At UW-Madison, autistic students navigate personal, classroom obstacles
There are 99 UW-Madison students on the autism spectrum, according to the McBurney Disability Resource Center’s 2022-23 annual report.
April 23, 2024
A new grant from the Eagles Autism Foundation will help advance Waisman research on the genetic cause of autism
Studying the biological underpinnings of autism is exceptionally complex with more than 1000 genes thought to be associated with autism.
April 16, 2024
Waisman postdoctoral fellow receives prestigious Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Award
Yu (Kristy) Guo, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Waisman investigator Xinyu Zhao, PhD, professor of neuroscience, was recently selected to receive the prestigious Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Award. This award is highly competitive with seven or fewer individuals selected from across the nation each year. The purpose is to support postdoctoral scientists of exceptional creativity in the field of neurosciences and assist them in transitioning from student to independent researcher by establishing their own lab and securing a full-time faculty position.
April 8, 2024
Research Insights: Autistic children’s mental health affected by the quality of their parents’ romantic relationships, mental health — and vice versa
Brianna Piro-Gambetti, who received her PhD in Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) in 2023, is the lead author of a recently published study that examined how the mental health of autistic children is connected with the mental health and romantic relationship quality of their parents.
April 4, 2024
Barriers and facilitators of inclusive healthcare for autistic adults call for a system-level approach to improving health outcomes
Barriers to accessing inclusive healthcare for autistic adults
April 3, 2024
New Research First to Test 60-Year-Old Theory on Autism
Autism is often associated with complex tasks like social processing and language and the later-developing brain regions that control them. But what if autism is more rooted in the earliest developing and most reflex-like part of the brain – the brainstem?
March 28, 2024Life as neurodivergent people in Wisconsin
Waisman Center clinicians, Madeline Barger and Megan Farley, were featured on Wisconsin Public Radio's The Morning Show on "Life as Neurodivergent People in Wisconsin".
March 8, 2024
Researcher clinicians help bridge the gap between scientific discovery and medical care – Part 2
There is no one “typical” type of researcher clinician. There are differences in training, percentage of focus on research vs clinic, and type of research done. Many also carry teaching and administrative responsibilities on top of their already demanding positions.
January 10, 2024
Study Reveals Differences in Brain Structure for Older Autistic Adults
A recent study continues to add to the body of evidence that the brain structure of autistic individuals is different from the structure of neurotypical individuals.
January 8, 2024
CASC Clinic: Enabling the basic human right of communication for all abilities
Without access to communication, people are isolated and frustrated and can end up having very different life experiences. If we can establish communication for a variety of individuals using alternative tools and techniques, and in so doing, increase that individual's quality of life, I think it's a pretty substantial impact...
December 13, 2023
Branching out beyond where it’s planted: The story of the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Part 2
Former UCEDD director Bill MacLean with current director Leann DaWalt.
December 6, 2023
Branching out beyond where it’s planted: The story of the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Part 1
The University of Wisconsin-Madison was one of the first sites to be selected to have an IDDRC and UCEDD because of the urging of Harry Waisman, MD, PhD, a prominent researcher physician, for whom the Waisman Center is named.
December 5, 2023- More Autism posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.