USC Fragile X Collaborative earns national research award for advancing brain health

The University of South Carolina’s Fragile X Collaborative received the 2026 National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) Research Award in recognition of its groundbreaking multidisciplinary research and leadership in advancing the understanding of fragile X-associated conditions.

USC faculty Jane Roberts and Jessica Klusek accepted the award on behalf of the University of South Carolina’s Fragile X Collaborative during the National Fragile X Foundation’s biennial International Conference on July 18, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jessica Klusek, of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, Laurie Bridges, of the National Fragile X Foundation and Jane Roberts of USC’s McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.

Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and the leading known single-gene cause of autism. Additionally, the fragile X premutation can cause neurodegenerative disorders in adults, resulting in cognitive decline, tremors and muscle control problems. USC’s Fragile X Collaborative brings together experts across disciplines to study the psychological, physiological and behavioral features of fragile X-associated conditions, with goals including improving early detection, expanding specialized care and developing more targeted treatments.

Founded and led by Roberts, a Carolina Distinguished Professor in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, along with Klusek and Abigail Hogan of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, the Fragile X Collaborative at USC has become a national leader in fragile X research.

Last year, USC was awarded one of only three National Institutes of Health Centers of Excellence grants to study fragile X. The grant supports research on how the fragile X premutation affects the brain health and mobility of adult women while also tracking the development of children with the fragile X premutation during their first five years of life. The grant made USC the top university recipient of NIH grants for studying fragile X conditions in humans, with awards totaling nearly $27 million since 2015.

“We’re grateful the National Fragile X Foundation recognized our research on a national stage, and we’re honored to join other universities and research centers working to understand how fragile X-associated conditions develop and change over time, helping improve diagnosis and treatment for people across the lifespan,” Roberts said.

Roberts has been widely recognized for her leadership in research and higher education. She was named a Carolina Distinguished Professor in 2020 and was selected for the University of South Carolina’s SEC Faculty Achievement Award in 2026. She also serves as executive director of USC’s Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center. Klusek received a Breakthrough Star Award from USC’s Office of the VP for Research.