The Waisman Center celebrates the selection of Xinyu Zhao, PhD, a principal investigator renowned for her work in neural stem cells and neurodevelopment, as one of the esteemed recipients of a 2025 Eagles Autism Foundation research grant.
Research
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.
Parents as partners: How a community advisory council highlights the importance of learning from lived experience in research
Researchers are increasingly recognizing what families have long known: lived experience is its own form of expertise.
Study shows prenatal alcohol exposure may shape drinking behavior later in life
Prenatal exposure to alcohol may increase the risk of problematic drinking in adulthood according to a new 20 year-longitudinal study done in primates.
The newly funded Autism Research Consortium seeks to accelerate timely access to care for autistic individuals
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.
How advanced MRI paired with neuropsychological testing shed light on how Temple Grandin’s brain processes the world
Temple Grandin, PhD, is likely the most well-known living autistic individual, both nationally and internationally.
Waisman Center investigator David Gamm featured in a Capital Times story about research funding
Waisman Center investigator David Gamm, MD, PhD, is featured in a story from the Capital Times about research funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. Gamm is the director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute …
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.
Lily Wagner on researching, diagnosing and treating autism
Waisman Center Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic Director Lily Wagner considers the Trump administration’s warnings about acetaminophen and approval of leucovorin as a treatment for autism. By Frederica Freyberg | Here & Now September 26, …
Wisconsin researcher responds to White House autism announcement
Since that press conference on Monday afternoon, numerous medical organizations have pushed back, saying acetaminophen is safe for pregnant women to use