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Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Lariviere views a research display involving brains at the Dole Center for Human Development with Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, center; as RaeAnn Anderson, undergraduate research assistant in the Clinical Neuropsychology and Aging Laboratory demonstrates the work.

Legislators get close look at Life Span research

By Mary-Margaret Simpson

A key group of Kansas legislators toured the Life Span Institute Jan. 22 to see first-hand how groundbreaking research is tackling critical issues related to child development, disability and aging.

Senior scientists in gerontology, communication disorders and assistive technology were among those who presented their research to 16 members of the House and Senate at the Dole Center for Human Development on the KU campus. The tour was organized by the Life Span Institute and the Provost's office to show how research in the neurosciences and related areas at KU directly benefits the lives of Kansans.

Specific research projects presented included a demonstration of a non-invasive method of measuring brain activity when an individual hears a spoken sentence; a demonstration of the Actifier and NTrainer, developed at KU, which diagnoses and trains premature infants with no or poor sucking ability to suck normally; a test to determine how aging affects the ability to do two things at once; a presentation on accelerated weight loss as a marker of Alzheimer's disease and a presentation of a model statewide system in Kansas to deliver assistive technology throughout the state, including remote areas.

Steven Warren, director of the Life Span Institute and vice chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, presented an overview of several research projects underway that address serious health issues in Kansas, including autism, obesity and Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists affiliated with Life Span who demonstrated their research included Steven M. Barlow, professor and director, Communication Neuroscience Laboratories; David K. Johnson, assistant professor of psychology and gerontology; Susan Kemper, Roberts Distinguished Professor of Psychology; Mabel Rice, Distinguished Professor and Director, Merrill Center for Advanced Studies and Sara Sack, senior scientist and director of Assistive Technology for Kansans.

Legislators who attended were Rep. Bob Bethell, Alden; Rep. Tom Burroughs, Kansas City; Rep. David Crum, Augusta; Sen. Marci Francisco, Lawrence; Rep. Tom Hawk, Manhattan; Rep. Jerry Henry, Cummings; Rep. Peggy Mast, Emporia; Rep. Jo Ann Pottorff, Wichita; Rep. Marc Rhoades, Newton; Sen. Vicki Schmidt, Topeka; Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, Thayer; Rep. Kay Wolf, Prairie Village, and Rep. Kevin Yoder, Olathe. Also attending was Nikki Feuerborn, chief of staff to the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

University officials included Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Lariviere.

The Life Span Institute is one of the largest research and development programs in the nation for the prevention and treatment of developmental disabilities. The Institute includes 12 centers and more than 120 programs and projects located on the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses and in Kansas City, Kansas and Parsons.

RESEARCH MATTERS

KU architects and their students are designing relief for New Orleans neighborhoodrravaged by Hurricane. Nils Gore, associate professor, and Rob Corser, assistant professor of architecture and urban planning, are working with students to design structures for the city's Ninth Ward, one of the hardest hit areas. Structures have included a tool shed, a shade pavilion, a mobile stage and an outdoor classroom. For more, or to listen to the original broadcast, visit www.researchmatters.ku.edu.