Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Brown eyes afire and colorful skirt awhirl, Jackie Cleveland has been dancing since she could walk. Now in sixth-grade, Jackie, who has Down syndrome, performs at Native American pow wows across the country, dancing traditional Ho-Chunk dances with style and unabashed joy.
Iyama-Kurtycz’s journey from an 8-year-old with a dream to a skilled clinician took her to medical school at the University of Michigan and a residency at the University of Kansas. “While at Kansas, I met a pediatrician who was taking care of children with disabilities and I realized that’s what I wanted to do,” says Iyama-Kurtycz.
When Leila Adamson was born, doctors weren’t sure that she would live for even 63 seconds. More than 63 months later, in July 2017, she will be in Madison, Wisconsin, along with her parents, Kari and James, and her sister, Madelyn, for the 31st annual conference of the Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13 and …
Sam Thompson is two-and-a-half years old and a super-charged giver of hugs.His green eyes sparkle as he first embraces his physician, Jessica Scott Schwoerer, and then his dietitian, Nikki Drilias. Then it’s a quick, laughter-filled sprint across the room to his parents, Josh and Angie, who also get huge hugs. Sam is at the Waisman …
Research led by Waisman Center investigator Denise Ney has shown that food products made from a specific protein found in whey can safely be part of a more palatable diet for individuals diagnosed with phenylketonuria (PKU). Ney, who is also the Billings-Bascom Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, focuses on individuals with …
One Wednesday in September, 15-year-old Tristan Thurman went to soccer practice at his high school. The team had just lost a game the day before because the other team had scored goals heading the ball, so this practice session was dedicated to heading drills. Tristan remembers feeling slightly dizzy after practice. By that Friday morning, …
What better way to spend a crisp fall day than to go on a three mile walk with your 6, 4 and 1-year old children AND raise funds to benefit individuals and families affected by developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases? That’s what Jessica and Kasey Feiner thought when they signed up for the first annual …
Luke Holzem sped from door to door, his orange t-shirt transforming him into a bright blur of 6-year-old energy. His grey-green eyes sparkled and he looked expectantly at his mother, Shannon. The question was clear: which of the numbered doors did he have to vanquish to get to his appointment at the Communication Aids & …
It has been said that communication is the essence of human life. In fact, our ability to communicate an unlimited number of thoughts and ideas separates humans from all other creatures.
Brain injuries caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow affect many thousands of children every year, yet “we still don’t have effective treatments for them,” says Waisman researcher Peter Ferrazzano, MD.
