SEPTEMBER
Decades of Helping Kids and Families
Natalie receiving therapy at Kennedy Krieger as a baby.
Dr. Bradley L. Schlaggar, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger (right of center), with his daughter, Lena Schlaggar (left of center), and Gwena (far left) and Gerry (far right) Herman, co-directors of the Bennett Blazers, Kennedy Krieger’s adaptive sports program for kids and teens, at the Institute’s annual ROAR for Kids fundraising event last spring.
Letter From Our President
Dear Friend,
It is with great joy and deep gratitude that I invite you to join us in celebrating some remarkable milestones within the Kennedy Krieger family.
In this issue of Kennedy Krieger Magazine, we spotlight several programs marking significant anniversaries, ranging from 15 to 35 years of transformative service.
Each has positively impacted the lives of thousands of patients, students and families, providing not only care and education but also hope and opportunity.
Whether it’s the Bennett Blazers empowering young athletes through adaptive sports, our high school meeting students’ unique educational needs, the F.M. Kirby Research Center exploring the mysteries of the brain or our International Center for Spinal Cord Injury incorporating the latest research and technology into its treatment of patients with acute and chronic spinal cord injuries or disease, each program reflects the unwavering spirit and mission of Kennedy Krieger Institute.
For nearly 90 years, Kennedy Krieger has been a place where compassion meets innovation, and every milestone represents countless stories of courage, progress and possibility. As we honor these enduring legacies, we also look forward to a future filled with even greater impact. Thank you for being an important part of these journeys.
Warmly,
Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Zanvyl Krieger Faculty Endowed Chair Kennedy Krieger Institute
INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair
Ronald R. Peterson
Vice Chair
Matthew A. Gotlin, CFA
Preston G. Athey
Michael J. Batza Jr.
Sandra R. Berman
Thomas S. Bozzuto Sr.
Van D. Brooks
Watchen H. Bruce
Richard W. Cass
Ikechukwu Tony Chukuka
Stephanie Cooper Greenberg
Nancy S. Grasmick, EdD
Michele J. Guyton, PhD
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., PhD, DMin
Richard J. Himelfarb
Raymone T. Jackson
Renee R. Jenkins, MD, FAAP
Daniel S. Koch, JD
Maynard McAlpin
Beth F. McGinn
Howard B. Miller, Esq.
Wendy L. Morris
Stephanie L. Reel, MBA
Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD
Kenneth C. Schuberth, MD
Andrew H. Segal, MD
Robert L. Sloan
Barbara S. Slusher, PhD, MAS
Amy B. Solomon
Francie C. Spahn
David G. Sweiderk
Paul S. Thesiger, MD
Melissa K. Trovato, MD
Alicia L. Wilson, JD
Judy C. Woodruff
Adam S. Zarren, Esq.
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair
Preston G. Athey
Vice Chair
Nancy S. Grasmick, EdD
James M. Anders Jr., CPA, MBA, CGMA®
Alexander B. Bartlett
Robert A. Baruch
Linda S. Cameron, MBA
Richard W. Cass
Cynthia Cavanaugh
Aimee Fulchino
Stephen M. Keelty ART
Matthew A. Gotlin, CFA
Alvin D. Katz, CPA
Jodi I. Love
Beth F. McGinn
K. Brigid Peterson, JD
Ronald R. Peterson
Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD
Robert L. Sloan
Francie C. Spahn
David G. Sweiderk
September 2025 Volume 25, No. 2
EDITOR
Laura Thornton
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Noah Baptiste, Morgan Binkis, Laura Farmer, Taylor Gleason, Alyssa Racosky and Mark Shapiro
PROOFREADER
Nina K. Pettis
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING OPERATIONS
Sarah Mooney
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PR AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Jessica Gregg
For media and public relations inquiries, email: Media@KennedyKrieger.org
Erin Parsons
DESIGNERS
Catie Bates and Tom Czajkowski
PHOTOGRAPHY
David Stuck, Kim Zaruba and others
AVPS OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Justus Burkhardt and Linda Prudente
AVP OF PHILANTHROPY
MARKETING
Melinda Michel
For more stories and news, visit: KennedyKrieger.org/Magazine
On the cover: Natalie, 6, has been a patient of the Specialized Transition Program since she was a baby. Read her story on Page 5.
What’s inside...
A Generation of Service, Science and Innovation
Kennedy Krieger’s interdisciplinary Center for Autism Services, Science
and Innovation
(CASSI)
focuses on the strengths of autistic individuals and how to serve them better.
By Noah Baptiste
This year, the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSITM) at Kennedy Krieger Institute celebrates its 30th anniversary, a milestone made possible, in large part, through the dedication of its 250-plus staff members to serving autistic individuals and their families.
“Our team is always striving to learn—not just from science, but also from the families and communities we serve,” explains Dr. Ericka Wodka, the center’s clinical director.
One of the first autism centers in the country, CASSI is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary program serving children, families and professionals in the autism community. It combines evidence-based clinical services, research and training programs to enrich patients’ lives, empower parents and promote family well-being. Last year, CASSI served over 7,000 patients across its four locations, all in Central Maryland, and trained over 2,000 professionals on working with autistic children and teens. Its Annual Autism Conference drew over 400 attendees.
A true powerhouse of autism care, knowledge and outreach, CASSI started out small but scaled up quickly to become one of the foremost resources on autism—in Maryland and around the world.
“What really stands out to me is the tremendous innovation and growth we’ve had,” says Dr. Christine Hess, reflecting on her 20 years as a CASSI psychologist. “As the needs of our patients and families have changed and increased, we’ve responded by adding new locations and services to ensure we can meet those needs.”
Executive Director Dr. Rebecca Landa founded CASSI at a time when autism was primarily understood in terms of so-called deficits. In
contrast, CASSI has always focused on recognizing the strengths of autistic individuals and addressing limitations in clinical services, training and research.
In particular, the center’s Research and Education for All Children (REACH) program has made significant contributions to autism research. For example, the program’s findings have helped create new interventions, services and a series of video tutorials about detecting autism in young toddlers.
“The extensive services we offer allow the children to get all the services they need in one place.”
– Val Hagerty
When new patients arrive at the center, they are evaluated by experts who then guide them toward appropriate services. Among these is the Achievements program, which has been proven by research studies to be highly effective at helping children build communication, social interaction and learning skills in small-group therapy sessions.
“The extensive services we offer allow the children to get all the services they need in one place,” says Val Hagerty, the center’s assistant director of occupational therapy. “Few other programs offer diagnostic team evaluations or speech-based group interventions like Achievements.”
Visit KennedyKrieger.org/CASSI to learn more.
DID YOU KNOW?
CASSI offered 56,000 appointments in fiscal year 2024.
A Day Hospital Like No Other 30 YEARS
By Laura Thornton
Natalie, 6, loves swimming, riding her bike and playing with her sister. In the pool, she likes pretending she’s a mermaid. But a few months after she was born, her parents noticed that the left side of her body wasn’t moving quite as much as the right.
Doctors at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Infant Neurodevelopment Center diagnosed her with cerebral palsy when she was 8 months old, and referred her to the Institute’s Specialized Transition Program (STP), a neurorehabilitation day hospital, for daily therapies to strengthen her left side.
Kennedy Krieger’s Specialized Transition Program is one of the country’s first pediatric neurorehabilitation day hospitals pairing daily therapies with school.
“I honestly believe that without the intensive therapies at Kennedy Krieger, Natalie probably wouldn’t have developed left-side motor skills at all,” says her mom, Crystal.
For a month, Natalie and Crystal met with STP occupational therapist Nicole Andrejow for an hour of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) each weekday. Natalie wore a cast on her right arm to immobilize it, which encouraged her to use her left arm to, for example, reach for a favorite toy or practice rolling over. Sessions took place over Zoom, as the pandemic had just begun, and Crystal got a crash course in infant therapies. “I feel like I have an honorary therapy degree,” she says.
Interdisciplinary Care + School = A Winning Combo
For the past 30 years, the STP has been offering intensive, individualized, daily therapies for patients 8 months old through their early 20s. Serving 10 to 15 patients at a time, it offers physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as counseling, neuropsychological assessment services and medical care. Patients typically come to the STP for four weeks at a time, for three to six hours a day. Between therapies, patients keep up with their schoolwork in the STP’s classroom.
“It’s very rewarding to know Natalie is making progress and can have that sense of accomplishment.”
– Crystal
“We’ve always had that academic component,” says STP Director Dr. Joan Carney, who founded the program in 1995. Before that, she was the special educator for the Institute’s inpatient rehabilitation hospital. She knew, firsthand, the challenges faced by young patients recently discharged from inpatient rehabilitation: They still need daily therapies, even if they don’t need 24/7 medical care, Dr. Carney explains.
The STP was one of the first in the country to offer pediatric day rehabilitation with an educational component. To this day, it remains one of the few centers in the U.S. offering such an important array of interdisciplinary services.
Since Natalie’s first month of CIMT, she’s returned to the STP for several more stints—in person. Recently, to get ready for kindergarten, Natalie did a week of “summer camp” at the STP with a small group of peers. Therapists led the kids in fun activities designed to improve their motor skills.
“It’s very rewarding to know Natalie is making progress and can have that sense of accomplishment,” Crystal says. “We feel so fortunate that Natalie can have these experiences, thanks to Kennedy Krieger.”
Visit KennedyKrieger.org/MoreSTP to read more, including about former patients Zane and Brayden.
DID YOU KNOW?
STP has treated 3,500+ patients.
A Milestone Graduation for an Incredible Class
The members of Kennedy Krieger High School’s Class of 2025 made history as they received their diplomas last June.
By Alyssa Racosky
As Kennedy Krieger High School’s seniors crossed the stage to receive their diplomas this past June, they marked a milestone for their school. The 31-member Class of 2025 was the school’s 25th class of graduates, and their graduation ceremony topped a quarter-century of graduating individuals with a wide range of disabilities, including autism, emotional and intellectual disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries.
“They’re an upstanding group, and they know how far they’ve come,” Principal Lindsay Turwy says.
“We want every student to feel valued —not just successful, but essential to the community around them.”
– Lindsay Turwy
Since the 1980s, Kennedy Krieger Institute has offered transformative education to meet the needs of students with complex conditions. Now comprising five schools, Kennedy Krieger School Programs initially served students through the eighth grade. Kennedy Krieger High School opened in 1999. “Our population has shifted,” Turwy adds. “We now serve more students on the autism spectrum, and our team-based approach has grown stronger. Education, mental health and behavioral support now work hand in hand on nearly every decision.”
incredible growth, and they knew it,” Turwy says. “That self-recognition is something we don’t always see. It has made their journey even more meaningful.”
The weeks leading up to graduation were filled with cherished traditions dating back to the school’s opening. Seniors enjoyed a trip to Hersheypark®, hosted an ice cream social with younger students at the school and invited staff members to a picnic. They capped off the celebrations with the school’s signature “industry party,” at which seniors showcase the skills, knowledge and projects they’ve developed in their chosen industry majors.
This year’s graduation speaker was school alum Darius Matthews, Class of 2022, who greatly benefited from the school’s programs and support, Turwy says. Now a personal trainer for the YMCA, Matthews is working toward living independently and is preparing to move into his own apartment— an example of the school’s lasting impact.
As Kennedy Krieger High School looks to the future, Turwy emphasizes expanding realworld learning experiences.
“We want every student to feel valued—not just successful, but essential to the community around them.”
The Class of 2025 stood out for its kindness, resilience and selfawareness. “This class showed
To learn more about Kennedy Krieger High School, visit: KennedyKrieger.org/KKHS
DID YOU KNOW?
156 students from 12 Maryland counties and Baltimore City attended Kennedy Krieger High School during the 2024–2025 school year.
A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP AND GROWTH
The Young Marines program at Kennedy Krieger provides students with developmental disabilities the opportunity to find pride, purpose and possibility in their lives.
By Laura Farmer
Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Young Marines program marks its 30th anniversary this year, and 1st Sgt. Vivian Price-Butler couldn’t be prouder of the journey so many of the Institute’s students have taken—and the family they’ve built along the way. “I’m not here to recruit anyone into the Marines,” explains Price-Butler, a decorated veteran who served more than two decades in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves, including deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. “I’m going to teach you how to be a leader, be responsible, be on time, communicate well and have manners.”
“They’re equal with their peers, without labels. And that’s what it’s all about.”
– 1st Sgt. Vivian Price-Butler
Kennedy Krieger’s Young Marines unit is based at Kennedy Krieger High School, one of five schools that comprise Kennedy Krieger School Programs. It’s the only Young Marines unit in the country made up entirely of students with developmental disabilities, and it shows what can happen when expectations are high and encouragement is steady. Students learn leadership, responsibility and teamwork—not military tactics—and in doing so, they discover the best in themselves. One of those students is Ramsey, who graduated this past June after a remarkable transformation through the program. Ramsey faced serious challenges earlier in his education journey. But over time—and with the structure, encouragement and high expectations of the Young Marines—he found his footing.
“When he joined the program, he had anger issues and couldn’t stay in class, but now he’s done a complete 180,” PriceButler says. “I’m so proud of him.”
Ramsey reflects on his progress with an understated but powerful sense of accomplishment: “I’m graduating on time,” he says.
The Young Marines program at Kennedy Krieger has provided Ramsey with not only a sense of structure for his life—through rigorous activities like field trips to encampments and community service—but also a deep sense of belonging.
“Encampment was fun—besides the exercise and pain afterwards! It was a 12-hour day of exercising! But after that, they set up a dinner like a true military dinner, so that was awesome,” he recalls of the Young Marines Encampment, an experience in which hundreds of Young Marines gather to train as a unit.
For Ramsey and the hundreds of other students at Kennedy Krieger who have worn the Young Marines uniform over the last three decades, the program has been about more than drills and community service hours. It’s been about finding purpose, possibility and a positive sense of selfworth—one student at a time.
As Price-Butler puts it, “When they put that uniform on, it gives them a sense of normalcy— they’re equal with their peers, without labels. And that’s what it’s all about.”
5 Young Marines graduated in 2025, with a combined total of 21 years in the program.
1st Sgt. Price-Butler and Ramsey
‘HOPE THROUGH Motion’
By Marc Shapiro
In the two decades since its founding, Kennedy Krieger’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury has become a world leader in activity-based rehabilitation after paralysis. have during normal living and normal activity to optimize restoration and recovery.”
In 2006, Ben Trockman was just 17 years old when an off-road motorcycle accident in Kentucky completely altered the trajectory of his life. The injury to his C1 and C2 vertebrae, similar to the injury actor Christopher Reeve experienced, led to severe spinal cord injury and paraplegia.
About five months into his recovery, Trockman came to Kennedy Krieger Institute’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI), which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. As one of the top spinal cord injury centers in the world, the ICSCI incorporates the latest research and technology into clinical care to help children and adults with acute and chronic spinal cord injuries and spinal cord disease-related paralysis improve their overall health and recover day-to-day and neurologic functioning.
“An injured nervous system is not static, and you need to support and optimize the functioning of the remaining nervous system,” says Dr. Cristina Sadowsky, a co-founder of the center and the clinical director since its founding. “You need to reproduce the same kind of movement that you
At the ICSCI, staff members helped Trockman use assistive devices to stand and move his arms and legs, applied electrostimulation to stretch and strengthen his muscles, and taught him about skin care for people who use wheelchairs.
Now 36, Trockman works full-time and was recently elected president of the city council of Evansville, Ind.
“The therapists, the directors, the healthcare professionals at Kennedy Krieger became my best friends, my confidants and my support system,” Trockman says. “I would not be where I am today without the people at Kennedy Krieger.”
“It’s
the enthusiasm, it’s the atmosphere, it’s ‘ Hope Through Motion.’”
– Janet Dean
An International Leader
Stories like Trockman’s motivate the center’s staff, which consists of four physicians and 70 physical and occupational therapists, all of whom specialize in spinal cord injury. The center opened in June 2005 with 10 employees, serving over 150 patients that year. By 2024, those numbers had grown to 129 employees and over 900 patients.
In 2019, the center opened a second location, in Howard County, Md., and in 2023, a third location, in Baltimore County. Dr. Sadowsky estimates that it’s likely the largest program of its kind in the country.
The center uses activity-based restorative therapies to help patients relearn how to move. It has 10 cutting-edge pieces of equipment that allow for partial weight-supported walking, including the world’s first ZeroG 3D®, a groundbreaking gait trainer that allows individuals with spinal cord injuries full freedom of movement. Dozens of other technologies are also available to help patients regain motion.
‘They’ve Done Everything for Us’
At just 8 months old, Victoria got really sick—at one point she stopped moving. Her parents would soon learn that she had transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition in which the spinal cord is inflamed, causing pain, muscle weakness and other physical issues. They needed to get Victoria to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, and doctors said Kennedy Krieger’s ICSCI was the best.
“ICSCI clinicians really held our hands and guided us through the whole process,” says her mom, Mandy. “At one point, we were praying she’d get motion in one hand back so she could work an electric wheelchair. Now, she’s ambulating with [forearm] crutches and just went to prom.”
Victoria, 17, is also a downhill alpine skier, ranked No. 5 in the country for giant slalom. (Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are
on the U.S. Paralympic ski team.) She has been skiing since she was 4.
After her initial threemonth inpatient stay at Kennedy Krieger, Victoria spent eight weeks a year for several years at the ICSCI in quarterly, two-week sessions. Mandy says the ICSCI taught them all about how to care for Victoria, including what braces to use and what exercises to do back home in New York. “They’ve really just done everything for us,” Mandy says.
Janet Dean, the ICSCI’s recently retired pediatric nurse practitioner, who joined the staff in the center’s second year, says working with families like Victoria’s is one of the things she loved most about the job.
“We were able to build the program so kids can come from all over the country—and the world— and see a team that works 100% with pediatric spinal cord injuries,” she says.
Victoria recalls practicing walking as a child in the ICSCI’s gym—her therapists would hide princess dolls in different places, and she’d go on a scavenger hunt to find them. Dean says this is just another little touch that distinguishes the center.
“I don’t know how many times I’d go into the gym and see little stuffed frogs all over that kids are walking to find,” she says. “It’s the enthusiasm, it’s the atmosphere, it’s ‘Hope Through Motion’”—the center’s motto. “When you come here, people are enthusiastic, they’re hopeful and they’re joyful.”
Top left: Physical therapists Meredith Linden and Erin Michael assist Se’majea Gardner in using a ZeroG body weightsupporting device. Bottom left: Ben Trockman at Kennedy Krieger. Bottom right: Victoria at Kennedy Krieger. Top right: Victoria is a nationally ranked downhill alpine skier.
35 YEARS
Teaching Kids What They CAN DO
Gerry and Gwena Herman have been training young athletes at Kennedy Krieger for more than a generation, coaching kids to countless victories.
By Noah Baptiste
For the past 35 years, the Bennett Blazers adaptive sports program at Kennedy Krieger Institute has provided recreational and competitive opportunities to children with physical disabilities. The program’s motto—“Teach kids what they can do before someone tells them what they can’t do”—speaks to its primary focus of building confidence and perseverance through sports.
Co-Directors Gerry and Gwena Herman have effectively managed all areas of the Blazers since founding the program in 1990. It was Dr. Charles Silberstein, a former orthopedic surgeon at Kennedy Krieger, who recruited the Hermans to Baltimore. He had taken interest in a presentation they gave to the American Academy of Pediatrics about adaptive sports, and he knew he wanted to create a program at the Institute.
Initially, the Hermans worked with children ages 6 and up, teaching them a wide variety of adaptive sports, including basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. They quickly expanded the program to include children as young as 2, and added a motor skills development class to meet the needs of very young children. Today, the program serves 60 to 100 athletes ages 2 to 18 with physical disabilities each week. Athletes have gone on to compete at the collegiate level (often on athletic scholarships) and beyond—the program has launched the Paralympic careers of half a dozen athletes.
The Hermans love having the opportunity to make a positive impact on kids’ lives through sports. “The best moments are when kids accomplish a task they’ve been working on for a long time, or even a task that scared them at first,” Gwena says.
“Witnessing team success is always exciting, but for us, it’s truly the small victories that bring the greatest reward.”
When Logan, 19, discovered the Bennett Blazers at age 9, it changed everything for him. “I was so shocked to see kids like me competing, and I loved every second of it,” he says, recalling his first day with the program.
Logan is now an athlete in wheelchair basketball at the University of Missouri. He attributes much of his personal growth to his time with the Blazers. “I’m just as capable as anyone else. The only thing that could hold me back is my mentality,” Logan says.
“I was so shocked to see kids like me competing, and I loved every second of it.” – Logan
As the Bennett Blazers celebrate their 35th anniversary, the influence they’ve had on adaptive sports cannot go unnoticed. They’ve proved that with enough support, every child can discover their full potential through sports.
Visit KennedyKrieger.org/BennettBlazers to learn more.
DID YOU KNOW?
60+ athletes are currently enrolled in the Bennett Blazers.
Above: Recent members of the Bennett Blazers wheelchair basketball team include Logan (center, wearing a black sports headband).
Advocating for a Child’s Right to Learn
For families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, finding the right school for their child can be overwhelming. That’s where Project HEAL can help.
By Morgan Binkis
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), an innovative medical-legal partnership at Kennedy Krieger Institute. With a robust legal advocacy team deeply rooted in both the legal and disability rights communities, Project HEAL provides patients of Kennedy Krieger and their families with representation in civil legal matters. That could include special education, adult guardianship and less restrictive alternatives (LRAs), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) matters.
“Over the years, we’ve evolved significantly from having just one attorney focused on special education matters to having a director, three full-time attorneys and one contract attorney providing a broad range of services,” says Project HEAL founder Maureen van Stone, assistant vice president and director of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger, under which Project HEAL is housed.
While children who are eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the U.S. have the right to a free and appropriate public education, school systems aren’t always equipped to provide an appropriate educational program and placement. Project HEAL’s attorneys assist families in advocating for appropriate services and school placements for their children. They also collaborate with Kennedy Krieger staff members and trainees to ensure patients receive the medical and legal care they need. Project HEAL offers its services on a sliding-fee scale, based on a family’s household size and income.
The program’s impact is most visible in the individual lives it helps transform. “We’ve seen
DID YOU KNOW?
938 families received legal help from Project HEAL in fiscal year 2025.
children move from environments where they were simply surviving to places where they’re thriving— making friends, succeeding academically and even starring in school plays,” says Project HEAL Director Mallory Legg, who began working for the program as a law student in 2013.
“We’ve seen children move from environments where they were simply surviving to places where they’re thriving.”
– Mallory Legg
One particularly memorable case involved a high school senior whose dream of becoming a Baltimore City police officer was nearly derailed when he was found to be reading at a first-grade level. Project HEAL intervened, securing specialized tutoring and support services that helped him graduate and continue working toward his goal.
“He walked over from his local high school to our office building to meet with us,” van Stone recalls. “He later sent us his high school graduation photos. It was pretty amazing.”
As it celebrates 20 years, Project HEAL looks to expand its services. “While we’ve been able to grow the program and respond to the legal needs of our patients and families, there’s still more to do,” van Stone says. “Continuing our outreach into rural areas in Maryland and broadening our legal offerings could make an even greater difference.”
Visit KennedyKrieger.org/ProjectHEAL to learn more.
15 YEARS
A Community of Women United for a Cause
The Women’s Initiative Network for Kennedy Krieger Institute offers Baltimore-area women the opportunity to connect and make a difference.
By Laura Farmer
The Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) for Kennedy Krieger Institute isn’t just a fundraising arm or a volunteer program—it’s a vibrant community of women united by a shared mission: to improve the lives of the patients and students, and their families, served by Kennedy Krieger through advocacy, fundraising and volunteerism. As WIN marks its 15th anniversary this year, its leaders reflect on the organization’s successes and look ahead to how the group will continue to impact Kennedy Krieger in the future.
“Each of our fundraising events has a purpose. We’re not just raising money—we’re meeting real needs,” says Katie Love, senior associate director of philanthropy at Kennedy Krieger and WIN’s staff liaison. From funding an accessible playground to installing book-vending machines in patient waiting areas, WIN ensures that every dollar raised and every hour volunteered makes a tangible difference. WIN members are very hands-on. They play with children in the Institute’s therapy room on WIN Wednesdays, prepare welcome bags for new patients and their families, and organize school supply drives—all while balancing careers, families and other responsibilities.
Cynthia Cavanaugh, one of the group’s copresidents, felt an immediate connection when she first toured the Institute more than a decade ago. “It grabbed my heart,” she recalls.
Volunteering has enriched Cavanaugh’s life in unexpected ways. “Being part of WIN has given me a front-row seat to see what can happen when people come together to support families through incredibly difficult times,” she says.
That support comes to life through WIN’s signature events like Hats & Horses, a Kentucky Derbyinspired fundraiser co-founded by Aimee Fulchino,
WIN’s other co-president. What began as a way to raise money and awareness has grown into a beloved tradition, raising over $385,000 in 2024 to support Kennedy Krieger’s mission. In fact, the event’s remarkable success was the impetus to go even bigger this year with the Champions of Hope Gala, which raised an impressive $1.4 million.
“You think you’re doing something for someone else, but it fills you up. It’s life-giving.”
– Cynthia Cavanaugh
Fulchino’s introduction to WIN came in 2012, when a client at her barre studio invited her to a WIN meeting. She remembers hearing a mother speak about her child’s journey through illness and recovery at Kennedy Krieger. “As a mother of three, I was deeply moved,” Fulchino says. “That night, I knew I had to be involved.”
Cynthia Cavanaugh and a patient
Power ing Brain Research of the Highest Magnitude
The F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging at Kennedy Krieger has been uncovering the intricacies of how the brain works for over a quarter of a century.
By Taylor Gleason
For 26 years, the F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging at Kennedy Krieger Institute has been unlocking the mysteries of the brain.
Founded through a partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, the center was created to give scientists access to cutting-edge magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, technology. What began with one scanner and a small team of experts has skyrocketed in scope to become one of the most important sites for brain research in the world.
“The heart of the Kirby Center is progress made possible by its dedicated faculty and support staff. The next 26 years truly hold limitless possibilities.” – Dr. Peter van Zijl
The center’s growth has been driven by major technological advances invented, in large part, by its own world-leading faculty and staff. Researchers have pioneered imaging techniques now used worldwide, from mapping brain connections to developing noninvasive ways to detect brain chemistry, tumor activity and even the brain’s communication with the gut. So far, its most important contributions to the medical field have been its complete map of human brain connections and its “MRI Atlas of Human White Matter,” the first full set of illustrations of connections in the living brain.
Today the center, which receives funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, houses two 3T MRI scanners and a 7T fMRI scanner. The “T” is for “tesla,” a unit used to measure the force of a magnetic field, and the “f” stands for “functional,” because the scanner’s 60ton magnet (housed in the Institute’s basement)
is so strong it can track very small changes of activity in the brain by detecting changes in blood oxygenation.
Right now, the center’s faculty and staff are developing new methods of capturing multiple types of data in a single scanning session, to allow for personalized diagnosis and monitoring of treatment. It currently supports more than 150 active human research studies, among which is the HEALthy Brain and Cognitive Development Study, the largest long-term, in-depth look by MRI at early brain development in the U.S. In addition, there are over 50 preclinical projects—studies that test the effectiveness and safety of a drug or other treatment before it’s tested in people.
“The discoveries we’ve made and facilitated over the past 26 years are astounding—and life-changing,” says Dr. Peter van Zijl, the center’s director. “As we celebrate this milestone, our researchers are exploring the future of brain imaging. We are looking at everything from developing sugar-based imaging agents to harnessing AI to sharpen scan quality.” The center is just getting going—and its future holds ever-greater findings to come.
Visit KennedyKrieger.org/KirbyCenter and KennedyKrieger.org/Physiologic-MetabolicAnatomic-Biomarkers to learn more.
DID YOU KNOW?
Founded in 1999, the Kirby Center is currently supporting 150+ ongoing human studies and 50+ preclinical research projects from more than 10 departments at Kennedy Krieger and multiple schools at Johns Hopkins. The center’s techniques have been cited in tens of thousands of scientific papers.
KENNEDY KRIEGER IN THE NEWS
Scan the QR code or visit KennedyKrieger.org/News for these stories and more!
Why Are Autism Rates Increasing? What Five Experts Say (April 16, 2025)
The higher rate is due to several factors, including improved awareness among clinicians, educators and families; better access to screening and evaluation; and expanded diagnostic criteria, says Dr. Roma Vasa, director of psychiatric services at the Institute’s Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSITM).
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Hundreds Support Kennedy Krieger Institute’s ROAR for Kids 5K at The Maryland Zoo (May 4, 2025)
A record number of participants braved the rain to attend the 21st annual ROAR for Kids, which has raised more than $4 million for Institute programs and services since its inception.
Find out what’s happening at Kennedy Krieger in real time and join the conversation!
Did you know we have social media channels for research on Facebook and Instagram?
To find us on Facebook and Instagram, scan the QR code or visit: KennedyKrieger.org/Social
A New Study on Early Infant Communication Has Guidance for Parents (May 19, 2025)
A new approach for infants with social communication delays can empower their parents, says Dr. Rebecca Landa, founder and executive director of CASSI.
May 23, 2025: Meet Lainey! She returned to Kennedy Krieger last spring for an inpatient rehabilitation boost and shared her experience with the Kennedy Krieger community in an Instagram video. Tag along as she does pottery painting in occupational therapy, sings songs in music therapy and visits the National Aquarium in downtown Baltimore with her recreational therapists. Watch the video on Kennedy Krieger’s Instagram page! Visit: KennedyKrieger.org/Lainey
AWARDS
Kennedy Krieger inpatient
nurse Hannah Riffey (left) and outpatient nurse Jamie Cherry (right) each received an Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore Magazine last May.
The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) awarded Dr. Cristina Sadowsky (left, with outgoing ASIA president Dr. Susie Charlifue), director of Kennedy Krieger’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, one of its 2025 Fellow of ASIA awards last June.
The Maryland Daily Record named Sarah Gardner one of Maryland’s Mental Health Heroes at its 2025 Health Care Heroes event in June. Gardner is the director of clinical services for the Institute’s Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress.
EVENTS
Our events are a great way to bring family and community members together! Scan the QR code or visit KennedyKrieger.org/Events to register, sponsor or explore events.
Tapping Into Talent: Innovation and Opportunity
Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23 and 24
Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
This annual, national conference, hosted by the Institute’s Neurodiversity at Work Department, sparks collaboration, innovation, and strategies to unlock workforce potential.
Harvesting Hope
Thursday, Nov. 6
Cece’s Roland Park, Baltimore
Enjoy delicious food, live music and an open-air courtyard. Proceeds support a new teen lounge in the Institute’s inpatient hospital. Hosted by the Women’s Initiative Network for Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Festival
of Trees
Friday–Sunday, Nov. 28–30
Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium
Join us for a holiday celebration that benefits the patients, students and programs of Kennedy Krieger and kicks off the most wonderful time of the year for families throughout the region.
Half a Century of Helping Children and Families
Celebrating 50 years with Kennedy Krieger Institute this year is Senior Vice President Dr. Michael Cataldo, who has directed the Institute’s Department of Behavioral Psychology since 1975.
Working alongside him for the past four decades has been his wife, Marilyn Cataldo, who celebrated her 40th anniversary with the Institute last year. The two met at a conference in Washington, D.C., and have been married for 38 years. “The opportunity to help people” is what brought them to Kennedy Krieger, Dr. Cataldo says. “That this opportunity could be realized” is what has kept them here for so many years, he adds.
Under Dr. Cataldo’s leadership, the department has grown considerably. Since 1975, the department has graduated over 1,000 interns and fellows, obtained $140 million in grant funding, published over 900 research studies and scholarly papers, served some 200,000 families, and generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue for the Institute. It’s an incredible impact made across multiple generations. Among Marilyn’s many achievements are the development and implementation of the LEAP Program, a year-round school offering educational and therapeutic services to students ages 5 to 21 with complex academic, communication, social and behavioral needs. “It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented colleagues, and to have been able to help so many children and families,” she says.
Transforming lives over years and decades.
When you give to Kennedy Krieger Institute, you’re helping us pursue every possibility for kids like Natalie. Your gift supports groundbreaking care, education and research that bring hope and transform lives. Thank you so much!
Make your donation today! Visit KennedyKrieger.org/S25 or use the QR code, or mail us your donation using the return envelope inside this issue.
The individualized care that Natalie, 6, receives at Kennedy Krieger allows her to learn, play, grow and thrive. Read Natalie’s story on Page 5.
WHY WE GIVE
“Our 28-year-old daughter has physical as well as cognitive disabilities, but perhaps her most debilitating disability is her severe anxiety, which she’s had since she was a toddler. We are honored to support Kennedy Krieger research led by Dr. Roma Vasa and Dr. Amy Keefer focused on anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, in hopes they will one day be able to successfully identify, intervene and treat children with anxiety before it becomes disabling.”
– JEANNE AND RAY ROBERTS
Jeanne and Ray Roberts and their daughter, Nicole