Category Archives: Events

Bernier Lab Interns Present at the 2019 UW Undergraduate Research Symposium!

Interns from the Bernier Lab presented their research at the 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Washington’s Mary Gates Hall on Friday, May 17th 2019. The Undergraduate Research Symposium at UW is one of the nation’s largest undergraduate symposiums, with nearly a thousand posters from across a wide variety of disciplines submitted from undergraduates who are representing their departments and research. In order to present at this event, our interns had to apply, write an abstract, collect their data, run statistics, and design their posters to clearly display their research findings.  Interns were supported by mentors from the lab, including staff, graduate students and post-docs. Three posters from four of the Bernier Lab’s undergraduate interns were selected for presentation in the 2019 Symposium:

Lauren ‘Koko’ Hall (pictured above) presented a poster titled: Maternal Thyroid Dysfunction, Likely Gene Disrupting Mutations and the Impact on ASD Severity.

Aiva Petriceks and Christine Haensli (pictured above) worked together to present a poster titled: An Exploration of Behavioral Phenotypes Related to DYRK1A and ADNP Gene Mutations Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

Katherine Wadhwani (pictured above) presented a poster titled: Alpha Power in ASD.

We are so proud of our interns for their hard work and dedication! If you’re interested in reading their posters in detail, follow this link: UW Undergraduate Symposium.

Event: Pre-Conference by local autistic self-advocates

Bellevue College is hosting a pre-conference created entirely by local autistic self-advocates. There will be speakers, lunch and refreshments at this free, half-day event!

Saturday August 25th, 2018
10:00am-2:00pm

South Seattle College Georgetown Campus
6737 Corson Ave S
Seattle, WA 98108

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-local-preview-of-bellevue-colleges-autistics-present-tickets-47799994069

Check-in and refreshments begin at 10, first speaker at 10:30, lunch at 11:50. The day’s events will conclude at 2.

Accessibility: We are striving to accommodate sometimes conflicting access needs. We will add details here as we can. Please contact us at events@complexiphy.org with any questions or requests. To provide as scent-free an event as possible, we request that all who attend, refrain from the following before or during the event: smoking; wearing colognes, perfumes or scented oils; or using scented laundry detergents or fabric softeners. We also ask that attendees wear clothes that have had limited exposure to the items above.

Again, tickets are free, but if you would like to make a contribution to support local Autistic Self-advocate efforts, you may do so through PayPal

 

Welcoming the 2018 Special Olympics USA National Games to Seattle!

This week, over 4,000 athletes and coaches traveled from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to compete in events at the 2018 Special Olympics USA National Games, hosted in Seattle, WA. After beginning on July 1st, the USA National Games are now on the fourth day of events.

Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago. The Games hosted about 1,000 athletes in more than 200 events. Now, 50 years later, the Special Olympics boasts over 5.3 million athletes from 170 countries. The Special Olympics exists to provide year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, while also continuing their opportunities to develop physical fitness, gain courage, experience joy, and to share their skills with their families, teammates, and communities.

The Special Olympics USA National Games, part of the Special Olympics Movement, hope to use the joy of sports and competition as a catalyst to create social change and to promote a more inclusive community. In May of 2015, the local Special Olympics Washington was awarded the bid to host the 4th quadrennial USA National Games. Of the 4,000 athletes competing in this year’s USA National Games, more than 300 of them are represented by Special Olympics Washington – the largest delegation among state programs.

The University of Washington (UW), along with Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University, is proudly hosting events on its campus, including Powerlifting, Track & Field, and Tennis. This year, staff from the UW Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD), where UW’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD), and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs are based, happily came out to support the athletes and teams at several events as volunteers.

Jen Gerdts, PhD, UW LEND Director, attended Day 2 of the events

As “Fans in the Stands” volunteers, CHDD staff, including members of the UW Bernier Lab and UW LEND, cheered on the various competing teams, helping to foster a positive and competitive atmosphere for the events and athletes. Announcers politely asked spectators to refrain from booing and yelling, but heavily encouraged them to scream with excitement for all players.

For CHDD staff, volunteering as “Fans in the Stands” was a fun way to support the hardworking athletes during the Special Olympics. Staff, interns, and directors alike all watched excitedly and clapped alongside fans from Minnesota and Florida during the flag football game, and chanted along with the team from Minnesota after their loss, helping to keep spirits high. They also had the opportunity to support the WA women’s basketball team from the local Special Olympics branch and their competitors from the Texas women’s team. Overall, the USA National Games in Seattle are shaping up to be an exciting week of events!

Members of the UW Bernier Lab at CHDD are excited to support the Seattle Games!

 

Written by: Daniel Cho, Research Assistant

Gatlinburg Conference: An Interview with Bri Cairney

Five members of the Bernier Lab recently attended the Gatlinburg Conference. I interviewed our EEG and Eye Tracking research coordinator Brianna Cairney, who was in attendance, about her experience.

What is this conference about and how does it relate to the research we conduct here in our lab?

The full title of the conference is The Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. As the title suggests, this conference is focused on research surrounding intellectual and developmental syndromes such as Autism, Downs, Fragile X, ADHD, etc. Gatlinburg has met annually since the 1960s, highlighting a different theme each year. This year’s theme was “Biological and Cultural Perspectives on the Family: Implications for IDD” which directly relates to our work in the lab investigating potential biomarkers of neurodevelopmental disorders using EEG and Eye Tracking measures.

What was the Bernier Lab’s contribution to the conference?

All four of our postdocs, Drs. Caitlin Hudac, Jen Beighley, Anne Arnett, and Jess Peterson, presented a fascinating symposium panel entitled “Uncovering Genetic Subtypes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.” Each postdoc described the features of a different genetic subtype (SCN2A, CHD8, ADNP, and GRIN2B) that we observed through a variety of behavioral, cognitive, and electrophysiological measures. The four presentations paralleled one another nicely, in part because each presenter used the same unique approach, looking broadly at clinical diagnosis and behavior, and then gradually honing in on information processing, neural activity, and finally genes.

I presented a poster entitled “Evaluation of EEG Success in Populations with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.”

What was your poster about?

Using EEG trail retention data, I showed that although there is a correlation between IQ and EEG success, participants with even very low IQ are, by and large, able to successfully complete EEG. Specifically, 95% of our participants completed EEG. Notably, over 65% of participants with an IQ of less than 55 retained a desirable number of usable trials. Personally, I think this is very exciting, because we are able to capture information about the neural processes of children who might otherwise struggle to complete traditional cognitive testing. For example, three children in my sample were unable to complete IQ testing, yet two of them still successfully completed EEG. Using EEG data, we can learn more about how these kids process information around them and how certain cognitive processes might relate to some of the syndromic features of their diagnoses. For example, in a recently published study by Dr. Hudac et al. (2018), we found that children with autism display a heightened neural response to novel sounds in an auditory task, and was correlated with atypical sensory sensitivities.

The second part of my poster described different strategies we use to ensure participant comfort and compliance before and during sessions, such as sending home a practice EEG netcap and tolerance training plan a few weeks prior to the session and being flexible to the participant’s unique needs and abilities during the session.

What were some of your favorite parts of the conference?

There was a fantastic symposium by Drs. Jane Roberts, Shafali Jeste, Heather Cody Hazlett, and Susan Rivera entitled “Benefits and Challenges of Biomarker Research: Lessons Learned from Studies of Peripheral and Neural Indicators in IDD.” A large part of my job involves conducting EEG and Eye Tracking experiments and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty enthusiastic about using neurophysiological measures to understand IDD. The women presenting in this panel are all prominent researchers who use EEG/ERP, MRI, heart rate, and other physiological measures in their work. They highlighted the advantages of biomarker research (e.g. advances in technology, affordability, ease of utility, theoretical advances, objectivity, ability to elicit responses that are otherwise unobservable) but balanced their praise with a healthy amount of skepticism, identifying some of the challenges and risks. Dr. Roberts cautioned against “objectivity bias” – valuing certain measures (i.e. EEG, eye tracking) as more valuable than behavioral measures, or crediting such methods as more objective than they actually are. She also emphasized the lack of normative data, the challenges surrounding tolerance and compliance to many biomarker measures, and the expertise required to process and interpret biomarker data.

I also really liked the vibe at Gatlinburg. This conference is largely composed of graduate students, postdocs, and fellows, which results in a supportive, welcoming environment where learning and asking questions is encouraged. Additionally, the majority of attendees are female – it’s always cool to see women playing an active role in science and research, especially so in leadership roles. Finally, the conference was held in San Diego this year, so I got to experience a few days of sunshine, which was a welcome break from the gray dreary “April showers” of Seattle. Also I rode a rollercoaster. Twice. And ate tacos every day.

Autism Research Series: Discovery to Solutions – Seattle

On June 14th Seattle Children’s Hospital will host the “Autism Research Series: Discover to Solution”, with Dr. Bernier and Dr. Minjarez on the research panel, hosted by Dr. Hartley from Autism Speaks.
The event is open to the public but RSVP should be done in advance at this link.

This event includes a Resource Fair (5:30 PM-6:30 PM), panel discussion, Q&A session, and many opportunities for networking.

*Ocean Parking is free (upper levels)

Date: Thursday, June 14, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Ocean Café, located on the Main Hospital Campus, 7th level
Seattle Children’s Hospital
4800 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

SPARK January Webinar – Addressing Autism in Today’s Criminal Justice System

Hello SPARK Community Partners!

See below for information about registering for SPARK’s January webinar on autism and the criminal justice system.

            SPARK Webinar – Creating a Culture of Prevention: Addressing Autism in Today’s Criminal Justice System

            Leigh Ann Davis, MSSW, MPA & Samantha Crane, JD

            Tuesday, January 23

            9-10am PST

            Click here to register.

Ms. Davis and Ms. Crane will discuss:

·         Individual strategies and system reforms that could increase the safety of individuals with autism when interacting with police and the criminal justice system

·         Ways to reduce unnecessary police interactions, improve access to emergency services, and ensure access to effective communication in emergencies or during police interactions

www.SPARKforAutism.org/UW