Focus Area: Research

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., in part because the adult heart cannot regenerate after myocardial infarction (MI). This project explores how inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in myofibroblasts can reduce fibrosis and promote heart repair. Preliminary studies show SDH inhibition reprograms fibroblast metabolism, limits scar formation and boosts cardiomyocyte regeneration. By uncovering the mechanisms behind this process, the study aims to pave the way for new regenerative therapies to improve outcomes after heart attack.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) affects 3 million Americans and increases risks of fractures, kidney stones and cardiovascular disease. Surgery is the only cure, yet fewer than 10% of patients receive it. In Wisconsin, patients in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods are treated at half the rate of others. This project will use patient interviews to understand barriers to diagnosis and treatment, then develop educational tools for both patients and providers to improve referrals and access to surgery. The study aims to reduce disparities in PHPT care and improve outcomes for underserved communities.

The Role of the EnvCT in SIVmac Viral Fitness project is exploring a hidden part of the HIV virus that could open new doors for vaccine development. While most efforts focus on the virus’s outer surface, this research studies the envelope’s cytoplasmic tail (EnvCT) to see how it influences immune recognition and viral survival. By testing antibody responses and mapping how EnvCT interacts with host cells, the project aims to uncover new strategies to make HIV more vulnerable to prevention and treatment.

This project aimed to improve the care of Wisconsin residents living with dementia by increasing primary care provider and trainees’ knowledge and skills related to dementia diagnosis and management of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Alzheimer’s disease currently affects 110,000 Wisconsinites and the number is expected to increase to 130,000 by 2025. About 90 percent of individuals with dementia experience BPSD, which includes depression, physical aggression, wandering and sleep disturbance, among others. As a result, there is a need to train future and practicing primary care clinicians in the identification and management of BPSD to help caregivers manage these behaviors in the home setting, potentially preventing crisis escalation and unnecessary institutionalization. The project successfully increased medical trainees’ and primary care providers’ knowledge and skills in dementia diagnosis and BPSD management. A web-based curriculum for third- and fourth-year medical students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health improved students’ self-reported attitudes towards dementia care and informed the design of a new Dementia and Public Health elective that began in 2023. Additionally, academic detailing sessions for primary care providers at Richland Center Hospital and Milwaukee Health Services resulted in significant knowledge gains and improved confidence in managing BPSD. Lastly, the DICE Approach was used to train social workers, nurses, medical assistants and assisted living and nursing home frontline staff and led to increased knowledge, self-efficacy and comfort in managing BPSD.

This research will study brain and cardiovascular health in transgender adult patients receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy at two timepoints: before hormone therapy begins, and after four to six months of therapy. The goal of the study is to assess links between gender affirming hormone therapy, cardiovascular health and brain structure and function. MRI will be used to analyze brain structure and brain blood flow. Body fat will be assessed by Dual X-ray Absorptiometry and aerobic fitness will be assessed using a treadmill test. This analysis is also relevant to other conditions involving hormone disruptions such as puberty, menopause, pregnancy, aging, postpartum, diabetes and obesity. Collaborators: Veena Nair, PhD, scientist, Department of Radiology; Oliver Wieben, PhD, professor, Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology; Kevin Johnson, PhD, associate professor, Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology; Jen Rehm, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics; Dawn Davis, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine

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