The Jr. Investigator Awards exists to promote and grow future research and treatment professionals in the Fragile X field by providing the invaluable experience of attending, networking, and presenting at the NFXF International Fragile X Conference.

We are SO excited to have such brilliant minds in the Fragile X field. The NFXF is proud to support these Junior Investigators and build the next generation of Fragile X experts.

Join us in celebrating our eight Jr. Investigator awardees!

2024 Jr. Investigators: Lisa DeStefano, PhD; Brett Dufour, PhD; Nell Maltman, PhD; Caroline Dias, MD, PhD; Andrew Dakopolos, PhD; Sarah Nelson Potter, PhD, CCC-SLP; Walker McKinney, PhD; and Kimaya Sarmukadam, PhD.

Lisa DeStefano, PhD

Visual Discrimination in FXS: Insights From Behavior and EEG

Affiliation: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Brett Dufour, PhD

Evidence for Widespread Loss of Parvalbumin Expressing GABAergic Interneurons Throughout the Human Fragile X Brain

Affiliation: UC Davis

Nell Maltman, PhD

Language Features Among Individuals with Symptoms of Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome

Affiliation: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Caroline Dias, MD, PhD

Cell-Type-Specific Effects of the Fragile X Premutation in Human Brain

Affiliation: Children’s Colorado

Andrew Dakopolos, PhD

Developmental Links Between Cognition, Adaptive Behavior, and Intelligence in Individuals with Fragile X Syndrome

Affiliation: UC Davis

Sarah Nelson Potter, PhD, CCC-SLP

Correlates of Parenting Stress in Mothers and Fathers of Young Boys with Fragile X Syndrome

Affiliation: RTI International

Walker McKinney, PhD

Results from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Control Trial of lovastatin and Minocycline in Fragile X Syndrome

Affiliation: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Kimaya Sarmukadam, PhD

Sensory Impairments Predict Anxiety Symptoms in Preschoolers with Fragile X Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study

Affiliation: University of South Carolina