Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
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 …
Waisman Center researchers Anita Bhattacharyya and Xinyu Zhao are looking to make stem cells glow. That glow will tell them that they have successfully turned on a gene that is usually turned off in individuals with fragile X syndrome. Turning on this gene – called FMR1 – could be an important way to treat this …
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found a switch that redirects helper cells in the peripheral nervous system into “repair” mode, a form that restores damaged axons. Axons are long fibers on neurons that transmit nerve impulses. The peripheral nervous system, the signaling network outside the brain and spinal cord, has some ability to …
In their photographs, Jenni and Kyle Geurkink look like happy, healthy children. Jenni has a captivating smile and a twinkle in her eyes. Kyle is a sturdy toddler who loves brooms, mops and any occasion to laugh. First Christmases, first birthdays, first playtimes with cousins—these are just a few of the images of Jenni and …
This summer, three students from Lawrence University exchanged the Fox River for Lake Mendota and became temporary Badgers. They were part of a pilot program designed to provide Lawrence undergraduates the opportunity to work with researchers at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. With support from grants from Lawrence University, Katie Taber, Anna Kim and …
Every day, Waisman Center researcher John Svaren deals with nerves – peripheral nerves, that is. Peripheral nerves connect the brain and spinal cord to our limbs and organs, serving as vital communication relays that allow us to sense and respond to the world around us. “These nerves are really interesting because they contain some of …
Several research and infrastructure projects featuring Waisman Center researchers as the primary or co-investigator have been selected for the second round of funding through the UW2020
The environments children are in, including how much and what kinds of stimulation they are exposed to, influence what and how they learn. One important task for children is zeroing in on the information that’s relevant to what they’re learning and ignoring what isn’t. A new study has found that the presence of background noise …
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), according to a new clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin—Madison and Boston Children’s Hospital. “Our findings could also lead to increased insurance coverage for ‘medical foods’ …
The Waisman Center is one of only six institutions across to country to be awarded a SEED grant by the Centers for Disease Control. SEED is one of the largest studies in the United States to help identify factors that may put children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Research …
