How do learners gather new information during word learning? One possibility is that learners selectively sample items that help them reduce uncertainty about new word meanings.
Marsha R. Mailick, PhD – Slide of the Week
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most prevalent inherited cause of intellectual disability, remains under-diagnosed in the general population. Clinical studies have shown that individuals with FXS have a complex health profile leading to unique clinical needs. However, the full impact of this X-linked disorder on the health of affected individuals is unclear and the prevalence of co-occurring conditions is unknown.
Schizophrenia: Illuminating a potential treatment and gene regulation
A new study from the lab of Waisman investigator Xinyu Zhao, PhD, brings us one step closer to identifying treatments for psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia (SCZ) and illuminates the role of a specific gene in regulating the disorder. “Regulation of Cav3.2 by schizophrenia risk gene FXR1 is critical for interneuron functions and social behaviors” was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry in April. The study also identifies a specific gene as the regulator of a type of neurons that plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric disorders.
Cengiz receives Academic Staff Excellence Awards
Pelin Cengiz, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics and a Waisman Center investigator, is among this year’s recipients. She received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Independent Investigator.
Nell Maltman is a recipient of the inaugural Postdoc Excellence Awards
Nell Maltman, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Research in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (RIDDL) Lab under the direction of Waisman investigator Audra Sterling, PhD, was among nine postdocs to receive an inaugural Postdoc Excellence Award.
Krishanu Saha, PhD – Slide of the Week
The move from reading to writing the human genome offers new opportunities to improve human health. The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) Consortium aims to accelerate the development of safer and more effective methods to edit the genomes of disease-relevant somatic cells in patients, even in tissues that are difficult to reach.
Building community connection: from feedmill to autism therapy center
In the shadow of the Fennimore water tower sits a nondescript metal building. The once-abandoned former feed mill has now become The Learning Center, a unique resource for youth with autism and their families. Therapy …
Fetal tissue research carries on at UW after Biden team reverses Trump limits
The Biden administration’s loosening of restrictions on the use of fetal tissue in research will allow UW-Madison scientists to continue such studies, which opponents have tried several times to ban in Wisconsin.
The identities of enzymes: study further defines the function of a potential target for Alzheimer’s therapy
A new study from the lab of UW-Madison professor of medicine Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, opens a door to potential treatments for diseases of age, such as Alzheimer’s disease, by defining the roles of two enzymes that are imperative to protein production. “Endoplasmic reticulum acetyltransferases Atase1 and Atase2 differentially regulate reticulophagy, macroautophagy and cellular acetyl-CoA metabolism” was published in April in the journal Communications Biology.
Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT – Slide of the Week
Cerebral palsy is caused by a congenital brain lesion that occurs early in life with associated motor deficits which may result in lifelong disability. The brain has high neuroplastic potential early in life, stressing the importance for therapy. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may enhance pediatric rehabilitation interventions through neuroplasticity.