The NIH INCLUDE Project will be represented at the 2026 National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Annual Convention and Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DMIG-USA) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida from July 23-26, 2026. Attendees will have opportunities to engage with INCLUDE-supported initiatives, connect with research teams, and learn about innovative efforts advancing Down syndrome research and clinical care.
Be sure to visit the INCLUDE DCC booth throughout the meeting to explore research resources, data tools, and collaborative opportunities designed to accelerate discoveries and improve outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
NDSC 2026 GLOBAL Research and Medical Care Roundtable
July 23, 2026, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Joaquin Espinosa, PhD; Executive Director, Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome; Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Colorado Anschutz - Research breakthroughs accelerating personalized medicine for Down Syndrome
Melissa Parisi, MD, PhD; Chief, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Branch Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - NIH INCLUDE Project: How Researchers and Families Are Working Together to Support Health Across the Lifespan.
Lauren Ptomey, PhD, RD, LD; Associate Professor, Registered Dietitian at the University of Kansas Medical Center - Evidence-Based Strategies for Weight Management in Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome
Mary Pipan, MD; Director of the Trisomy 21 Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - The Complexity of the GI Tract in Down syndrome: From Esophagus to the Rectum, It’s All One Tube
Allison Meyer, PhD; Director of Psychology at the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital of Colorado - Supporting Emotion Regulation in Down Syndrome
Nick Granger, DMD; Senior Dental Director at Denver Health and Dentist at Denver Health GLOBAL Adult Down Syndrome Clinic - More than teeth: Systemic Health, Access barriers, and Oral care for people with Down syndrome
NDSC Session Schedule
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 1:45 pm - 3:15 pm ET
Investigación Internacional Sobre el Síndrome de Down: Estados Unidos, América Latina y Más Allá
Speaker: Dr. Joaquin Espinosa, University of Colorado Anschutz
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm ET
Revolutionizing Down Syndrome Research: Innovative Clinical Studies, How to Get Involved, and Groundbreaking Results!
Speaker: Dr. Joaquin Espinosa, University of Colorado Anschutz
Saturday, July 25, 3:45 pm – 5:15 pm ET
Amplifying Family Voices in Science: Advancing Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Down Syndrome Together
Speakers: Melissa Parisi, MD, PhD, Annie Cohen, Crystal M. Glover, PhD, Katie Morrison (self-advocate)
Sunday, July 26, 2026 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Promoting Health and Preventing Obesity in People with Down Syndrome
Speakers: Sujata Bardhan, PhD,Angela Caldwell PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Andrea Kelly, MD, Lauren Ptomey, PhD
DSMIG Session Schedule
NIH INCLUDE Project: Community-Engaged Research to Advance Clinical Care Across the Lifespan
Speaker: Melissa Parisi, MD, PhD
Empowering Families Through DS-Connect®: How Down Syndrome Organizations Can Drive Research Participation
Speaker: Dr. Joaquin Espinosa, University of Colorado Anschutz