Category: Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

A dynamic map of early brain development captures major drivers of neurogenesis

At a Glance: A map of early brain development that captures its major drivers and their dynamics through time has been developed by Waisman Center investigators. Compiling different brain regions across three different species including humans, the new blueprint can identify the upstream regulators of brain development, evolution, and disorder risk, revealing how highly complex …

Building the Waisman Center’s window to the world: Website manager Linda Rowley retires after more than 30 years of keeping the center online

Rowley, who managed the Waisman Center website for 30 years, retired this July, but not before ensuring the website was set up for its most recent update.

RNA-binding protein identified as key regulator of brain development

A new Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison study has identified a critical regulator of this early process of cell fate called FXR1, a protein that binds RNA to regulate the abundance of key genes.

A springboard for scientific independence: Inside Waisman’s T32 Postdoctoral Training Program

At a Glance: Postdoctoral fellowships occupy an unusual space between being a graduate student and becoming an independent scholar. The postdoc stage is marked by a focus on refining research skills, expanding their knowledge-base, and developing key professional development skills (e.g., grant writing) needed to be an independent scientist. It can feel at times, like …

New book shares the experiences of individuals with disabilities through the COVID-19 pandemic using photos

The Pandemic Cancelled It, and They Never Brought It Back takes readers into the daily lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID‑19 pandemic, using their own photographs and words to reveal moments of loss, adaptation, resilience, and connection. Created by researchers at the Waisman Center, the book offers an intimate portrait of a community whose experiences are too often overlooked.

Waisman Center to pilot Adult Autism Program this summer

This summer, the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) will launch the Adult Autism Program, with services focused on mental health, life skills, and social connections for supporting quality of life in autistic adults and their families.

The Waisman Center hosts a successful first Day with the Experts on Congenital Heart Defects

On the first day of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness Week, Waisman Center and UW Health Kids experts gathered to share their knowledge on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of congenital heart surgery with the community.

Understanding why individuals with disabilities continue to be left out of health research

Individuals with disabilities face significant health disparities, yet remain underrepresented in health research. There is substantial evidence that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are systematically excluded from health research, even when it involves a condition that disproportionately impacts them.

New research reinforces the link between a cellular quality control system and rare forms of autism

Just like a car factory relies on inspectors to ensure that every vehicle is built correctly, cells depend on internal quality control systems to keep proteins functioning as they should. New research from Waisman Center investigator Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reveals that disruptions in one such system—the endoplasmic reticulum’s acetylation pathway—can lead to rare forms of autism and progeria, offering fresh insights into the cellular roots of these complex conditions.

Atypical infant movements tied to cerebral palsy may signal differences in brain connectivity

Brain connectivity differences linked to atypical infant movements may aid the early prediction of cerebral palsy development after a perinatal brain injury, a new Waisman Center study shows.