In the absence of a clear set of recommendations from doctors for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as fetal alcohol, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorders, many parents and children affected by NDDs turn to unproven diet- and exercise-based treatments. While some research suggests that such interventions can boost brain functioning, very few studies of these programs look at their effectiveness for NDDs.

Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor in children. It is treated with a combination of surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiation. Radiation to a child’s brain can have harmful side effects that may have implications in later development. We intend to use molecular gene expression to classify archived tumors into 4 subgroups with associated low and high risk. Along with this, we will analyze the expression of genes associated with a highly resistant subpopulation of cells called brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs).

Brain cancer is the second most prevalent cancer in children. Current treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, which either prolongs the child’s life for only two years or leaves them with negative side effects such as slowed development. Thus, there is a pressing need for new therapeutics.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images need correction for the loss of photons. This loss, or attenuation, is due to interactions with patient tissues. Corrections are currently done with X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), however we are proposing a method whereby Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) are used. This will be done by creating an attenuation map(?-map). The construction of ?-maps can be divided into two categories, patient specific ?-maps by MRI segmentation, and registration of a predefined atlas to an MRI.

Mobility in the home is a difficult task for older adults with mobility limitations and is associated with a risk of injury from falling. However, it is a requisite for maintaining independence. A number of assistive technologies have been developed to help a number of different activities of daily living, one in specific is the transfer pole – a vertically oriented pole that pressure fits between ceiling and floor and helps the user stand-up. Three common configurations include a single vertical pole, a single pole with a horizontal grab-bar, and two vertical poles.

Cancers are treated today with the appropriate combination of chemotherapy drugs, surgery and radiation. Chemotherapy is almost invariably dosed intravenously, and enters the systemic blood flow where it circulates around the whole body, coming into contact with healthy cells as well as cancerous ones. This systemic dosing has two big problems: too little drug gets to cancer cells, and too much drug comes into contact with healthy cells, causing side effects. Frequently, these dose-limiting side-effects prevent us from delivering the maximally effective anti-cancer drug dose.

Antipsychotic medication is associated with a constellation of metabolic abnormalities, including weight gain, an imbalance between glucose and insulin actions, and higher than normal lipid content. In particular, adolescent psychiatric patients are at increased risk for Type II Diabetes and cardiovascular disease when undergoing therapeutic treatment. Current analysis indicates that antipsychotic drugs have differing effects on body weight gain and fat content.