Ilka Riddle

I am a professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC), College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and serve as Director of the federally funded University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD). With over 20 years of experience as a principal and co-investigator, I have led federal and state-funded initiatives—supported by agencies such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, Administration for Community Living, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Ohio Departments of Health and Developmental Disabilities. My work focuses on improving systems of care for children, youth, and adults with disabilities and special health care needs, advancing healthcare inclusion for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan, and improving the move from pediatric and school-based services and support to adult living in the community for youth and adults with disabilities. As the UCCEDD Director, I oversee our core functions, including interdisciplinary training of undergraduate and graduate-level students and pre-professionals; community services and partnerships; research and policy; and dissemination of information to individuals with disabilities, families, professionals, policymakers, and the general public. I have held leadership roles in state, national, and international organizations, advisory groups, and task forces to promote inclusive practices in programs, services, training, and research. Recently, I serves as Board President of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and have previously contributed to the United Nations Human Rights Special Procedures Expert Group on “The Right of Persons with Disabilities to the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health,” as well as the Inclusive Health Project Workgroup for Special Olympics International.