News You Can Use

(From the October 2024 issue of MedStat)

Nationwide Children’s Renames Center for Gene Therapy, Honoring Jerry Mendell, MD

Nationwide Children’s announced in September the renaming and dedication of the Jerry R. Mendell, MD Center for Gene Therapy at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, in honor of Jerry Mendell, MD, a pioneer in the fields of neurology and gene therapy and a catalyst for advancement in the treatment of multiple neuromuscular disorders.

Dr. Mendell’s work in neuromuscular disease began more than 50 years ago, when he saw his first patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Thanks in part to his passion to develop new treatments for patients with neuromuscular disorders, he led the pivotal clinical trials for two of the first eight gene therapies approved by the FDA. 

Established in 2002, the Center for Gene Therapy aims to investigate and employ the use of gene -based therapeutics for prevention and treatment of human diseases. In addition to clinical trials in muscular dystrophies, the center has a range of programs directed toward central nervous system disorders. Center faculty are also evaluating the use of a variety of techniques, including delivery of surrogate genes, vectorized exon skipping, nonviral gene delivery, gene editing with CRISPR-based systems, modulation of gene expression, and fetal gene therapy approaches.

Currently, Dr. Mendell serves as an advisor to the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s, as well as senior advisor at Sarepta Therapeutics. He is also an emeritus professor of pediatrics and neurology at The Ohio State University.

Elizabeth Kryszak, PhD, Honored With Excellence in Psychological Assessment Award

The Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA) were thrilled to honor Elizabeth (Liz) Kryszak, PhD, with the 2024 R. Bob Smith Excellence in Psychological Assessment Award, presented at the APA Convention in Seattle in August.

Dr. Kryszak’s exceptional contributions to psychological assessment have been instrumental in developing the Virtual Evaluation Diagnostic Assessment model. This interdisciplinary evaluation approach for autism spectrum disorder, initiated during the global pandemic, employs telehealth observation measures such as the Autism Detection in Early Childhood-Virtual (ADEC-V) model. Her work on the “Project ECHO Telehealth Autism Assessment” and the creation of a nationally applicable clinical curriculum to disseminate best practices to clinicians in remote or underserved areas have further solidified her impact. Dr. Kryszak’s efforts have reached a global audience, including partners and participants from Australia, Argentina, Canada and China.