Mutation in common protein triggers tangles, chaos inside brain cells
In a study published today, Waisman Center investigators Su-Chun Zhang, Albee Messing and colleagues point to new understandings of the broad range of effects that result from the GFAP mutation impacting astrocytes — important supporting …
October 23, 2018Giizhik, young artist with autism, featured on WPT’s ‘Wisconsin Life”
Wisconsin Public Television’s Wisconsin Life recently featured Klawiter, a young artist with autism, who for the past decade has been designing and selling holiday cards across Sawyer County, raising awareness for autism and more than …
October 18, 2018
Studying Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome
About once every year and a half, Erin Harvey takes time off of her job as a teacher’s aide and along with her mom, Nancy, makes a two and a half hour drive from her …
October 15, 2018Scientists seek to improve quality control for genome editing therapies in the eye
Waisman Center investigator David Gamm, MD, PhD, and affiliate Krishanu Saha, PhD, are part of a team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin- Madison who were recently granted a major award from the National …
October 10, 2018
Whirling the Waisman Way with Team Tristan
Picture a crisp October morning in Madison, Wisconsin – the bright colors of fall leaves, mists over the blue waters of Lake Mendota and – on one Sunday (the 14th this year) – a crowd of excited people waiting to run, walk or roll in the 2018 Waisman Whirl for ALL Abilities!
September 20, 2018Twenty Years of Stem Cells
In 1998, UW–Madison developmental biologist James Thomson introduced the world to the first laboratory-derived human embryonic stem cells. Twenty years later, UW–Madison remains at the forefront of stem cell research. The Waisman Center at UW-Madison …
September 5, 2018Blockages in nerve-cell protein ‘factory’ implicated in neurodegenerative disease
Research by Waisman affiliate Jon Audhya shows new insight into the molecular basis underlying the neurodegenerative condition, hereditary spastic paraplegia (HPS). His recent study shows how a mutation in the TFG gene–one of several linked …
September 4, 2018Mental health in pregnancy may affect development of newborns’ brains
Waisman investigators and researchers explore potential connections between a woman’s mental health symptoms and white matter development in the brain of her child at one month after birth. Read the full article at: https://news.wisc.edu/mental-health-in-pregnancy-affects-development-of-newborns-brains/
August 28, 2018Researchers unveil new strategy to correct for motion during MRI scans
Individuals undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan often need to minimize movements for up to 10 minutes at a time to maximize scan quality. That can be challenging for many people.
August 23, 2018Expecting to learn: Language acquisition in toddlers improved by predictable situations
In an upcoming study in Current Biology, published online Aug. 16, researchers at the Arizona State University Department of Psychology and the Waisman Center report a factor that is important for language learning in children: the predictability of the learning environment.
August 17, 2018
Xinyu Zhao receives 2018 National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) Research Award
Xinyu Zhao, PhD, received the 2018 National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) Research Award for outstanding contributions to the understanding of fragile X syndrome. Zhao is a professor of neuroscience and Waisman Center investigator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
August 1, 2018Scientists discover cause of aging-related disease in mice, then reverse its symptoms
In a study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison show that mice making too much of a human protein called AT-1 show signs of early aging and premature death, which are …
July 31, 2018Childhood stress leaves lasting mark on genes
How does stress put some children at risk of psychiatric disorders when they grow up? To find out, researchers compared their genomes to those of kids whose childhoods were relatively tranquil.
July 17, 2018Unraveling the mysteries of a rare neurological disorder
Could understanding the ebb and flow of calcium in brain cells provide clues that help researchers develop a treatment for a devastating neurological disease? Rett syndrome, a rare, non-inherited neurological disorder that mostly affects girls …
July 2, 2018
Meet the New Director: Qiang Chang, PhD
A cutting-edge scientist and a family chef as well as a former professional chess player…meet Qiang Chang, the next director of the Waisman Center! Qiang Chang, a professor of medical genetics and neurology and Waisman …
July 2, 2018Using artificial intelligence for a big impact on neurodevelopmental research
By Meghan Chua Arezoo Movaghar earned her master’s degree in computer science and artificial intelligence. She built models based on the plentiful data found in medical records. So, when she came to UW–Madison as a …
June 29, 2018Study points researchers toward new therapies for fragile X syndrome
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty New insights into the molecular machinations behind fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited intellectual disability, may help researchers develop potential therapies. Fragile X is a genetic condition that affects one …
June 28, 2018
Finding the perfect click to measure hearing loss
Click. Click. Click. What’s that sound? It’s Waisman Center investigator Sriram Boothalingam exploring ways to develop more comprehensive and reliable hearing tests. To test for several types of hearing loss, audiologists use a small earphone …
June 22, 2018
Study offers first look at how children with cerebral palsy develop language skills
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty A new study of children with cerebral palsy could help ease the speech and language challenges many of these children face as they get older. Published in the journal Developmental Medicine …
June 4, 2018‘Drawn to Art’ features a unique partnership
The Wisconsin State Journal highlights how we are partnering with the Chazen Museum of Art to highlight beautiful pieces from our Harvey A. Stevens International Collection of Art by People with Developmental Disabilities.
May 16, 2018UW-Madison biomanufacturer offers essential gene-transfer capacity
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is used to insert replacement genes, and its role in genetic therapy trials is expanding quickly, says Carl Ross, managing director of Waisman Biomanufacturing. The AAV production reflects the Waisman lab’s growing importance in the biopharma business, as it’s the only facility on campus meeting FDA “good manufacturing practices” rules for large-scale manufacturing of biological therapies.
May 11, 2018Scientists just beginning to understand the unique health needs of adults with autism
In the 1990s, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children rose sharply. These children are now entering adulthood, yet physicians and scientists know very little about the health outcomes they might face. Most studies of health have focused on children and adolescents.
May 10, 2018- 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.