“I can think of no one more deserving of this honor. Although a physician and scientist, Randi is a public servant in the true sense of the title. Her passion to bring positive change to the lives of individuals and families impacted by Fragile X and autism sets the bar. We at the National Fragile X Foundation are proud to carry on the work that Randi started 30 years ago when she established the NFXF. The families we serve sleep better at night knowing that Randi is on the job. We offer our most heartfelt congratulations and thanks to Randi on the occasion of this well deserved award.” said Jeffrey Cohen, NFXF interim executive director.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Randi Jenssen Hagerman, who has devoted her life to relieving the suffering of children and families affected by Fragile X syndrome and related conditions worldwide through patient care, research and teaching, has received a Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award from the UC Davis Academic Senate.
Randi Hagerman, medical director of the UC Davis MIND Institute
The medical director of the UC Davis MIND Institute, Hagerman is one of the world’s leading investigators into the disorders that include Fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism. She has lobbied the United States Congress to increase funding for Fragile X research and is a founder of the National Fragile X Foundation.
Fragile X-related disorders include Fragile X syndrome; Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), an age-related movement disorder that affects older men; and Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency.
Hagerman treats patients with these conditions from throughout the country and the world, and is an active and vocal champion for greater funding for research and treatment. She has established clinics and mentored physicians and researchers on virtually every continent. Hagerman currently is establishing a treatment site at a Fragile X hotspot in Colombia.
“We’re forging relationships and developing diagnostic and treatment studies with many centers internationally to advance therapies for the tens of thousands of people who suffer from Fragile X disorders worldwide,” Hagerman said. “We want families everywhere to benefit from the MIND Institute’s remarkable neurodevelopmental expertise in both Fragile X and in autism.”
The award from the Academic Senate was announced April 29. Hagerman will be recognized at a ceremony on May 13.
“I am humbled by this award and truly grateful for the recognition of the UC Davis Academic Senate for our international efforts in Fragile X diagnosis and treatment,” Hagerman said. “My efforts represent a multidisciplinary team of wonderful clinicians and scientists who make our Fragile X work truly outstanding and dramatically helpful for the patients and the families that we serve.”
The UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif., was founded in 1998 as a unique interdisciplinary research center where families, community leaders, researchers, clinicians and volunteers work together toward a common goal: researching causes, treatments and eventual preventions and cures for neurodevelopmental disorders. The institute has major research efforts in autism, Fragile X syndrome, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Down syndrome. More information about the institute and its Distinguished Lecturer Series, including previous presentations in this series, is available on the Web at mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu.