Gatlinburg Conference on Research in ID/DD

The Gatlinburg Conference on Research in intellectual disability and developmental disability (ID/DD) is an annual scientific meeting that advances translational biobehavioral research on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The specific aims of the Gatlinburg Conference are to (a) promote the exchange of scientific findings, theoretical perspectives, and methodological innovations and thereby accelerate, and encourage innovation in, translational research on IDD, (b) facilitate collaborative interdisciplinary research on IDD, (c) ensure that biobehavioral scientists are exposed to relevant translational and basic science findings, methods, and perspectives from neurobiology and medicine, thereby enriching their research and further supporting interdisciplinarity, and (d) serve as an interdisciplinary training and career development resource for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty.  The meeting provides a forum for investigators at all career stages to present and discuss cutting-edge biobehavioral research and theory. The conference focuses on communicating state-of-the-art advances in our understanding of the causes and consequences of various disorders involving intellectual disability, as well as to reveal new interventions designed to ameliorate specific disorders.

Each year’s conference has a scientific theme that is explored through plenary lectures, symposia, and poster sessions, but a broad range of IDD topics from basic to translational are always welcome. The themes are designed to educate participants on theoretical frameworks, methods, and findings from other disciplines and fields of study.  The conference also seeks to support the development of early career scientists from under-represented groups and promote the communication of science to nonscientific audiences.