Research Goals

Our primary goal is to learn more about the cause of Down syndrome and its related medical problems. Through our current research, we hope to uncover new information about:

• what causes an extra chromosome 21 to be packaged into an egg or sperm;
• what genetic and/or environmental factors play a role in the susceptibility of heart defects and other medical problems associated with Down Syndrome;
• important factors in a person's history that may increase the chance for having a child with Down syndrome;
• how the age of a woman influences the behavior of chromosomes during the formation of an egg;
• what can be done to reduce the occurrence of medical problems associated with Down syndrome.