About Us

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development has been opening doors and transforming the lives of children and adults with disabilities through research, training, and innovative services for more than 55 years. Our mission is to facilitate discoveries and best practices to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. We support and apply scientific research to bring better services and training to our communities.

We are a national Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC). More than 200 researchers representing all departments of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center bring their expertise to understanding how humans develop. We serve Tennessee as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD). We train health care professionals through the Vanderbilt Consortium Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. We address autism through the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD).

The VKC IDDRC is funded by Grant No. 1P50HD103537-01 from NICHD. The VKC UCEDD is funded by AOD Grant No. 9DDUC0077. LEND is funded by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau Grant No. T73MC30767.

Leadership

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

  • Jeffrey Neul, M.D., Ph.D., Center Director
  • Laurie Cutting, Ph.D., Associate Director
  • Tim Stafford, Director of Operations
  • Courtney Taylor, Director of Communications

UCEDD

  • Elise McMillan, Director
  • Evon Lee, Ph.D., Director of Training
  • Robert Hodapp, Ph.D., Director of Research
  • Courtney Taylor, Director of Dissemination

LEND

  • Evon Lee, Ph.D., Director
  • Rachel Goode, M.D., Associate Director (Nashville)
  • Cynthia Chambers, Ph.D., Associate Director (Johnson City)

TRIAD

  • Zachary Warren, Ph.D., Executive Director
  • Pablo Juàrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, Co-Director
  • Alacia Stainbrook, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Co-Director
  • Amy Weitlauf, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research
  • Whitney Loring, Ph.D., Director of Training
  • Jeffrey Hine, Ph.D., BCBA, Director of Primary Care Outreach

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Community Advisory Council

  • Bryshawn Jemison, Chair
  • Tonya Bowman, Vice Chair
  • Alisha Brown
  • Mary Ellen Chase
  • Alicia Cone
  • Shana Crispin
  • Joanie Crowley
  • Angelica Deaton
  • Tatum Gross
  • Heidi Haines
  • Hunter Hancock
  • Karen Harrison
  • Loria Hubbard
  • Kathy Irvin
  • Dahron Johnson
  • Frank Meeuwis
  • Sean Mevis
  • Tremeta Norman
  • Doria Panvini
  • Jaimie Patrick
  • Dalmys Sanchez
  • Marnique Riley Strickland
  • Tamara Tuckson
  • Angela Webster

Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Advisory Council

  • Susan Arwood
  • Kara Boo
  • Tonya Bowman
  • Alicia Cone
  • Malessa Fleenor
  • Heidi Haines
  • Mary Held
  • Jacqueline Johnson
  • Elise McMillan
  • Sheila Moore
  • Jessica Moore
  • Lauren Pearcy
  • Cathy R. Taylor
  • Egbhai Uriri
  • Carol Westlake
  • Lynn Williams