Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Using Discordant MZ Twins and Genome-wide Methylation Analyses to Identify Anxiety-relevant Genes - Three MZ (genetically identical) twin pairs were chosen to be clearly discordant for childhood cortisol levels and adolescent fMRI patterns in the amygdala that correlated with anxiety symptoms.
Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Unaffected Neonatal Skin Cells - We have generated and characterized iPSC clones from three unaffected, neonatal individuals using non-integrating episomal reprogramming plasmids expressing OCT4, SOX2, LIN28, KLF4, and c-Myc.
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.
Cell type-specific investigations commonly employ gene reporters or single-cell (sc) analytical techniques. However, reporter line development is arduous and generally limited to a single gene of interest, while scRNA-seq frequently yields equivocal results that preclude definitive cell identification.
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.
Immunostaining and microglia isolation via magnetic cell sorting was performed at postnatal day 2, 9, 30 and 60 (P2, P9, P30, P60). Microglia branching and soma size were quantified using semiautomated software analysis (Imaris, Oxford Insturments).
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 individuals and families impacted by developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases. Together we are transforming lives and building brighter futures—without you, …
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural organoids provide unprecedented potential to recapitulate human brain and spinal cord tissues in vitro. However, organoid morphogenesis relies upon cell-intrinsic self-assembly of biomimetic tissue structures in the absence of normal developmental constraints and morphogen signaling centers.
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.
“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.
