Study led by Waisman investigator Maureen Durkin selected as one of the top advances in autism research in 2017
A multi-institution study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) led by Maureen Durkin, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Waisman Center, has been selected as one of the top advances in 2017 ASD research by the federal …
April 20, 2018Down Syndrome Clinic helps Jackie Cleveland keep dancing
Brown eyes afire and colorful skirt awhirl, Jackie Cleveland has been dancing since she could walk. Now in sixth-grade, Jackie, who has Down syndrome, performs at Native American pow wows across the country, dancing traditional Ho-Chunk dances with style and unabashed joy.
April 11, 2018Waisman Center welcomes a center leader to director position
Qiang Chang, a longstanding member of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Waisman Center’s leadership team, has been named the new director of the center following a nationwide search. Chang will assume the position on July 1 …
April 5, 2018Here is how a cat can hinder children learning new words
Say you are shown an apple, a banana and a fruit you have never seen before. Then you are asked to pick the “pifo.” Which fruit would you choose? Chances are you would select the novel fruit.
April 4, 2018
Waisman Biomanufacturing helps bring UMass Medical School HIV vaccine to Phase I trial
Waisman Biomanufacturing has produced and helped bring to clinical trial a vaccine that aims to prevent infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. The vaccine was developed by researchers at the University …
March 27, 2018Moving forward in the search for genetic clues to understand autism
There’s a saying in the autism community: If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. That’s because “as the name implies, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exists on a …
March 20, 2018
Thoughts of Gratitude: Marijo Bunbury
Marijo Bunbury loves a challenge, especially when she’s passionate about the outcome. Luckily for the Waisman Center, in 1994 someone told Bunbury that a congested events calendar would make it impossible to raise funds (to …
March 1, 2018Ebola Vaccine Inches Toward Human Clinical Trials
A whole-virus vaccine to confront Ebola, the rare but often fatal hemorrhagic disease that periodically erupts in sub-Saharan Africa, may soon be one step closer to the clinic. With the help of experts at Waisman …
February 21, 2018
NBC15 highlights Rett syndrome and Waisman Center research
NBC15’s Morning Show and reporter Kalie Greenberg shared a story about Laurel Cooper, a 9-year-old girl who has Rett syndrome, and her family. Rett syndrome is a rare, non-inherited neurological disorder that mostly affects girls …
February 16, 2018Proposals by Waisman investigators selected for UW-Madison Cluster Hire Initiative
Several Waisman Center investigators played key roles in crafting research proposals that were recently selected as ‘cluster hires’ by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UW–Madison’s Cluster Hiring Initiative was launched in 1998 as an innovative partnership …
February 8, 2018Examining mid-life social outcomes for individuals with autism
Newly published research led by Waisman Center clinician Megan Farley examines the experiences and mid-life social circumstances of 169 adults with autism spectrum disorder in Utah, including their employment status, relationships, community participation, and residential situations.
February 2, 2018Waisman research into rare syndrome offers hope for families
Laurel Cooper is 8 years old and full of sass and spunk. She finds it hilarious when her older sister, Annalise, gets into trouble. She loves music, and being in the thick of things. Cooper also has Rett syndrome, a rare, non-inherited neurological disorder that mostly affects girls and causes severe deterioration in their ability to speak, eat, move and even breathe easily. Rett syndrome has no cure.
January 12, 2018Progress made toward treatment for rare, fatal neurological disease
After more than a decade of work, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Waisman Center reported promising results in the lab and in animal models that could set the stage for developing a treatment for Alexander disease, a rare and usually fatal neurological disease with no known cure.
December 19, 20172017 Year in Review
We’re delighted to share a video highlighting many of the strides we have made over the past year. Your generous and thoughtful contributions help us continue to pioneer research and expand clinical services that benefit …
December 12, 2017
After decades of service, Waisman clinician Tina Iyama-Kurtycz retires in December
Iyama-Kurtycz’s journey from an 8-year-old with a dream to a skilled clinician took her to medical school at the University of Michigan and a residency at the University of Kansas. “While at Kansas, I met a pediatrician who was taking care of children with disabilities and I realized that’s what I wanted to do,” says Iyama-Kurtycz.
December 6, 2017Waisman Center director search advances as interim leadership is named
“Dr. Messing has been an outstanding director of this center since his appointment in 2015. He is both a superb scientist and has been a strong leader across this center’s multifaceted mission,” says Norman Drinkwater, UW–Madison associate vice chancellor for research in biological sciences.
December 5, 2017
Childhood stress and life risks
Adults who lived high-stress childhoods have trouble reading the signs that a loss or punishment is looming, leaving themselves in situations that risk avoidable health and financial problems and legal trouble.
December 5, 2017
Video game improves balance in youth with autism
“We think this video game-based training could be a unique way to help individuals with ASD who have challenges with their balance address these issues,” says Travers, an investigator at UW–Madison’s Waisman Center and an assistant professor of kinesiology.
November 22, 2017A decade after stem cell feat, research ramps up
A decade after scientists announced the development of induced pluripotent stem cells, Waisman investigators, including Su-Chun Zhang and David Gamm, continue to use these cells to research and develop potential therapies for several disorders and conditions, such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and macular degeneration.
November 20, 2017New Faculty Focus: Sriram Boothalingam
How did you get into your field of research? After I learned that the inner ear can produce sounds on its own and that the brain controls what we hear, I was hooked!
November 14, 2017
Mining the cerebellum for its role in speech
“We found that the folks with cerebellar damage responded to these unpredictable changes to a larger extent than those without any damage,” says Parrell. “It was totally unexpected.”
November 8, 2017
Autism prevalence and socioeconomic status: What’s the connection?
Children living in neighborhoods where incomes are low and fewer adults have bachelor’s degrees are less likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder compared to kids from more affluent neighborhoods. The finding is part …
October 13, 2017- More News posts
Newsletter
Through Waisman Intersections, our quarterly newsletter, we hope you will get to know us better and see how innovative research and compassionate clinical services intersect at the Waisman Center.
Slide of the Week
The Waisman Center Slide of the Week highlights recent research of Waisman Center principal investigators.