Category: News

Boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder and autistic boys show high rates of word omission during conversations

A recent study shows that boys with fragile X syndrome and co-occurring ASD (fragile X + ASD), and autistic boys have similar patterns of linguistic errors and omit more words in conversations compared to non-autistic boys.

Leading by example: A spotlight on each of Waisman’s directors

The Waisman Center has a long history of excellent and remarkable leadership. Each director of the center has played a pivotal role in advancing Waisman's research, service, training, and outreach efforts. This article highlights the Waisman Center's directors, both past and present, that have allowed the center to proudly follow its mission of advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Low-Phe Life: Animated series helps families with PKU learn and laugh

At a recent screening of the video series “The Low-Phe Life”, Logan Schrimpf’s favorite video was the one where the raccoons messed up the family’s supply of PKU formula. It was the episode titled, The Trip, in the six-part animated video series by Kurt Sensenbrenner.

UW researchers will trial gene editing therapy to treat blindness

Seth Pollak: A career dedicated to understanding child emotion

The fun decals on the colorful walls and the cheerful environment gives it away, the third floor of the Waisman Center is dedicated to children. This space is where Seth Pollak, PhD, has spent most of his career studying child emotion, and how early life experiences shape the brain during development.

New machine learning algorithm improves estimation and integration of single-cell data

Like a game of Wheel of Fortune, where you have to fill in missing letters to guess the hidden phrase, analyzing data sometimes requires estimating missing data points by relying on available information in order to get the full picture of what’s being studied.

The Little Listeners Project: studying language development in toddlers with autism

Even through cute but unintelligible babbles, infants are hard at work learning how to become successful communicators.

We need to know STAT: Mechanisms behind GFAP accumulation in Alexander disease involve transcription factor STAT3.

The hallmarks of Alexander disease, aggregation of misfolded GFAP proteins and dysregulation of brain cells called astrocytes, may be stopped and reversed in rodent models with the inactivation of the transcription factor STAT3.

SALT & PEPPER: Seasoned tools to better understand speech and language disorders

We might know salt and pepper as the dynamic duo of seasonings that adds flavor to foods, but in the language and speech research world, the duo has a different meaning.

Innovative preschool education and care for kids with disabilities at the Waisman Center

From the soft murmur of voices in the center’s 10 specialty clinics to the loud and steady hum of the MRI on the first floor, the Waisman Center is full of sounds.