Donald G. Doehring Memorial Lecture
Dr. Barbara Lewis - Professor - Department of Psychological Sciences - Case Western Reserve University
Genetics of Language and Learning Disorders: A New Era of Discovery
Over the past 20 years, new genetic methodologies have allowed us to search for genes for speech, language, reading and learning disorders as never before. Amazing advances in technology have allowed for the sequencing of an individual’s genome relatively inexpensively making “personalized medicine” a reality. As our knowledge of the human genome has exploded so has the questions concerning the inheritance of complex human traits such as spoken and written language. This seminar will review what is known about the genetics of language and learning disorders incorporating findings from genome wide association studies, whole genome sequencing, and epigenetic studies ( i.e. heritable changes in gene activity that do not involve mutation of genes). Shared and unique endophenotypes that contribute to speech, language, and reading disorders will be proposed and the interplay of genetic and environmental factors on these cognitive traits explored. Finally, the application of genetics to clinical practice will be discussed.
Biography:
Barbara A. Lewis, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine. Her interests include the etiological bases of child language disorders with a focus on genetic, medical and neurological conditions that impact speech and language development. For the past 22 years, Dr. Lewis has been the principal investigator on an NIH funded project investigating the genetic basis of speech sound disorders, the most common type of communication disorder in early childhood. She is also a co-investigator on a longitudinal project examining speech, language, academic and social outcomes of children exposed to cocaine prenatally.
On another longitudinal project, Dr. Lewis is a co-investigator examining developmental outcomes of very low birth weight children and associated medical conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Finally, Dr. Lewis has had a long-standing interest in specific syndromes associated with communication disorders such as Prader Willi Syndrome. Dr. Lewis has taught Research Methods, Child Language Development and Child Language Disorders.
