Washington and incorporates faculty and staff from the UW School of Medicine, College of Arts & Sciences, and College of Education. The research program at the UW Autism Center collaborates with scientists from a variety of disciplines in an effort to discover the cause of developmental disabilities, Down Syndrome, and autism and develop effective treatments. The program is part of a large network and is funded by the National Institutes of Health Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program. Collaboration is essential as we address the questions confronting individuals, families, and the larger community.
You can contact the IBIS team at UW via email at ibisstudy@uw.edu or phone at 206-543-2125.
Washington University School of Medicine is committed to advancing human health throughout the world. As noted leaders in patient care, research and education, our outstanding faculty has contributed many discoveries and innovations to science and medicine since the school’s founding in 1891. As one of the largest recipients of NIH funding for research and training, Washington University School of Medicine is among the nation’s most dynamic and robust research enterprises. Our faculty currently includes 15 National Academy of Sciences fellows, 27 members of the National Academy of Medicine and five investigators with NIH MERIT status.
They have earned 97 individual and/or institutional NIH career development awards and 51 career development awards from non-federal agencies. Longitudinal brain imaging to characterize very early brain development in developmental disabilities is one of many medical breakthroughs that may effectively translate new research discoveries into tools, methods and treatments that will start benefitting patients.
You can contact the IBIS team at WashU via email at ibis@wustl.edu or phone at 888-845-6786.
Want to work with us?
This study, ‘A Longitudinal MRI Study Characterizing Very Early Brain Development in Infants with Down Syndrome’ is made possible by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Down Syndrome Infant Brain Imaging Study © 2020