Publications
Abbeduto address to launch 2011-2012 Minds Behind the MIND series
Leonard Abbeduto, the new director of the UC Davis MIND Institute, will launch the annual Minds Behind the MIND Lecture series with a presentation about his vision for the future of the institute on Thursday, Oct. 20. The evening will begin with a "meet the director" reception at 4:30 p.m., followed at 5:30 p.m. by his presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Abbeduto oversees more than 250 faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students focused on understanding, preventing and treating neurological disorders that arise during childhood, including autism, fragile X syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, Down syndrome, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
Leonard Abbeduto
At the institute, Abbeduto directs cutting-edge research, comprehensive educational programs to train the next generation of clinicians and scientists, innovative clinical services to diagnose and treat children, family resources, and extensive community engagement activities. In addition to serving as the MIND Institute's director, Abbeduto is the holder of the Tsakopoulos-Vismara Endowed Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the UC Davis School of Medicine.
A nationally recognized researcher and a leader in improving the lives of children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities, Abbeduto studies the behavioral growth of individuals with intellectual disabilities, particularly their development and use of language. His research on language is focuses on fragile X syndrome, the most common known cause of inherited intellectual disability and the leading single-gene cause of autism. He also investigates the effects of stress on parents and caregivers who raise children with neurodevelopmental disorders and how their stress affects the behavior and development of their children.
Abbeduto is the recipient of many awards, including the 2010 Enid and William Rosen Research Award for outstanding contributions to understanding fragile X syndrome from the National Fragile X Foundation. He is the recipient of the University of Wisconsin's Emil H. Steiger Distinguished Teaching Award and the Distinguished Faculty Award from the University of Wisconsin's School of Education. Abbeduto is a fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He is the author of more than 100 research papers, books and book chapters and has made numerous presentations throughout the nation and the world.
The MIND Institute is located at 2825 50th St., Sacramento, Calif., 95817. Its Resource Center will be open to the public from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and for 30 minutes following the presentation. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the MIND Institute for $3 after 5 p.m., and on-street parking is free.
For questions or more information, please contact Terri Contenti, Community Relations Officer, at (916) 703-0289, or theresa.contenti@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
