Focus Area: Research

Patients with leptomeningeal metastatic disease (LMD), the spread of cancer into the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, can exhibit loss of vision, hearing, speech, and facial movement and sensation. If not treated, LMD will typically cause death within weeks. Current standard treatment for patients with LMD involves radiotherapy that treats LMD and normal tissues of the head and spine. This project will investigate a new therapeutic approach that can more effectively and more safely treat patients with LMD to achieve disease control and improve patient survival while limiting dose to normal tissues of the brain and bone. Collaborators: Reinier Hernandez, PhD, assistant professor, Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology; Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics; Bryan Bednarz, PhD, professor, Department of Medical Physics

This project focuses on developing and testing a new strategy to treat ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a daunting diagnosis because it is a rapidly progressive and metastatic type of cancer, and most people are diagnosed at a late stage of disease. Researchers will test an approach of using dendritic cells to stimulate patient T cells and induce an anti-tumor immune response in patients with ovarian cancer. This project lays the foundation for potential future clinical trials to test this novel approach to train patients’ own immune cells to find and eradicate their ovarian cancer. Collaborators: Manish Patankar, PhD, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Sheena Kerr, PhD, research assistant professor, Carbone Cancer Center

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung condition where tissue becomes scarred and hardened, and its prevalence in the United States is increasing. Using cutting edge proteomics and bioinformatics technologies and methodologies, researchers aim to better understand how fibrosis happens in order to find ways to reverse it. The project will lay the groundwork for the development of precise therapeutics tailored to combat fibrotic lung alterations. Collaborators: Carole Wilson, PhD, research associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

This project aims to develop a novel treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and Wisconsin, by using a unique shark-derived antibody. The goal is to improve treatment outcomes for patients who have an abnormal MET protein and a generally worse prognosis. Researchers will focus on creating a highly targeted therapy that combines radiation with this specialized antibody to attack cancer cells more effectively. Collaborators: Randall Kimple, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Human Oncology; Nina Zitzer, DVM, PhD, DACVP, assistant professor, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, UW School of Veterinary Medicine

Infants born with a rare genetic disorder or birth defect experience high acuity, prolonged hospital stays and a lifetime of health challenges. Molecular diagnosis is key to caring for these infants, and speed is critical. This multidisciplinary team of researchers will use an approach to screening using artificial intelligence and a revolutionary genome sequencing platform to bring state-of-the-art ultra-rapid genome sequencing to infants in hospitals across Wisconsin. Collaborators: April Hall, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, UW–Madison; Vanessa Horner, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, UW–Madison; Kim Keppler-Noreuil, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, UW–Madison; Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor; Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, UW–Madison; Xiangqiang Shao, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, UW–Madison; Bryn Webb, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, UW–Madison; Krishna Acharya, MBBS, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ulrich Broeckel, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin; Jessica Scott-Schwoerer, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin; Mark Yandell, PhD, professor, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah

This project aims to address disparities in cancer outcomes by investigating the biology of cancers and the factors that contribute to aggressive cancers or lead to the development of treatment resistance. Researchers will introduce a minimally invasive liquid biopsy testing approach, which is essentially a blood draw, and utilize a new type of testing called fragmentomics to gather more information about a patient’s tumor and patterns of potential treatment resistance or cancer recurrence. Collaborators: Amy Taylor, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine

Current burn treatment and care impose significant financial burdens. In Wisconsin, this is the third highest health care cost, after premature newborns and organ transplant patients. Slow wound healing, pain and scarring remain the major complications of burn survivors. To address health equity in burn wound care, this research aims to explore whether photodynamic therapy, a low-cost medical technology that can be performed by a non-specialist, can speed up burn healing. The project is also expected to yield important insights into burn wound healing that can be translated to the treatment of other wound types. Collaborators: Aiping Liu, PhD, research scientist, Department of Surgery

This project aims to elucidate the function of a genetic risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death in Wisconsin. Identifying molecular pathways driving CAD risk has the potential to inform actionable targets for preventive medicine and enhance health in the state and across the nation.

This project will pioneer a liquid biopsy approach to identify treatment-resistant and aggressive features in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer. The innovative technique, using blood samples, aims to predict the efficacy of standard regimens early, enabling personalized treatment strategies and improving outcomes for breast cancer patients in Wisconsin.

In response to the rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this project seeks to uncover genetic modifiers influencing ASD outcomes using innovative genetic studies in diverse human cell lines. This work has the potential to uncover how common genetic variations impact specific traits in brain cells, laying the groundwork for targeted therapeutic strategies.