Waisman Center

Established in 1973, the Waisman Center is the focal point at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for biomedical, behavioral and social science research in human development, developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative disease. The Center also is an international resource for people with developmental disabilities and their families, providing services such as clinical diagnosis, genetic counseling, treatment and intervention, and early childhood education.

Public-private partnerships have been vital to Center’s ability to fulfill its commitment to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative disorders and their families. There are numerous opportunities for giving, ranging from gifts to support renovation of the Center’s physical infrastructure to an endowment for its innovative brain imaging program.

• Biological Research Facility Improvement

  The biological research facilities in the original building, constructed in 1973, are severely outdated and in need of significant renovation. A gift of $3.5 million to improve the quality and safety of these laboratories would enable us to recruit new scientists conducting innovative research on the causes and consequences of disorders such as autism, fragile X, Down syndrome, and discover cures for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and ALS. Each laboratory will cost approximately $500,000 to remodel and carries a naming opportunity.

• The Waisman Center’s Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior

  The Laboratory is at the forefront of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electrophysiological recording systems to tackle complex problems in neuroscience, including disorders and diseases such as autism, fragile X syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease. An endowment of $7 million, which includes a naming opportunity, would provide sufficient annual revenue to support the infrastructure and activities of this vital program.

• Recruitment of New Investigators

  The Waisman Center maintains strong partnerships with departments across the campus in efforts to recruit faculty of international distinction who are committed to research on developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The Center’s financial contribution to these initiatives is critical to their success. The Waisman Center seeks to raise $750,000 to support the activities of three new scientists who will fill gaps in existing programs and add new dimensions to its research portfolio.

• Multidisciplinary Research

  Collaborative, interdisciplinary research is the cornerstone for success at the Waisman Center. At the Waisman Center, researchers from many different disciplines can have intense and creative interactions, leading to novel research questions, methods, and approaches to treatment. The Waisman Center seeks a $4 million endowment to provide seed funding to award two research grants annually ($100,000 each) to support innovative collaborative studies, bringing together biological scientists and scientists who study human behavior.

• Doctoral and post-Doctoral Fellowships

  Training of future scientists is fundamental to the mission and intellectual climate of the Waisman Center. Financial support for fellowships is a key variable in attracting the most talented scholars. An endowment of $2 million would yield sufficient annual revenue to provide three doctoral fellowships or two post-doctoral fellowships to outstanding trainees who will benefit from apprenticeships with leading researchers and eventually shape the science of the future.

Special Programs and Funds