Focus Area: Research

Central venous catheters deliver life-saving treatments but can lead to serious bloodstream infections, including those caused by Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungal pathogen. This project will study how the stiffness of catheter surfaces impacts the body’s immune response and how well neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, and the body’s first responders for fighting infections, can detect and eliminate pathogens like C. auris. This innovative collaboration between experts in infectious disease and engineering experts could lead to the development of medical devices that better support the body’s natural defenses and reduce health care burdens in Wisconsin and beyond.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and related fibrotic lung diseases are life threatening, with limited treatment options and high mortality, leading to approximately 1,000 deaths annually in Wisconsin. This project investigates a promising new signaling pathway in the development of lung fibrosis involving protein modification to explore how a particular enzyme contributes to lung scarring and disease progression. The project team aims to uncover key fibrotic signaling pathways that could lead to more targeted therapies for IPF and other fibrotic diseases without affecting essential biological functions. Collaborators: Ksenija Bernau, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine

There is a strong connection between health literacy and health outcomes. Current informed consent practices may leave some patients feeling unheard and unprepared for surgery, contributing to poor health literacy. This project seeks to train surgeons at participating hospital systems to use Better Conversations, an evidence-based approach that helps patients and surgeons clearly discuss the goals and risks of surgery. This study will compare different training methods and explore ethical guidelines for future use of ambient artificial intelligence to support enhanced patient-surgeon communication. Findings will inform the expansion of Better Conversations as a statewide training program. Collaborators: Karola Kreitmair, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medical History and Bioethics, UW–Madison; Kristine Kwekkeboom, PhD, RN, FAAN professor, School of Nursing, UW–Madison; Amir Ghaferi, MD, MSc, MBA, FACS, FASMBS, professor, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin

Poorly managed postpartum pain heightens the risk of depression and undiagnosed life-threatening health conditions. This project will investigate inequities in postpartum care, with the goal to inform future interventions and improve postpartum care and pain management. The project team will combine clinician survey and interview data with electronic medical records from postpartum patients. Findings will inform future interventions to reduce inequities in postpartum care and pain management. Collaborators: Nao Hagiwar, PhD, professor and director of the Program on Health Disparities and Community Engagement Research, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia; Laura Swan, PhD, LCSW, senior research scientist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UW–Madison; Klaira Lerma, MPH, clinical research manager, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UW–Madison

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Wisconsin. Paclitaxel is a standard treatment for several types of cancer, including breast cancer, but nearly half of patients do not respond to it. This project aims to improve outcomes for cancer patients by developing a new combination therapy that can make resistant tumors more responsive to paclitaxel without harming healthy non-cancerous cells. This work could lead to the identification of new therapies for other types of cancers as well.

Obesity and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes, liver disease and heart disease have become major health concerns in Wisconsin. Bariatric surgery, especially sleeve gastrectomy (SG), is the most effective long-term treatment, often resulting in significant weight loss. However, many patients eventually hit a weight-loss plateau. Using mouse and pig models that mimic SG, this study aims to better understand how protein intake influences recovery and long-term outcomes after surgery, with the potential to develop new diet-based therapies for people with obesity and related diseases.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread, long-lasting synthetic chemicals found in the blood of over 99% of people in the U.S., including Wisconsin residents. PFAS exposure has been linked to multiple conditions like thyroid disease, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular death and cancer. While animal studies show PFAS can harm the kidneys, its impact on chronic kidney disease (CKD), a growing public health crisis affecting 1 in 7 U.S. adults, remains unclear. This study aims to better understand how PFAS exposure contributes to CKD in adults living in Wisconsin and across the country to better inform therapeutic options.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease that affects joints and increases the risk of fibrotic lung disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In Wisconsin, it affects about 90,000 individuals and is a leading cause of disability. This study aims to discover new genetic risk factors for RA by using advanced statistical methods to analyze large-scale genetic data from biobank databases. These innovative approaches could uncover previously unknown genetic variants that contribute to RA, paving the way for better diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

More than 25,000 kidney transplants are performed annually in the United States. However, 92,000 individuals remain on the kidney transplant waitlist. Repeat transplants often have worse health outcomes, so preventing graft failure after the first transplant is crucial. Acute rejection (AR) is a major cause of failure, but there is still a lack of understanding of its causes and reliable, noninvasive ways to detect it. This study aims to better understand the pathophysiology of AR and identify noninvasive biomarkers. Modification of donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) presents a promising target for early diagnosis and supports the development of more effective therapies.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can cause various health issues including certain cancers. Even with an established HPV vaccine, vaccination rates remain below the national average, putting people at risk for infections and related cancers. Particularly in the Midwest, disparities in race, ethnicity, rural or urban location and Medicaid status contribute to high rates of vulvar cancer nationally. This research aims to identify biomarkers of prognosis and treatment response for vulvar cancer, including the role of immune cells and their interactions with HPV in tumor tissues. The outcomes of this research will clarify and provide better treatment options for patients with vulvar and other HPV-related cancers.