Research
The Foundation keeps a register of all known Williams Syndrome cases and provides access for professionals to assist research.
An archive of articles on Medical Research funded by the Williams Syndrome Foundation may be viewed here »
The following research has been funded by the Williams Syndrome Foundation over the last 10 years:
-
Professor Jill Boucher, Universities of
Warwick and Sheffield.
Topic: Auditory Perception in Children with Williams Syndrome. -
Dr.Chris Jarrold & Professor Susan
Gathercole, University of Bristol.
Topic: Aspects of language and visuo-spatial abilities in Williams Syndrome. -
Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith,
Neurocognitive Development Unit, Institute of Child
Health, University College London.
Topic: Domain-specific Predispositions and Subsequent Brain Specialisation for Number Development in Infants, Children and Adults with Williams Syndrome. -
Dr. Orlee Udwin and Dr. Patricia
Howlin.
Topic : Promoting Self Advocacy for People With Williams Syndrome.
For more information contact Dr. Mike Wolfman.
Current research projects funded by the Williams Syndrome Foundation include:
-
Dr. Neil Martin, Kent and Canterbury
Hospital.
Topic: The Growth Project. Growth Charts will be available in Autumn 2007. -
Outcome in Adult Life for People with Williams
Syndrome
Professor Patricia Howlin, St Georges Hospital London started Autumn 2004 Regular progress reports have appeared in our half-yearly magazines. -
Long Term Research into understanding the Genetics of
Williams Syndrome
May Tassabehji, Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Dian Donnai, Kay Metcalfe, Tim Hutton & Peter Hammond.
A comprehensive report on this research was included in the Winter 2004 Edition of Williams News. This included the techniques developed by Peter Hammond and Tim Hutton to capture the typical; WS facial features using 3D images. -
Hearing and Hypersensitivity to Sound
Mayada Elsabbagh, Mazal Cohen & Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Institute of Child Health London started Autumn 2004. -
Long Term Research into how Visual &
Visuo-cognitive abilities develop in the eyes and
brain in people with Williams Syndrome.
Professors Janette Atkinson & Oliver Braddick, Visual Development Unit, Dept of Psychology, UCL London.
Regular up-dates on this research are included in the half-yearly editions of Williams News. Further information can be found under the Research Section of www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/vdu
Contributions of Mental
Imagery and Verbal Labelling to Visuo-spatial Cognition
in Williams Syndrome
-
Dr Emily Farran, University of
Reading School of Psychology
Intonation Deficits in Children with Williams Syndrome
- Professor Cecilia Essau & Dr Elena Longhi School of Human & Life Sciences, Roehampton
Anxiety Prevention in Young People with Williams Syndrome
- Dr Alistair Smith, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol
Development of Strategies for Searching and Navigating through space
- Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith, School of Psychology, Birbeck, University of London
3 year studentship researching Attention Processing and Cognitive Functioning in 2 to 10 year old children with Williams Syndrome, Fragile X and Downs Syndrome
- Professor Dian Donnai, University of Manchester & Regional Genetics Service
2 year research project developing consensus guidelines and care pathways for WS children and adults
- Dr Debbie Riby, Stirling University
Face Processing Research in Scotland
·
Ongoing Research
into the Use of Spatial Language in individuals with
Williams Syndrome
Dr Emma Laing, Cardiff University
School of Psychology and Dr Chris
Jarrold of Bristol University Dept of
Experimental Psychology.
Please see the Winter 2004 edition of Williams
News for a progress report on this
project.
·
Study into
Social/Perceptual Skills and Cognitive Functioning in
Children with Williams Syndrome.
Sue Leekham, Michael Burt & Susan
Gathercole Durham University Department of
Psychology and Tracy Solomon,
University of North Carolina starting Autumn
2004.
The following is a brief review of other research projects undertaken so far:
- A 2 year Research Project at the London Hospital from 1982-1984 covered a nationwide survey of 120 WS children and adults by Dr. N Martin under Professor R D Cohen - (£38,000 from Action Research) Cost £70,000.
- A Hand-Function Survey by J Walker in 1982 on 14 children - Cost £5,000.
- A Cardiological Survey by Dr. Hallidie-Smith at the Hammersmith Hospital in 1985 on 77 children - Cost £2,000.
- IQ Testing of 50 children to compare age of diagnosis with IQ ability by Orlee Udwin under Dr. Yule in 1985 - Cost £8,700.
- A follow-on 3 year Research Project at the London Hospital by Dr. G Hitman under Professor R D Cohen and Dr. G Snodgrass investigating the possibility of gene damage before or during early pregnancy - (£15,000 from Action Research) Cost £30,000.
- Psychological and Behavioural/Language 3-year study of children by Dr. Orlee Udwin under Professor Yule at the Maudsley Hospital. 1986 - This resulted in "Guidelines for Parents" booklet printed in May 1988 and "Guidelines for Teachers" booklet printed in May 1989 - (£49,000 funded by the Bethlem-Maudsley Trust) Cost £96,000.
- Histological dental studies by Janice Fearne at the London Hospital Dental School. From 1987 - Cost £1,630.
- An informative 15 minute video on WS aimed at medical and professional personnel (including 500 copies for distribution). 1989 - Cost £17,650.
- An investigation into facial/dental features by Margaret Collins at the London Hospital Dental School in 1990 - Cost £40,000.
- An audiological investigation to establish cause of hypersensitive hearing peculiar to 90% of WS children by Josephine Marriage - (Funded by the Medical Research Council) at The Charing Cross Hospital. From 1991. Cost £1,381.
- Otoacoustic Emission Equipment - Cost £3,400.
- A 2 year investigation from November 1993 into the problems of WS adults by Mark Davies under Dr. Udwin and Dr. Howlin at St George's Hospital, Tooting. This resulted in production of advisory booklets for parents, carers and employers - Approximate Cost £45,000.
- Visual/Cognitive Assessment of WS children (funded as part of the programme grant from the MRC) under the direction of Professor Jan Atkinson and Professor Oliver Braddick. From 1993.
- Ongoing linguistic and cognitive processing abilities of WS children and adults by Professor A Karmiloff-Smith. From 1991.
- A Clinical and Molecular 2-year study from April 1995 to identify the genes responsible for the various features of Williams Syndrome by Professor D. Donnai and Professor A Read - (£60,000 funded by the Birth Defects Foundation)
- Study of Short Term Memory Skills of Individuals with WS by Dr. C Jarrold, University of Bristol. From 1996. - One aspect of a larger five year programme funded by a grant from the MRC.
- Hyperacusis - Professor W Yule, Department of Psychology, St. Georges Hospital Tooting - Cost (1998) £1000.
- Siblings of WS Children - Professor W Yule, Department of Psychology, St. George's Hospital Tooting - Cost (1998) £1000.
- Self Advocacy in Adults with WS - Dr. Orlee Udwin and Professor Pat Howlin, Department of Psychology, St. George's Hospital Tooting - Cost (1999/2000) £45,000.
- Genetic Research into WS - Ongoing research is being carried out by Professor Dian Donnai and her team at St. Mary's Hospital, Department of Medical Genetics, Manchester.
