On April 24, 2026, undergraduate student Lauren Long presented her research at the University of South Carolina’s annual DiscoverUSC conference.

Her poster, “The child has to drive all of the decisions you make: How Mothers of People with Fragile X Syndrome Navigate Parenting in Low Resource Areas” highlighted qualitative findings on how mothers of children with Fragile X syndrome navigate caregiving in low-resource communities. Through interviews, she identified key challenges such as balancing caregiving responsibilities, limited access to services, and uncertainty surrounding long-term care, while also emphasizing the resilience and advocacy of these mothers.

Lauren’s work provides important insight into how socioeconomic barriers influence caregiving experiences. We are so proud of Lauren, and excited that she will continue with our lab next year to complete her thesis! Thanks to Thomas Christensen, Dr. Lauren Jenner, and Dr. Jessica Klusek for their mentorship and support.