Couples raising a child with developmental disabilities do not face a higher risk of divorce if they have larger families, according to a new study by researchers from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2015
Help support autism, epilepsy research at weekend fundraiser
Anyone paying attention to these editorials knows we are passionate supporters of the Waisman Center, especially of the life-changing research into neurodegenerative diseases and causes of developmental disabilities done there.
Genetic counseling students learn to serve patients in ever-changing field
Many expected the Human Genome Project to cause a revolution far beyond the field of genetics — into economics and culture — and thought the 13-year, $3 billion international research endeavor would allow us to understand and control viruses, identify the root causes of cancers, advance forensics, create better crops and update anthropology tools to get a better view of our evolutionary path.
Motherhood and mental health: Exploring the links between anxiety, depression and fragile X premutations
Women who have a child with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and are themselves carriers of a “premutation” in the gene linked to FXS are at an increased risk of developing depression and certain kinds of anxiety disorders over time, according to a recent study by researchers at the Waisman Center and the University of South Carolina.
UW eye researchers publish second study of stem cells and blinding eye disease
A team of eye researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have used a custom stem cell model of a rare but blinding eye disease to test whether a commonly used drug might offer hope for treatment.
Zhang’s startup looks to give hope to patients with neurological disorders
In his 19-year career at UW–Madison, Dr. Su-Chun Zhang has transformed the field of stem cell research. The renowned neuroscientist was the first in the world to isolate neural stem cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a landmark discovery he patented with the help of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) in 2001.
Stem cell expert: Bart Starr treatment shows need for rigorous trials in U.S.
The news that legendary Green Bay Packer quarterback Bart Starr has undergone stem cell therapy to recover from a stroke has raised the profile for a promising but unproven regenerative treatment intended to replace dead neurons with live ones.
Su-Chun Zhang named Steenbock Professor
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.
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.