Va-LEND Welcomes Second Generation Director

May 22, 2017

This past March, Jennifer Accardo, MD, officially stepped into her role as the new Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) Director, a job previously held by her father, Pasquale Accardo, MD. Dr. Accardo is a pediatrician board certified in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

She graduated from medical school at St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri and did her general pediatrics training at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. She developed an interest in sleep problems in children with disabilities, which she pursued via a sleep medicine fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania. She also earned a Masters in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. Dr. Accardo worked on the faculty of Kennedy Krieger Institute and then moved to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Fall 2016 to prepare a variety of trainees interested in learning more about developmental medicine.

Although Dr. Accardo's time at Va-LEND is just beginning, "She is actively participating as Va-LEND continues to grow and we are looking forward to great things achieved through her leadership", said Beth Bader, PhD, Associate Director of Va-LEND. "I look forward to collaborating with trainees, faculty, and AUCD colleagues", said Dr. Accardo.