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.
News
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.
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.
Susan Ellis Weismer receives 2021 Hilldale Award
Ellis Weismer is an expert on language learning disorders in children. She has contributed new insights into three major language-associated disorders: autism spectrum disorder, developmental language disorder, and children who are late to talk.
Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to Waisman Investigator Seth Pollak
Dr. Seth Pollak, the College of Letters & Science Distinguished Professor of Psychology, has been named a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, one of 184 artists, writers, scholars, and scientists selected through a rigorous peer-review process from more than 3,000 applicants.
Artificial intelligence can accelerate clinical diagnosis of fragile X syndrome
An analysis of electronic health records for 1.7 million Wisconsin patients revealed a variety of health problems newly associated with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism, and may help identify cases years in advance of the typical clinical diagnosis.
Virtual reality work earns award for acoustics researcher
Waisman researcher Ellen Peng, PhD, is the recipient of an Editor Award from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) for her work on the impact of room acoustics on listener comprehension. Her article “Listening Effort …