DUBLIN, OH – DownSyndrome Achieves (DSA) is pleased to announce it has awarded two $2,000 grants for travel and related expenses to the 2024 T21RS biennial International Conference, which will be held in Rome, Italy, this June.
The travel grants reflect DSA’s commitment to enabling and cultivating more early-career scientists to enter the field of Down syndrome research.
The DSA Scientific Research Travel Grants have been awarded to:
Lisi Flores Aguilar, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, USA; and
Jeremy Rouanet, Graduate Student Researcher, MD PhD Program, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, USA.
“We are delighted to offer these DSA Scientific Research Travel Grants to two talented and up-and-coming researchers,” said DSA CEO Lito Ramirez. “Attending the T21RS International Conference will allow these early-career scientists to network with fellow DS researchers and to learn more about new and innovative research that can potentially transform the lives of those who need it most in our DS community.”
“We are excited that two of our promising junior investigators have received travel awards from DSA to attend the International Trisomy 21 Research Conference”, said Mark Mapstone, Co-Director of UCI’s Center for Aging Research Down Syndrome.
CFAR-DS Co-Director Liz Head added, “By attending this conference, our awardees will have opportunities to present their research, to learn about current research and to network with the international Down syndrome community. Supporting our next generation of researchers in the Down syndrome field is a priority for CFAR-DS and we are grateful to DSA in collaborating on this mission.”
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ABOUT DOWNSYNDROME ACHIEVES
DownSyndrome Achieves is a non-profit organization that was inspired the day Lito Ramirez’s son, Cal, was born with DS. In that moment, Lito understood more needed to be done in respect to DS research. Today, DSA envisions a future when Down syndrome diagnosis comes without health complications, and those with DS can maximize their potential to lead healthier, more active, and independent lives. That is why we developed the DSA Biobank. Located at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the DSA Biobank is the first of its kind to catalog, store, and openly share biosamples for study. Our keen focus on fostering collaboration provides researchers with the critical biosamples needed to develop breakthrough treatments and therapies.
ABOUT UCI CFAR-DS IN THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
The UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome (CFAR-DS) is an academic research center at the University of California, Irvine housed within the School of Medicine. The mission of the Center is to provide a rich environment and robust infrastructure to support innovative clinical and biomedical research through collaborations between researchers, families, and self-advocates. The Center vision is to become a world-class academic research center that conducts research and provides education to improve the quality of life for aging people with Down syndrome.