Busting myths and increasing knowledge about common disorders of the developing brain will be the focus of a Saturday, Feb. 6 public forum of the Neuroscience Research Center (NRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
The 15th annual event, “Childhood Brain Diseases,” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Room 3.001, at 6431 Fannin, Houston, Texas, 77030. It is designed to help parents and others discover more about developmental diseases such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“We really want to clear up misconceptions and answer common questions about disorders including autism and ADHD,” said Pedro Mancias, M.D., moderator of the forum and associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology at the UT Medical School at Houston. “We also want to talk about the possible developmental effects of prematurity and help parents with how they can maximize a child’s potential.”
The UT Medical School at Houston’s collaborative panel includes Pauline Filipek, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the Children’s Learning Institute, Division of Developmental Pediatrics, and the Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology; Deborah Pearson, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Nehal Parikh, D.O., assistant professor in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine; and Anne Sereno, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.
Filipek has researched and published extensively on earlier diagnosis and treatment of autism in infants. Pearson’s innovative research on ADHD and autism is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Parikh’s research includes early detection and prevention of perinatal and neonatal brain injury in extremely premature infants. Sereno’s research has clarified brain mechanisms of attention and eye movements and shown how this can help in human diseases.
The event will include a question-and-answer session.
For more information, please visit the Neuroscience Research Center (NRC) website.