Assistant Professor Jessica MacDonald has received two grant awards supporting her ongoing research into Rett Syndrome—a severe, progressive neurodevelopmental disorder, for which there is no cure nor effective treatment. "Rett is caused by genetic mutations in the brain," she says. "The MacDonald Lab is interested in the role vitamin D might play in reducing the symptoms of this disorder, and in understanding the underlying mechanisms." MacDonald's research is jointly funded by a five-year grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and a two-year grant from Rettsyndrome.org (a.k.a. The International Rett Syndrome Foundation).