Weight loss may be early predictor of Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome
Unintentional weight loss in people with Down syndrome may predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease long before typical cognitive symptoms like memory loss and dementia are apparent.
January 31, 2023
New NIH grant to study language use as potential predictor of neurodegenerative disorder in FMR1 premutation carriers
A new study will investigate if language differences can predict the development of a neurodegenerative disorder in people that carry a premutation of the gene FMR1.
December 19, 2022
Thoughts of gratitude: The Dewey family is a catalyst of support for the Waisman Center
Individuals with Down syndrome are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and it typically presents it at an earlier age than the general population. It is estimated that 90% of people with Down syndrome will have developed Alzheimer’s by age 65.
November 18, 2022Jose Martinez connects science and policy as a BTP trainee
While working as a health care administrator in Santa Cruz, California during the 2015 Zika virus outbreak, Jose Martinez realized his background in chemistry and pharmacology could be harnessed to set policies that are grounded in science.
March 7, 2022New $11 million award to study intellectual disability in Down syndrome
Waisman investigators Anita Bhattacharyya, PhD, an assistant professor of cell and regenerative biology and Su-Chun Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of neuroscience and neurology at the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison, were awarded …
November 26, 2021
Studying the connection between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome for Down syndrome awareness month
By Emily Leclerc, Waisman Science Writer The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and is dedicated to not only raising awareness about Down syndrome but also to celebrating the abilities and accomplishments of …
October 19, 2021
Stem cell project to create new model to study brain development and Down syndrome
Waisman Center researchers are creating a new approach to study how changes to brain development in the womb result in intellectual disability in people with Down syndrome.
October 11, 2021
A new computational pipeline connects disease and discovery at the cellular level
Could Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia be biologically connected?
July 1, 2021
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.
April 20, 2021
New NIH-funded initiative will examine Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome
A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is part of a new multi-institution effort to better understand Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome. Adults with Down syndrome are at high risk for …
October 26, 2020Running toward renewal: new study links physical activity with cognitive health
Research has shown voluntary running is an activity most commonly associated with the reversal of negative impacts of aging and neurodegeneration, but little is understood about why that is.
August 4, 2020Newly identified cellular trash removal program helps create new neurons
New research by University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists reveals how a cellular filament helps neural stem cells clear damaged and clumped proteins, an important step in eventually producing new neurons.
March 3, 2020
Mancheski Foundation funds next-gen research on Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s
A gift from the Mancheski Foundation continues to provide integral support to doctoral student Matthew Zammit as he furthers his research on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome. Zammit is beginning …
December 19, 2019
In Wisconsin, 3 in 5 people with Down syndrome diagnosed with dementia by age 55
Not so many years ago, people with Down syndrome rarely survived to middle age. Many died young due to heart problems associated with the congenital condition. Today, advances in treatment have allowed them to live longer, healthier lives.
October 28, 2019
Studying Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome
About once every year and a half, Erin Harvey takes time off of her job as a teacher’s aide and along with her mom, Nancy, makes a two and a half hour drive from her …
October 15, 2018Researchers unveil new strategy to correct for motion during MRI scans
Individuals undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan often need to minimize movements for up to 10 minutes at a time to maximize scan quality. That can be challenging for many people.
August 23, 2018Scientists discover cause of aging-related disease in mice, then reverse its symptoms
In a study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison show that mice making too much of a human protein called AT-1 show signs of early aging and premature death, which are …
July 31, 2018UW-Madison biomanufacturer offers essential gene-transfer capacity
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is used to insert replacement genes, and its role in genetic therapy trials is expanding quickly, says Carl Ross, managing director of Waisman Biomanufacturing. The AAV production reflects the Waisman lab’s growing importance in the biopharma business, as it’s the only facility on campus meeting FDA “good manufacturing practices” rules for large-scale manufacturing of biological therapies.
May 11, 2018
The chatter within our cells
Waisman Center investigator Luigi Puglielli had trouble with only one class in medical school: biochemistry. Yet today he uses biochemical approaches to study some of the vital molecular mechanisms that regulate brain physiology and pathology …
August 3, 2017
Thoughts of Gratitude: Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell passed away recently. He was a prolific artist and contributed many pieces of his work to the Waisman Center’s Harvey A. Stevens Collection of Art by People with Disabilities. Dan and his family …
June 7, 2016- More Alzheimer’s Disease posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.