A biologist who uses mathematical models to illuminate the changes within ecosystems and a neuroscientist who’s exploring how stem cells can treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord are the newest recipients of Steenbock Professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
News
Dads’ parenting of children with autism improves moms’ mental health
Fathers who read to their infants with autism and take active roles in caregiving activities not only promote healthy development in their children, they boost moms’ mental health too, new research suggests.
Frayed nerve bundle may spur autism’s motor, social deficits
A new study by Waisman Center investigators Andy Alexander, PhD, professor of medical physics and psychiatry, Janet Lainhart, MD, professor of psychiatry and Brittany Travers, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology, indicates a nerve bundle at the base of the brain is structurally compromised in people with autism. The study was recently featured by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.
Evjue Foundation awards grants to Waisman Center Clinics and Discovery Garden
Two Waisman Center programs will benefit from The Evjue Foundation grants. The Waisman Center Clinics are the recipient of $11,500 to enhance exam rooms to minimize light and sound issues to better serve individuals with …
Expert: Editing stem cell genes will “revolutionize” biomedical research
Applying a dramatically improved method for “editing” genes to human stem cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and Waisman Center investigator Su-Chun Zhang has shown a new way to silence genes in stem cells and their progeny at any stage of development.
Ninth annual Fashion Show for All Abilities recap
Between wardrobe fittings, hours of coaching, makeup artists, and the moment that first shoe hits the runway, Chantel Brown watched her dream become a reality. Friday, May 29, 2015 marked the ninth annual Fashion Show for All Abilities where 73 models strut their stuff for this community awareness event.
Kindness in the classroom
What if teaching young children compassion and kindness made them better students as well as better people? Researchers with the UW’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center recently tested that hypothesis with preschool students in the Madison Metropolitan School District, after years of work developing a curriculum designed to help children develop both kindness and self-regulation skills.
Ruth Munz receives Excellence in Early Education Award
Ruth Munz, a university associate in the Waisman Early Childhood Program, received the Excellence in Early Education Award last month after nomination from her co-workers. She was honored at Jazzin, the annual fundraiser for campus childcare and acknowledgement of exceptional early education teachers and leaders on campus.
Fragile X proteins involved in proper neuron development
Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited intellectual disability and the greatest single genetic contributor to autism. Unlocking the mechanisms behind fragile X could make important revelations about the brain.
Greenberg to fill research leadership post
Norman Drinkwater, a UW-Madison professor of oncology, and Jan Greenberg, a UW-Madison professor of social work, have been named associate vice chancellors in the Office of Research and Graduate Education. Greenberg will lead the area of social studies while Drinkwater will lead the biological sciences.