Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Title: Amygdala and hippocampal volume is reduced in children exposed to different forms of adversity Legend: Volumetric comparisons for the left amygdala (A) and left (B) and right (C) hippocampus. For each graph, standardized residuals controlling for total gray matter, pubertal stage, and sex are shown on the vertical axis, and group is shown on the …
In his 19-year career at UW–Madison, Dr. Su-Chun Zhang has transformed the field of stem cell research. The renowned neuroscientist was the first in the world to isolate neural stem cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a landmark discovery he patented with the help of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) in 2001.
The news that legendary Green Bay Packer quarterback Bart Starr has undergone stem cell therapy to recover from a stroke has raised the profile for a promising but unproven regenerative treatment intended to replace dead neurons with live ones.
A biologist who uses mathematical models to illuminate the changes within ecosystems and a neuroscientist who’s exploring how stem cells can treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord are the newest recipients of Steenbock Professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Title: Tai Chi as a potential therapy for ADHD Legend: Healthy young adults in a tai chi course reported reduced levels of inattention compared to controls. Photo: © Mariann Seriff (https://nccih.nih.gov/news/multimedia/images/details/2862) Citation: Converse AK, Ahlers EO, Travers BG, Davidson RJ (2014) Tai chi training reduces self-report of inattention in healthy young adults. Frontiers in Human …
Fathers who read to their infants with autism and take active roles in caregiving activities not only promote healthy development in their children, they boost moms’ mental health too, new research suggests.
A new study by Waisman Center investigators Andy Alexander, PhD, professor of medical physics and psychiatry, Janet Lainhart, MD, professor of psychiatry and Brittany Travers, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology, indicates a nerve bundle at the base of the brain is structurally compromised in people with autism. The study was recently featured by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.
Legend: Left panel: General patterns of [11C]PiB binding in participants with Down syndrome (DS). PiB binds to amyloid-β plaques, a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The top row shows nonspecific white matter binding. The middle row shows elevated PiB binding only in the striatum (pointed out by the arrows), which is unique to the …
Two Waisman Center programs will benefit from The Evjue Foundation grants. The Waisman Center Clinics are the recipient of $11,500 to enhance exam rooms to minimize light and sound issues to better serve individuals with disabilities; and $20,000 is designated for improvements to the Discovery Garden, the fully-accessible outdoor learning and play space adjacent to …
Applying a dramatically improved method for "editing" genes to human stem cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and Waisman Center investigator Su-Chun Zhang has shown a new way to silence genes in stem cells and their progeny at any stage of development.
