Led by Dr. Marie Channell, the IDCL aims to better understand how individuals with different types of intellectual disability learn to communicate. Our overarching goal is to characterize the development of skills that support everyday communication in these individuals so that we can identify optimal strategies for supporting their social and academic success.
Lab News and Activities
Celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness and Acceptance Month – October 2022
We partnered with Dr. Mattie’s Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities lab to support our local community of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. We had a blast dressing up as “team spirit”!
New NIH Grant Awarded to Study Autism in Down Syndrome
Dr. Marie Channell (Principal Investigator), UIUC Co-Investigators Dr. Laura Mattie (Associate Professor, Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities Lab), Amy Cohen (Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Psychological Services), and colleagues at Emory University and Johns Hopkins University/Kennedy Krieger Institute were awarded a two-year $440,000 R21 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This study will determine how to best apply autism screening tools and other developmental measures in children with Down syndrome and is part of the NIH INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project. See our Research page for more information.
2022 UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium
Our IDCL students presented their research at the 2022 UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium. Learn more about their research presentations.
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Awards 2022
A record 6 students from our lab won departmental and college student awards. Congratulations!
Undergraduate Student Award Winners: Madison Barrera – Nanine S. Breon Scholarship, Melissa Bruce – Frances L. Johnson Student Scholarship, Nadia Hernandez – Frances L. Johnson Student Scholarship & Jerry D. Burnam Student Scholarship, Kelsey Libert – Silvia Wacker Herzog Scholarship.
Graduate Student Award Winners: Rebekah Bosley – Phyllis Ariens Burkhead Memorial Fellowship, Margo Lanier – John C. and Judith D. Turner Applied Health Sciences Scholarship.
Dr. Channell Featured on Podcast in 2020
Dr. Channell was recently featured on the College of Applied Health Sciences “A Few Minutes With…” podcast series. Listen to her explain some of the lab’s recent work.
