CAN is affiliated with teams of researchers studying Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and its implications for people in South Carolina and beyond.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges, and various physical characteristics. Though FXS occurs in both genders, males are more frequently affected than females, and generally with greater severity. Life expectancy is not affected in people with FXS because there are usually no life-threatening health concerns associated with the condition.
Provide a form for families of children with FXS, promote public awareness of FXS with special emphasis on educators and health care professionals and support scientific research on FXS.
Several of CAN's faculty are doing incredibly important FXS research. Learn more below!
Dr. Roberts is a Carolina Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Natural Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her work focuses on understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie cognitive and behavioral functioning in children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, fragile X syndrome, and ADHD. Dr. Roberts co-founded CAN and also serves as CAN's Executive Director.
Dr. Hogan's research focuses on social communication in neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome), with an emphasis on factors that contribute to social communication development in young children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Hogan is especially interested in understanding the relationship between physiological regulation, anxiety symptoms, and social communication difficulties in young children.
Dr. Klusek’s research program focuses on delineating communication, social, and cognitive associated with FMR1 gene dysfunction, such as in fragile X syndrome and carriers of the FMR1 premutation. Research interests include genetic and environmental influences on phenotypic expression across the lifespan; use of cross-syndrome methods to identify areas of phenotypic overall and divergence with autism and the broad autism phenotype; identification of biological correlates of symptom expression, with a focus on autonomic dysfunction and genetic markers.