In 2022, Jennifer Bain, M.D., Ph.D., received an Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRx) Award to further her work identifying the rare neurodevelopmental disorder, “Bain Syndrome”, with the goal of moving closer to a treatment to address the root cause of symptoms. Dr. Bain, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center, discusses how the award and mentorship she received through the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research helped jumpstart her early career at Columbia, and the project leading her to identify “Bain Syndrome.”
What is your area of research?
I am a child neurology physician scientist. My clinic is based on developmental disorders like autism and cerebral palsy with a focus on initial diagnosis and management. This means I take my patients along the diagnostic odyssey journey to understand why their child might be having certain developmental challenges. A lot of these end up being related to genetic disorders, which is how my research has now split off into the role of genetics in developmental disorders. I spend half my time in clinic and half working with families affected by developmental disorders that lead to neurodevelopmental issues.
Read the full interview with Dr. Bain here.
