SYNGAP1 Research Institutions
Dr. Holder is a Primary Investigator, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital.
Research Focus: Neurodevelopmental disorders, Autism, SHANK3 mutations
The SYNGAP1 Foundation's, formerly Bridge the Gap's first research grant was awarded to Dr. Jimmy Holder in September 2019. This research grant will fund a clinical study to find biomarker(s) for this disorder that will be used in conjunction with primary research to develop targeted therapies.
Our research program is rapidly expanding towards exciting new horizons in basic and translational research. We aim to understand the links between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) genetic risk, resulting in distributed brain connectivity impairments, and their impact on ASD-relevant behaviors.
Focused on research concentrating on dissecting the developmental program of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a small group of neurons located in the hypothalamus. Its size and well-characterized cellular composition make the PVN an interesting model for studying the fundamental mechanisms controlling the differentiation of neurons and the generation of cellular diversity in the brain.
The theme Behaviour and Cognition focus on better understanding the behavior and mental abilities of people with neurodevelopmental conditions. This theme includes various topics, such as social skills, language development, and play behavior with technological toys.
