Dean Jean Quam was a featured guest at the 2019 Discovery Showcase yesterday at McNamara Alumni Center. The showcase is a premier University of Minnesota Foundation annual event that showcases U of M innovations. This year’s theme was “The Wonder Years: How Young Brains Build Connections for Life.”

The event began with a reception featuring medical enterprise experts at exhibits in four rooms. Those experts from CEHD included Gerald August, Jed Elison, Megan Gunnar, Amy Hewitt, Ann Masten, Megan Patrick, Frank Symons, Kathleen Thomas, and Philip Zelazo.

During the main program, Quam, along with Medical School dean Jakub Tolar, talked about a new, first-of-its-kind institute devoted to the developing brain. The institute, a collaboration between CEHD and the Medical School, will focus on three areas: clinical research, clinical services for children and families, and policy/outreach, with the outcome being better diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders in childhood and adolescence. Specifically, the institute will address such conditions as autism, ADHD, learning disorders, drug addiction, anxiety, depression, and teen suicide. “I am confident that what we bring to the table will help shape real-world practices that affect all children and families,” Quam said.

The proposed site of the institute is at the Shriners Hospitals for Children located near the Twin Cities campus on East River Parkway. “The Shriners campus offers an easy-to-access, serene, welcoming setting with family friendly architecture,” Quam said. “It’s essentially a one-stop shop designed to enhance children’s and teen’s brain development and long-term health.”