Marsha Mailick Seltzer, PhDDirector, Waisman Center

Vaughan Bascom and Elizabeth M. Boggs Professor

Friends of the Waisman Center 2012 Annual Reception

August 14, 2012

Friends Support of the Waisman Center

• Funds to renovate the Friends of the Waisman Center Auditorium and refurbish the seating

• Support for the Waisman Center Post-Doctoral Training Program in Developmental Disabilities Research

• Support for the three “Waisman Center Days with the Experts” events (autism, Down syndrome, cochlear implants) and annual WC poster fair

• Sponsorship of international art collection by people with disabilities

• Sponsorship of the Waisman Center Children’s Theatre

• Support of the John D. Wiley Seminar Series

• Leadership training support—UCEDD

• “Mini-grants” to faculty and staff

• 9 student, staff, and family awards—today!

This year— Thank you!

• Support for the Waisman Center Post-Doctoral Training Program in Developmental Disabilities

• provides interdisciplinary training in social, behavioral, epidemiological and biobehavioral research on development disabilities for new PhDs and junior faculty who aim to establish independent programs of research on developmental disabilities.

• $15,000 in supplemental support for four post-doctoral fellows is an effective strategy to recruit the best trainees to the Waisman Center

• Revitalization of the Friends of the Waisman Center Auditorium

• refurbishment of the

auditorium’s current

seating (258 chairs)

• replacement of wallpaper

in winter 2012-2013

• Support for the John D. Wiley Seminar Series

• 24 seminars in the 2012-2013 academic year featuring speakers from across the country and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• An opportunity to advance knowledge, expertise, and collaborations in the areas of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Waisman Center Center “Days with the Experts”

• Down Syndrome: Saturday, November 11, 2011 Second annual event in collaboration with the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society.

• Autism: Saturday, January 28, 2012 8th annual event in collaboration with the Autism Society of Greater Madison.

• Cochlear Implants: Saturday, June 23, 2012 First annual event hosted in partnership with the Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology and the Department of Communicative Disorders

• Purpose: an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to learn about the wide range of research and services throughout the center.

• More than 55 posters presented; 100+ people attended!

• Sponsored by the Friends of the Waisman Center

Fifth Annual Waisman Center Poster FairApril 25, 2012

The 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

• Funding for 2011-2012 series from American Girl Fund for Children and Baird

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

Waisman Center Children’s TheatreFall 2011 through Spring 2012

• Outreach events by the Waisman Center for the community

• Combines arts and environmental themes

• Attended by 4,600 people this year

• 18 performances during 2011-2012 series

• Fall series begins in September 2012

How Does the Friends Raise Funds?—two annual benefits

• Spring Benefit Concert: 17th year

• Summer Golf Benefit: 20th year

17th Annual Spring Concert: Sunday, April 22, 2012

• Event Sponsor:UW Health

• Artist Sponsor: John and Georgia Wiley

• Hosts: 2 platinum, 23 gold and 43 silver

• Since event began, has netted more than $250,000

◘ Greatest # of sponsors and hosts and highest net proceeds in history of concert—$27,700+!

Thank you! Committee co-chairs: Betty Garvey, Toni Richards, & Lucy Williams

Golf Benefit: Monday, July 16, 2012At Bishops Bay Country Club

• Event Sponsor: American Family

• Reception Sponsors: Godfrey and Kahn UW Medical Foundation

• 26 hole sponsors and 126 golfers

• 20th Anniversary of the golf benefit

• Since event began, has netted over $500,000!

• Special guest NY Giant and Super Bowl Champ Travis Beckum

Thank you! Committee co-chairs:Nicole Bunbury-Sjowall and David Scher

Special Thanks: Officers of the Board of Directors of the Friends

• Outgoing board president— Kendall Harrison (Godfrey and Kahn)

• New president— Eric Lund (S & L Hospitality)

• New vice-president— ??(TBD)

• Continuing secretary— Sandy Gehler (Baird/Corbett-Gehler Group)

• Outgoing treasurer— Jan Robertson

• New treasurer— Brian Walsh, WIPFLI

Waisman Center Update

• Special Events

• Faculty Honors/Staff Transitions

• In the News

• Noteworthy Events

• On the Horizon

• Student, Staff, and Family Awards—Today!

Morse Endowment

• $11 million endowment gift from Dick Morse, PhD, to support 8-12 graduate fellowships for Waisman Center students studying developmental psychopathology and developmental disabilities

• Sponsored by the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin.

• A portion of the proceeds has been donated to the Waisman Center over the years to benefit our research focused on autism (total of more than $150,000).

Dylan’s Annual Run for Autism September 11, 2011

Some of last year’s team from the Waisman Center.

This year’s run scheduled for September 9, 2012. JOIN US!

Visit by Autism Speaks October 11, 2011

• Grants from Autism Speak support research of Leann Smith, PhD and Marsha Mailick Seltzer, PhD

• Smith is PI of “Transitioning Together,” an intervention for families and teens with ASD

• Seltzer is PI of a study focused on quality of life of adults with ASD

• Opportunity to share Waisman Center research on autism

Autism Speaks—the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism.

• Proceeds benefit spinal cord injury research of Su-Chun Zhang, MD, PhD

• Raised $35,624 this year in combination with the “Bags for Busta” follow-up event organized by GMR marketing in January 2012.

• Raised $255,000 since event began in 2001.

David Busta Annual Basketball Tournament November 26, 2011 in Chetek, Wisconsin (9th year).

• The fashion show is a community awareness event, promoting accessibility and calling for respect and courtesy to all persons.

• More than 300 people attend this event each year.

Fashion Show for All AbilitiesJune 1, 2012 at the Monona Terrace (5th year)

• Lunch followed by an overview of the Waisman Center and a “Q&A” session

West Towne-Middleton Rotary LuncheonJune 15, 2012

Visit by John Tortorice, Mosse Foundation July 2012

The Mosse Family Foundation has supported many Waisman Center goals:

• creation of sound-proof testing rooms

• support for remodeling of the Waisman Center Clinics

• support for WECP Scholarship Fund

“Although her life was seared byviolence and prejudice, Hilde Mosse did not

fall into despair. Rather, she devoted her intelligence, compassion, and extraordinary energy into healing the bodies and psyches of children who were the subject of poverty,

violence, and abuse.”

Faculty & Staff HonorsGail Chodron, Outreach Specialist Waisman Resource Center, UCEDD, Waisman Center

Award: “Association of University Centers on Disabilities 2011 Young Professional Award”

David Gamm, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Waisman Investigator

Honor: Named director of the University of Wisconsin Eye Research Institute. Gamm will continue his research at the Waisman Center.

Anna Dusick, MD

Anna Dusick, MD Medical Director, Waisman Center Clinics

“Her legacy is vast. She has been the recipient of medical and community awards and honors recognizing her work and impact on infant and children's health. Anna was forever teaching and imparting her passion and knowledge on to all disciplines of the health care team. Her work will live on from the lives she has touched and from lessons learned under her tutelage.”

Waisman Hails

Terri PeckHuman Resources Manager

Choutae YangHuman Resources Assistant

Susan EllmaurerHuman Resources Assistant

Paola Perez-Meyer, MSWSocial Worker

Athena Lickel, PhDPsychologist

Karla Ausderau, PhDAssistant Professor, School of Education

• The Business Journal(8/25/11) features the MCH-LEND Training Program

“The UW-Madison received a $674,483 grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to help improve the health of children and young adults with neurodevelopmental and other related disabilities like autism.”

“UW-Madison Grant to Aid Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders”

• University Communications (10/11/11) features Denise

Ney, PhD

A new dietary regimen features a special protein—GMP—derived from whey protein that provides new better tasting food options for individuals with PKU.

“Medical Foods for PKU Diet Enter Phase II Clinical Trials”

• University Communications (10/24/2011) features Ruth Litovsky, PhD

“An ongoing study of 45 deaf children who had two cochlear implants finds that their skills are within the normal range.”

The study provides the first good evidence that a second

implant helps with understanding speech.

“Deaf Children: Study Shows Significant Language Progress after Two Cochlear Implants”

• University Communications (November 21, 2011) features Su-Chun Zhang, MD, PhD

• Neurons, forged in Zhang’s lab from blank slate human embryonic stem cells and implanted into the brains of mice, can successfully fuse with the brain's wiring and both send and receive signals

• Lab used optogenetics, where light, instead of electric current, stimulates the activity of neurons

“Implanted Neurons, Grown in Lab, Take Charge of Brain Circuitry”

• LA Times (December 16, 2011) features Marsha Mailick Seltzer, PhD

Waisman Center Director Marsha Mailick Seltzer, PhD, was quoted in the LA Times article, “Finding traces of autism in earlier eras.” part of a four part “Discovering Autism” series.

Seltzer, an autism expert, studies how lifelong caregiving affects the well-being of parents and siblings of individuals with disabilities, including autism.

“Discovering Autism: Finding Traces of Autism in Earlier Eras”

The article marks the successful renewal of the National Institutes of Health core grant that Harry Waisman first won 45 years ago. The $6 million federal award will fund the core activities of the Waisman Center through 2016.

The Waisman Center: Decades Later, What Would Harry Think?

• UW Communications (January 30, 2012) features 10 major Waisman Center accomplishments that might amaze and please Harry Waisman, MD, PhD

• American Family Children’s Hospital Press Release(February 9, 2012) features Waisman Center Down Syndrome Clinic

“ The Down Syndrome Clinic provides clinical expertise in Down syndrome that supplements, but does not replace primary care providers. Parents want a clinical team that has expertise with Down syndrome to keep their children physically healthy and to maximize their developmental potential”

American Family Children’s Hospital & the Waisman Center join forces to open a multidisciplinary Down syndrome clinic

• IW ICTR Today Newsletter(February 21, 2012) features Leann Smith, PhD

“Leann Smith, PhD, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to involve local family and advocacy groups in her studies of the interplay of stress, coping, and social support for parents of teens with autism spectrum disorders.

Leann Smith, PhD, receives Type 2 Translational Research Pilot Award from UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research

• UW Communications(March 3, 2012) features Richard Davidson, PhD

A new book by Richard Davidson, PhD, offers an inside look into how emotions are coded in our brains and our power to control them.

"This book will hopefully take readers through my scientific quest for answers and understanding why and how people differ in terms of their emotions and responses to different life experiences."

“The Emotional Life of Your Brain”

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Newswise (March 13, 2012)

For the first time, a team of scientists led by David Gamm, MD, PhD, has made early retina structures using induced pluripotent stems cells derived from human blood.

The retina structures showed the capacity to form layers as in normal human development and possessed the machinery that could allow them to communicate information.

“Scientists Produce Eye Structures from Human Blood Derived Stem Cells”

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Newswise (March 15, 2012) features Su-Chun Zhang, MD, PhD

Using a special type of brain cell forged from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that cause the uncontrollable spasms characteristic of Huntington’s disease.

“Stem cells hint at potential treatment for Huntington’s Disease”

• (March 30, 2012) features Maureen Durkin, PhD, DrPH

“CDC estimates 1 in 88 children in the United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder”

Maureen Durkin, Principal Investigator of WISADDS and Waisman Center investigator and professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Pediatrics, and Matt Maenner, PhD, Waisman post-doctoral fellow contributed to the CDC report as part of the Autism and Development Disabilities Monitoring Network

• University Communications (June 6, 2012) features Jamie Hanson, UW-Madison graduate student working with Waisman PIs Richard Davidson, PhD, and Seth Pollak, PhD

“Stress may delay brain development in early years”

"There has been a lot of work in animals linking both acute and chronic stress to changes in a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in complex cognitive abilities like holding on to important information for quick recall and use. We have now found similar associations in humans, and found that more exposure to stress is related to more issues with certain kinds of cognitive processes."

• University Communications (June 14, 2012) features Marsha Mailick Seltzer, PhD

"The premutation of this condition is much more prevalent than we previously thought and there are some clinical risks associated with that.”

“Fragile X gene’s prevalence suggests broader health risk”

• Goal of study was to calculate the prevalence in a US population of the premutation and the “gray zone.”

• Research based on data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study which has tracked 10,000 graduates from Wisconsin’s high school class of 1957.

On the Horizon: Grandparents’ Network

•Provide support to grandparents and their families, and information about developmental disabilities

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

•Facilitate direct “grandparent-to-grandparent” communication through the use of social media and other technology

•Waisman Center Day with the Experts: Grandparents’ Network Fall 2012

On the Horizon: August 2012 – January 2013

• Wiley Seminar Series begins – September 7

• Dylan’s Run for Autism – September 9

• Children’s Theatre Series fall series begins – September 2012

• Down Syndrome Day with the Experts– Fall 2012

• David Busta Event – November 23

• Autism Day with the Experts – January 2013

On the Horizon: Waisman 40th AnniversaryFall 2013

• Scientific Symposium on October 3, 2013

• Donor Dinner, Fall 2013

2012 Fellowships and Awards

StudentsRebecca Shalev— Alvin L. Berman and Ruth Bleier Memorial AwardTatiana Campbell— IDDRC Undergraduate Student Research AwardElliott Maxwell Wilson— UCEDD Graduate Student AwardCaitlin Zablotney— UCEDD Undergraduate Student AwardStaff Eric Schafer— Classified Staff Award Karla Knobel— Academic Staff AwardFamily Andrea Wipperfurth and Zoe and Max Goldstein— Family Volunteer Award

FRIENDS OF THE WAISMAN CENTER AWARDS

WISCONSIN DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS

Hongda Li— Richard L. and Jeanette A. Hoffman Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Kristen Allison— Jeannette Anderson Hoffman Wisconsin Distinguished

Graduate Fellowship