Morse Society Messenger – February 2026

A Message from the Founders

A hearty welcome to Drs. Schworer and St John as coordinators of future joint projects for the current Scholars and the graduate Life Fellowship Alumns!

As donors we’re anticipating the creativity and good surprises we’ve already been thrilled to see these initial dozen years of the Society.

The appointment of the two coordinators of the newly-funded and structured alums’ Life Fellowships status now highlights the scholarly and collegial ‘cycle’ we as donors strived to see throughout the research, thesis, postdoctoral and career phases.

We anticipate the scholars, alums, mentors and all will discover programs and projects with the unique creativity and spirit which have been the mainspring of the Society now these dozen years to date.

Jennifer Piciw is a graduate student in the lab of Waisman investigator Anita Bhattacharyya, PhD. Currently in the PhD portion of her MD-PhD program, Piciw’s ultimate goal is to become a physician who works with individuals with disabilities and their families. As a part of Bhattacharyya’s lab, Piciw works with stem cells from individuals who have Down syndrome to study how the process of stem cells developing into neurons is impacted by the third copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down syndrome.

Bhattacharyya recommended that Piciw look into the Morse Society and after she talked with a society alumnus in the lab, Piciw made the decision to apply. “It sounded like a really cool opportunity to bring together my research on intellectual disability and my medical training and interact with people from across disciplines,” Piciw says. “That’s what I really love about medicine. That you can bring people together from across so many different perspectives.”

Piciw was thrilled when she heard that she had been accepted to the society. She is looking forward to breaking bread with people from all across Waisman to learn about not only what they do at the Center, but how it all connects back to supporting individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities. “Just being able to think about how we can take the work that we do with cells and push it to a bigger scale and how we can connect it to work that other labs are doing with MRI or functional studies and more,” Piciw says.

She is honored to have been selected and can’t wait to get to know the Morse Scholars and alumni and learn from their thoughts, research, and perspectives.

Leela Shah is a graduate student in the Developing Brain Imaging Lab run by Waisman investigator Doug Dean, PhD. Shah is an MD-PhD student whose goal is to become a physician specializing in neonatology alongside building her own lab focused on studying how different influences shape infant brain development. Currently as a part of Dean’s lab, Shah is involved with The Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study which a multisite, longitudinal study focused on better understanding how the brain develops and is influenced by exposure to substances and other environmental conditions.

Shah was excited when she learned she had been accepted to the Morse Society. “I had heard great things about the society from other members of the lab,” Shah says. “It was exciting to hear that at the meetings there are so many opportunities to talk about so many different aspects of development, all the way from cellular research to neuroimaging to those who work directly with individuals with disabilities.”

Shah is incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of the Morse Society. In particular, Shah is looking forward to speaking to everyone about all of the different research that is taking place at Waisman. “In thinking about development, I have always been very focused on the human side,” Shah says. “So, I think getting to work with researchers and other trainees from across disciplines will help inform my research questions and help me think more mechanistically as well.”

Our Morse Scholars alumni are an essential part of the Waisman Center’s story. Your experiences, achievements, and continued engagement help inspire current scholars and strengthen the program’s impact. Staying connected ensures that the legacy of collaboration and innovation continues to grow.

We’re excited to share that we’ve launched a new Morse Scholars Alumni website! This platform is designed to celebrate your accomplishments and keep you informed about opportunities to connect and contribute.

Please take a moment to visit your alumni profile and review the information listed. If updates are needed, we’d love to hear from you so we can keep everything accurate and current.

https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/administrative-core/morse-society/morse-alumni/

Thank you for being an integral part of the Morse Scholars community—we value your ongoing involvement and look forward to staying connected!

Click here to take the Morse survey and update your info

The Morse Society Life Cycle leaders will serve as key connectors between current Morse scholars and our alumni community, fostering a vibrant network that extends well beyond graduation. These leads play a vital role in building and sustaining relationships that enrich both current scholars and alumni alike. The Life Cycle leads will work to create meaningful touchpoints for connection, including helping to plan informal gatherings around relevant conferences where scholars and alumni can cross paths. They will also help gather ideas, topics, and updates from alumni to help shape newsletter content, working closely with Brittany, Doug, and the communications team to ensure our community stays connected and informed. Beyond these core activities, the Life Cycle leads think creatively about new initiatives and opportunities to strengthen our community, helping to ensure the Morse Society remains a lifelong community of support, learning, and connection.