Research Update at Stanford

(left to right) LuMind Foundation co-founder Jim White, Stanford University’s Dr. Ahmad Salehi , LuMind Executive Director Carolyn Cronin, and Stanford University’s Dr. Craig Heller.

The LuMind Foundation returned to its Bay Area roots on November 2, 2014 with a well-attended research presentation at Stanford University.  More than sixty people filled the room to listen to Drs. Craig Heller and  Ahmad Salehi discuss new developments and achievements in their research. Jim White, one of the founders of what was then known as the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, was also on hand to greet participants and talk about their commitment to Down syndrome cognition research.

Jim White, one of LuMind Foundation’s co-founders, addresses the crowd at the event.

Nutrition and sleep were among the topics discussed. Sleep apnea remains a challenge for many individuals with Down syndrome and is tied to a number of health issues, including diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart problems.

Dr. Salehi also talked about an asthma drug, formoterol, which in large doses has been shown to improve learning and memory in a mouse genetically engineered to mimic Down syndrome in humans by carrying extra copies of genes. At lower doses, this drug is already FDA approved to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Speakers Dr. Heller (pictured) and Dr. Salehi are both LuMind Foundation-funded researchers.

Because over 70% of individuals with Down syndrome suffer from sleep apnea, it is reasonable to think that respiratory issues are common in this population and therefore treatments that target both cognition and respiratory problems, like formoterol, are especially interesting to researchers.

At the conclusion of the presentation, Dr. Heller led a tour of his lab, which was especially popular with the children in attendance.

The LuMind Foundation remains committed to supporting this and other research to find treatments that will improve memory, speech, and learning in people with Down syndrome.  We would like to thank Drs. Heller and Salehi and Jim White for sharing their insights with us. We also appreciate Sara Wernikoff’s hard work organizing the event. And of course, thank you to everyone who attended the presentation.

Affiliate Profile: The DS Association of Central Texas—Something for Everyone

Jack and Suzanne Shepherd

The Down syndrome community of central Texas is blessed with a great support organization. Founded in 1991, the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT) offers a wealth of programs for every stage of life.  We want to recognize DSACT for its generous support of the LuMind Foundation and share what makes them such a special group.

To learn more about DSACT, we spoke to Suzanne Shepherd, the Co-President of the Board of Directors and Healthcare Chair, as well as a busy mom to Jack, who is 17 and happens to have Down syndrome.

Suzanne first became involved with DSACT as a parent after Jake’s birth in 1997. In 2007, she joined the board of DSACT and she has been active in the organization ever since. Suzanne has been instrumental in developing many of DSACT’s programs, from outreach efforts to healthcare professionals to social groups for kids of all ages along with a wide variety of activities and classes. DSACT offers a truly amazing number of programs: book clubs; swimming, dance, and cooking classes; visual and martial arts; etc.

But what we at the LuMind Foundation appreciate beyond anything else is DSACT’s strong commitment to our joint mission of funding Down syndrome cognition research. DSACT has donated very generously to LuMind over the past several years. They have also organized a Research 101 seminar with LuMind’s Dr. Michael Harpold and Carolyn Cronin to educate and inform their members of the progress that has been made in the past decade.

“The research that wasn’t there when my son was born is now there,” says Suzanne, “and that gives me hope!” Hope because, Suzanne points out, “These cognitive treatments will allow people with Down syndrome to make greater strides toward living independent lives.”

Today, we can point to very important discoveries in the area of cognition at well-recognized and prestigious institutions. And, as Suzanne says, it’s more efficient for local organizations to pool their money together to fund research at the national level. In an ideal world, Suzanne would like every affiliate to follow DSACT’s example by contributing 5% of their budget to benefit LuMind and the important cognitive research we fund. We would love that too, Suzanne!