Investigator Support
The IDDRC at Baylor College of Medicine currently supports the research of over 40 investigators studying abnormalities in human development. The joint benefits of improved diagnosis, better patient care, and deeper understanding of human biology have come directly from IDDRC support for research leading to the discovery of the molecular basis of Stargardt syndrome, Miller-Dieker syndrome, glycerol kinase deficiency, 1p36 deletion syndrome, Smith-Magenis disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome, among others. The IDDRC has been a crucial player in all these discoveries, and Baylor College of Medicine's technological advances — multicolor FISH, genetic engineering in the mouse, shot-gun cloning and large-scale sequencing —have in turn strengthened the ability of the cores to support Baylor’s research endeavors and laid the groundwork for Baylor’s Human Genome Sequencing Center. The cores for neuropathological analysis, embryonic stem cell work, generating transgenic mice and performing neurobehavioral and synaptic plasticity analyses (to name a few) concentrate expertise and make it accessible to investigators who would otherwise have to find ways to import these technologies and develop these skills in their own labs. The IDDRC is an impressive venue for facilitating research in a cost-efficient way.
Baylor College of Medicine IDDRC investigators are able to utilize the core facilities at a reduced cost to aid in their individual research.