Dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases

throughout the lifespan.

Waisman CenterUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonCelebrating 40 Years, 1973-2013

What is a developmental disability?

• Onset is prenatal or early in life

• Affects a child’s development in multiple and significant ways

• Lasts indefinitely

Examples…Autism, Down syndrome,cerebral palsy, fragile X syndrome, epilepsy, othertypes of intellectual disability

CDC: 1 in 6 kids have a developmental disability

• 17% increase, 1997-2008 • data collected from

120,000 kids ages 3 -17 years old over an 11-year period

• increase due to growth in cases of autism, ADHD, and “other developmental delays”

What is a neurodegenerative disease?

• Onset can be at any point in life

• Affects a person’s life in multiple and significant ways

• Lasts indefinitely and often is the cause of death

Examples…

Parkinson’s Disease, ALS (LouGehrig’s disease), Alzheimer’sdisease, spinal cord injury

The Waisman Center’s Overarching Goal – to Discover the 3 “Cs”

Causes genetic, environmental

Consequences for the individual,

the family, and society

Cures and treatments

Precursor to the Waisman Center – 1963

UW Orthopedic Children’s Hospital

• Addition built in 1963 for the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Laboratories, funded by a grant from Kennedy Foundation

• Dr. Harry Waisman, Director

Senator Ted Kennedy visitsMadison for the lab’s openingNovember 1963.

Dedication of the

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

Laboratories

November 20, 1963

• Research Director at the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Laboratories

• Pediatrician, biochemist, pioneer in research on childhood disability

• Advocated for testing all newborns for genetic diseases

• Role model for us today

Who was Dr. Harry Waisman?

A Presidential Panel recommended creation of multidisciplinary centers focused on intellectual disabilities at major universities

Construction of the Waisman Center

Waisman Center opens in 1973

15 Centers in the United States

•

The Waisman Center is the only center in the U.S. that housesboth a multidisciplinary research center and a clinical, service, and outreach center

Both are needed to translate research results intotreatments = translational research

• 55 faculty members from 27 UW-Madison departments

• division of the Graduate School• 600 faculty, staff, students

payrolled• 253,585 square foot building

complex

Waisman Center Facts

• 6,700 patient visits each year

• ~ 90 grants from the NIH

• Multiple “centers within the Center”

The Waisman Center’s Four Major Activities

Service

OutreachResearch

Training

Research on Child Development

Waisman Center research on early learning – cognitive development, social development, language development, sensory development

Waisman Center Stem Cell Research Laboratories

• We have discovered how stem cells can be turned into neurons and other brain cells.

• We are working to discover how stem cells can be specialized to treat diseases of the brain, the eye, and the spinal cord.

Early stage retinal cells

Waisman Biomanufacturing

Production of pharmaceuticals for early stage human clinical trials

Waisman Center Brain Imaging Facility

Expanding our knowledge about brain development and function using MRI and PET scanning.

Brain imaging studies have focused on:- autism

- Down syndrome - Alzheimer’s - PTSD

Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

• Research on attention, mindfulness, and other healthy qualities of the mind

• Director, Richard Davidson, PhD• Co-sponsored the recent Dalai Lama visit

Training Future Researchers and Clinicians

The Waisman Center has trained more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students since 1973.

Waisman Early Childhood Program

• 85 children, ages 1-5

• 1/3 of enrollment are children with disabilities

• National leader in “inclusive” early childhood education

• More than 1,900 children have participated in the WECP since 1979

Waisman Center Clinics• Autism & Developmental Disabilities• Biochemical Genetics• Bone Dysplasia• Communication Aids and Systems• Cerebral Palsy• Down syndrome• Feeding• Medical Genetics• Neuromotor Developmental• Newborn Follow-up• Pediatric Brain Care• Spasticiy and Movement Disorders

Harvey A. Stevens International Collection of Art

• 150 artworks in the collection, all by people with developmental disabilities

• Sponsored by the Friends of the Waisman Center

• Featured as a six-month exhibit at the Dane County Regional Airport

Waisman Center Day with the Experts

• Autism – January

• Down Syndrome – April

• Cochlear Implants – June

• Grandparents’ Network – November

Grandparents’ Network

•Provide support to grandparents and their families

•Help grandparents send positive messages about disabilities to their communities to create a better climate for family members

•Facilitate direct “grandparent-to-grandparent” communication

• Annual Waisman Center Day with the Experts: Grandparents’ Network – November 2, 2013

• waisman.wisc.edu/grandparents

Waisman Center Children’s Theatre

• community outreach series

• art and environmental themes

• 18 performances during 2012-2013 series

• more than 100,000 people have attended since 1986

Funding for 2012-2013 series from Downtown Madison Rotary, The Kids Fund, and Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission

Waisman Center 40th Anniversary

Guest speaker: David Maraniss Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and author

October 17, 2013 Celebratory Dinner at the Monona Terrace

Special Guest: Rebecca Blank, PhD UW-Madison Chancellor

Thank you!