University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Noteworthy

Waisman investigators receive NIH funding to optimize the use of brain organoids in research

A newly funded project will combine the expertise of four Waisman Center investigators to develop advanced machine learning methods for studying brain organoids, three-dimensional cell clusters grown from stem cells that closely mimic key aspects of human brain development.

Friends of the Waisman Center Annual Awards

On August 11, the Friends of the Waisman Center celebrated a remarkable group of students, staff, and volunteers whose dedication, achievements, and service have strengthened the Waisman community. During the annual awards reception, Friends Board President Jim Dama presented awards recognizing outstanding contributions, while Waisman Center Director Qiang Chang presented the two recipients of Wisconsin …

Pollak and Shutts awarded fellowships from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

Waisman Center investigators Seth Pollak and Kristin Shutts are among the forty-two UW–Madison faculty to be awarded fellowships from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) for 2026-2027. Click here for the full story.

Eagles Autism Foundation funds new research on use of nanotechnology to deliver gene-editing tools to the brain

A new research study at the Waisman Center has been funded by the Eagles Autism Foundation to develop a precise, safe, and broadly applicable method for correcting a single-gene mutation associated with symptoms of autism spectrum disorders including learning deficits, anxiety, depression, and reduced social interactions.

Waisman investigator Xinyu Zhao receives grant from the Eagles Autism Foundation

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.

James Li receives Vilas Associates Award

James Li, PhD, Waisman Center investigator and A.A. Alexander Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, has been selected to receive a Vilas Associates Award.

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.

Kathleen Kastner selected for 2024 SMPH dean’s teaching award

Kathleen Kastner, MD, associate professor, Division of Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine, and developmental behavioral pediatrician in the Waisman Center's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and Newborn Follow-Up Clinic, was selected for a 2024 University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Dean’s Teaching Award.

Waisman Center welcomes new affiliated investigator Justin Wolter

By Emily Leclerc, Waisman Science Writer The Waisman Center welcomes a new affiliated investigator Justin Wolter, PhD, assistant professor of medical genetics. Wolter comes to Waisman and UW-Madison from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he completed his postdoctoral fellowship. “The scientific and intellectual environment at UW is just amazing,” Wolter …

New study to help illuminate issues for aging autistic adults

A new study from researchers at the Waisman Center and The Ohio State University will investigate aging in autistic adults.