Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol may increase the risk of problematic drinking in adulthood according to a new 20 year-longitudinal study done in primates.
Jack Hoselton strives to improve society for people with disabilities. His own lived experience as a man with autism gives him an understanding of the disability world, its strengths and its challenges.
Becca Stroschein realized while volunteering as an undergraduate student at a non-profit for autistic adults, that she held a deep passion for helping others find a form of communication that works for them so that they can have access to their community.
A new Waisman study found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—such as abuse, neglect, or exposure to household challenges—can have lasting effects on adults with Down syndrome, including their mental health and ability to cope with life changes. While ACES are known to impact the general population, this research is among the first to show similar—and in some cases heightened—effects in individuals with Down syndrome.
Researchers at the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) were recently awarded a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to support research to improve the health and well-being of children and youth with autism.
Paul Rathouz, PhD, former Chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, passed away from complications of multiple myeloma on Wednesday afternoon, December 10, 2025. Paul served with distinction as the chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics from 2010-2017. He will be missed by those who knew him.
Temple Grandin, PhD, is likely the most well-known living autistic individual, both nationally and internationally.
In Wisconsin, a new initiative is transforming the landscape of neonatal care by making genetic testing more accessible for critically-ill newborns.
The Waisman Early Childhood Program’s (WECP) longest serving teacher, Lisa Marie Carilli-McCord, officially retired at the end of October.
A new machine learning algorithm developed at UW-Madison is helping researchers untangle a complex puzzle: the molecular mechanisms behind developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases. COSIME, created by the lab of Waisman investigator Daifeng Wang, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics and medical informatics, and computer sciences, offers a powerful new way to integrate and interpret multiple types of biological data which can give scientists a clearer view of how different cellular clues come together to shape disease outcomes.
