Richards Lab

Throwing back to our team members attending the International Society for Autism Research 2026 Annual Meeting in Prague 🇨🇿

INSAR gathered researchers to deliver talks on ongoing autism research, including genetics, diagnosis and intervention, as well as the future of research in autism.

Visit the link to find out more: https://www.autism-insar.org/mpage/2026_INSAR_Annual_Meeting

Last week we celebrated CdLS Awareness day! The Richards Lab supports individuals and families living with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome 💜

As a research lab, we’re committed to advancing understanding, inclusion, and support through research and awareness. Every experience and story matters.


Image description:
Graphics and text with key facts about Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, honouring Cornelia de Lange Syndrome awareness day.

Last month, members of the Richards Lab had a wonderful time attending the adult conference hosted by the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK.

It was great to meet so many adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome, families, and members of the wider community, and to have the chance to chat about our research and future projects.

A big thank you to everyone who came over to speak with us, we had a fantastic time! 💙

Some of our team at the Richards Lab had the incredible opportunity to attend IPSA 2026 in Florence, Italy and present their research 🇮🇹

Congress of the International Pediatric Sleep Association brought together members from around the world to share the latest in pediatric sleep research and clinical practice 📖🧠

📍Held at the Palazzo degli Affari the conference featured inspiring keynote talks, symposia, and specialised pre-conference courses that sparked new ideas and collaborations.

💤We’re excited to continue advancing our research into sleep!

If you are a parent/caregiver of an infant aged 6-12 months with a genetic syndrome, you may be eligible to take part in our research project!

For further information, please email Rachel Martlew at [email protected].

The Infant Movement Project at Birmingham University is recruiting Infants age 6-12 months with rare genetic syndromes to investigate the developmental origins of repetitive behaviours.

For more information visit: https://www.richardslab.org/the-infant-movement-project in order to express an interest in taking part in the study.

📢“Transparent, collaborative, and hopeful”: Postdoctoral Researcher Kayla Smith on the world of FXS research.

⭐️Our very own Dr Kayla Smith recently interviewed with the Fragile X International group, speaking about her research journey, her interest in Fragile X Syndrome, and the Cerebra Network.

📖Read the full interview here: https://fraxi.org/transparent-collaborative-and-hopeful-postdoctoral-researcher-kayla-smith-on-the-world-of-fxs-research/

This weekend, members of our team also attended the CdLS Foundation UK & Ireland Family Spring Conference in Birmingham!

It was a great day spent sharing information about our lab, The Cerebra Network for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and upcoming research opportunities. We really enjoyed meeting and talking with families and being part of such a supportive and engaged community. 🙂

Rachel Martlew, one of our brilliant PhD students who attended the day had a great time chatting with families about her research study, which is currently open for recruitment! If you’d like to find out more, you can get in touch at: [email protected]

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to speak with us, we hope to see you again soon!

Members of the Richards Lab were delighted to attend the Fragile X Conference in Edinburgh this weekend hosted by The Fragile X Society, UK!

The event was a fantastic opportunity to bring the community together, our team had a wonderful time speaking with families, sharing updates on our research, and discussing some of the exciting research projects we have planned.

A special highlight was Dr Kayla Smith’s talk, where she shared insights into our latest research with The Cerebra Network for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, alongside many other informative and moving presentations, it made for an inspiring and meaningful day!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to chat with us, we truly value these opportunities to connect with families and the wider community and look forward to seeing you next year! 😄

🧦 for Down Syndrome Awareness Day! 🧦

The 21st of March 2026 marks Down Syndrome Awareness Day. Wear your brightest and boldest socks to raise awareness of Down syndrome, and celebrate inclusion and diversity.

For further information, head to Down Syndrome UK: https://downsyndromeuk.co.uk/



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Graphics and text boxes with key facts about Down syndrome, honouring Down syndrome awareness day on the 21st of March.

🤰🏾Researchers held interviews with mothers who experienced preterm births, exploring their experiences of motherhood and within healthcare.

✏Here is a lay summary of what was found and why it is important!

To refer to the whole research article, please see:
Laverty, C., Surtees, A., Sutherland, D., & Richards, C. (2024). Qualitative interview with mothers of moderately or late preterm infants in the UK: where are the care gaps?. BMJ open, 14(7), e076057. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076057

Image Description: [First page is a title post which included the research article title, reference and graphics. The next slide included text boxes including information about the research article].

💚Potocki-Lupski Awareness Day

👚Sunday 8th of March 2026 marks PTLS Awareness Day. Wear green to increase visibility, support families of children with Potocki-Lupski syndrome and share research highlights within this field!

📗Read about our research into PTLS at the University of Birmingham: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11689-017-9221-x

💬For further information about PTLS head to https://www.ptlshope.org/ /



Image Description:
Graphics and text boxes with key facts about Potocki-Lupski syndrome, honouring PTLS Awareness Day on Sunday 8th March 2026.