At a Glance: SegJointGene is a new AI software developed by the lab of Daifeng Wang, PhD, that improves cell segmentation by integrating spatial information with gene expression data. A unique aspect of …
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Crisis Prevention Summit brings providers together to strengthen support
Every year, the Collaborative Stabilization Coalition (CSC) of Greater Dane County gathers care providers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or dementia for the Crisis Prevention Summit, a space to learn about how to help prevent or respond to a crisis. This year’s summit took place on March 23 at the Alliant Energy Center.
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.
Waisman Center to pilot 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.