Changes in walking patterns could be an important new screening tool for Alzheimer’s in individuals with down syndrome
Individuals with Down syndrome have a 90% lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
June 4, 2026
Typing, tapping, and eye-gaze tracking: Augmentative and alternative communication provides crucial access to communication when speech is out of reach
For many, talking is as easy as breathing. A few words to tell your friend that you are hungry and ready for lunch. A long rant to your partner about frustrations at work. A description of what hurts to your doctor. A quiet, ‘I love you,’ to a close family member. Being able to talk helps to make communicating efficient and effective. But not everyone has access to speech.
June 3, 2026
New book shares the experiences of individuals with disabilities through the COVID-19 pandemic using photos
The Pandemic Cancelled It, and They Never Brought It Back takes readers into the daily lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID‑19 pandemic, using their own photographs and words to reveal moments of loss, adaptation, resilience, and connection. Created by researchers at the Waisman Center, the book offers an intimate portrait of a community whose experiences are too often overlooked.
May 28, 2026
Waisman Center to launch Adult Autism Program this summer
This summer, the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) will launch the Adult Autism Program, with services focused on mental health, life skills, and social connections for supporting quality of life in autistic adults and their families.
May 19, 2026
Earliest signs of neurodegeneration in Down syndrome detected shortly after birth, new Waisman study shows
Signs of neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome may start as early as birth, a critical stage of brain development, a new study shows. The research, from investigators at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides an atlas of early brain development in Down syndrome that could inform potential targeted treatments to address the developmental and degenerative aspects of the condition.
April 24, 2026
Ability, not disability: UW allies highlight advocacy in light of Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month — a time to recognize those on the autism spectrum, provide support, improve access to services and celebrate neurodiverse identities. Autism is a developmental disability, meaning it displays itself during the pediatric period, according to senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center and director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Leann DaWalt.
April 21, 2026
New tool for researchers makes it easier to analyze individual neurons
The electrical properties of a neuron paint a picture of its development and function. A new user-friendly and accessible tool developed at the Waisman Center allows scientists to analyze the electrical activity of individual neurons – rather than clusters – using a process known as spike sorting. The free tool is available online for other researchers to access.
April 14, 2026
Drug shifts a key hormone after newborn brain injury – but only in females
A blood test alone cannot tell the full story of what’s happening inside a newborn’s brain after a brain injury. New research from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that the hippocampus—a brain region critical for learning and memory—maintains its own powerful, locally regulated steroid environment during early development and after brain injury.
April 9, 2026
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.
April 8, 2026
Gallery Walk: The Pandemic Cancelled It, and They Never Brought It Back
The gallery walk goes from Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 30, 2026 and will be accessible during regular business hours in the John D. Wiley Conference Center hallway at the Waisman Center on the second floor, north tower.
April 6, 2026
Friendship at the museum: How science helps kids make friends through play
Shutts uses what she learns in her research as a social scientist to influence how kids in the community learn through play at the museum. Her area of expertise is how children make sense of their social world, and how to help kids build their social skills. In an attempt to oversimplify her work, you could say she’s an expert in friendships.
April 1, 2026
Developmental markers have the potential to make diagnosing autism in individuals with Down syndrome easier
Down syndrome, a neurodevelopmental condition caused by a triplicated 21st chromosome, often presents with co-occurring developmental conditions such as autism. But diagnosing autism in someone with Down syndrome can be difficult as they have overlapping symptoms.
March 13, 2026
Not lost in translation: New research finds that kids can learn easily from codeswitched language
Codeswitching--when someone switches between two or more languages while speaking--is a very common phenomenon in people who are bilingual. ‘Spanglish’ is a well-known example of codeswitching as it is a colloquial term for speaking in a mix of Spanish and English.
March 11, 2026
The Waisman Center hosts a successful first Day with the Experts on Congenital Heart Defects
On the first day of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness Week, Waisman Center and UW Health Kids experts gathered to share their knowledge on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of congenital heart surgery with the community.
March 10, 2026How AI is advancing medical research
Waisman Investigator Daifeng Wang, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics and medical informatics, was featured on this article by the School of Medicine and Public Health on how artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing medical research at UW.
March 10, 2026
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.
March 3, 2026
Beyond the bench: Waisman-born clinical trials
AT A GLANCE: The Long Journey of Clinical Trials – Scientific discoveries take years to become treatments. Researchers must prove safety and effectiveness through four trial phases, testing interventions on small groups before expanding to …
March 3, 2026
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.
February 24, 2026
Tribute to Frank L. Siegel, PhD
The emeritus professor of pediatrics and biomolecular chemistry passed away on January 1, 2026 at the age of 93.
February 17, 2026
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.
February 12, 2026
Finding connection: The struggles and strengths of building relationships for individuals with autism
Relationships are hard. It’s part of why there are countless books, podcasts, and blog posts about how to build, maintain, and keep relationships.
February 10, 2026James 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.
February 10, 2026
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.
February 4, 2026
From Lived Experience to Leadership: Jack Hoselton’s Advocacy Journey with WI LEND
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.
February 3, 2026
How LEND training shaped a Waisman CASC clinician’s approach to inclusive care and communication access
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.
February 3, 2026
Early adversity strongly predicts adult mental health challenges in people with Down syndrome, new study finds
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.
January 15, 2026
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.
January 8, 2026
In memoriam, Paul Rathouz, former Waisman executive team member and collaborator
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.
December 16, 2025
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.
December 1, 2025
The Baby Badger Network seeks to make genetic testing more accessible to critically-ill newborns throughout Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, a new initiative is transforming the landscape of neonatal care by making genetic testing more accessible for critically-ill newborns.
November 20, 2025
Waisman Early Childhood Program’s longest serving teacher retires
The Waisman Early Childhood Program’s (WECP) longest serving teacher, Lisa Marie Carilli-McCord, officially retired at the end of October.
November 3, 2025
New algorithm helps decipher complex biological data to advance neurodevelopmental research
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.
October 21, 2025
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 …
October 16, 2025
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.
October 16, 2025
A tribute to Paul White: Champion of community, compassion, and change
Paul White, MA, founder of Community TIES and former director of the Waisman Center’s Community Outreach Wisconsin program, passed away unexpectedly on June 17, 2025.
October 13, 2025- More News posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.