Grant Program: New Investigator Program

The project, Right Care, Right Place, Right Time: Improving Emergency Care for Wisconsin’s Children with Medical Complexity, led by Jillian Gorski, MD, aims to improve emergency care for children with medical complexity across Wisconsin, particularly those living far from specialized pediatric hospitals. Using artificial intelligence and electronic health records, the team will develop a clinical decision-support tool to help emergency physicians in rural and smaller hospitals determine when a child needs transfer to a larger children’s hospital. The project will also examine current care patterns, travel distances, and gaps in access to identify the regions where improvements are most needed. Collaborator: Brian Patterson, MD, MPH, associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, UW–Madison.

The project, Reducing Donor Kidney Discards and Improve Kidney Failure Outcomes in Wisconsin through Improved Assessment of Deceased Donor Kidneys, led by Jennfier Philip, MD, aims to reduce the growing number of deceased donor kidneys that are discarded before transplant. With more than 12,000 people in Wisconsin living with kidney failure, improving access to viable donor organs is a critical public health need. This initiative develops and tests novel assessment tools that evaluate kidney quality during preservation, with the goal of creating a validated approach that can be translated into clinical practice. By improving how donor kidneys are assessed, the project seeks to increase the number of organs available for transplant and improve outcomes for patients statewide. Collaborators include Alejandro Roldan-Alzate, PhD, UW–Madison College of Engineering, and Jacqueline Garonzik-Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation.

The project, Improving NK Cell Immunotherapy through Metabolic Conditioning, led by Jose Ayuso, PhD, aims to develop a more scalable and cost-effective immunotherapy for advanced melanoma using memory-like Natural Killer (ML-NK) cells. With more than 2,000 new melanoma cases diagnosed annually in Wisconsin, there is an urgent need for treatments that are both effective and accessible. Current immunotherapies, while promising, are often limited by high cost and logistical challenges. This initiative focuses on improving ML-NK cell function through targeted metabolic conditioning to create an “off-the-shelf” therapy that is affordable, durable and readily deployable. Collaborators include Christian Capitini, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, and Nihal Ahmad, PhD, professor and vice chair for research, Department of Dermatology.

The project, Improving Ecological Modeling and Forecasting of Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases in Wisconsin, led by Johnny Uelmen, PhD, aims to improve how Wisconsin predicts, prevents and responds to tick-borne diseases. By integrating climate and environmental data, drone imagery and community-submitted tick samples, the team will develop advanced models to forecast when and where tick risks are highest. The project also analyzes ticks collected statewide to identify the diseases they carry and partners with local health departments and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center to provide tick-prevention kits, educational materials and community surveys, with a focus on rural and tribal communities. The goal is to give residents timely, accessible information that empowers them to protect themselves and ultimately reduce tick-borne disease incidence across Wisconsin. Collaborators include Alexandra Linz, PhD, and Jennifer Meece, PhD, of the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

The project, GATA2 Regulated Piezo1 Controls Uterine Serous Carcinoma Invasion, led by Daniel Matson, MD, PhD, investigates how the interaction between the proteins GATA2 and Piezo1 drives invasion in uterine serous carcinoma, a rare but extremely aggressive form of uterine cancer that contributes to cancer deaths among postmenopausal women. Building on findings that GATA2 may help predict which tumors are likely to recur, the study uses patient-derived cancer cells and mouse models to understand how these factors work together to promote tumor spread. By clarifying these mechanisms, the project aims to improve risk stratification, allowing clinicians to spare low-risk patients from unnecessary chemotherapy while directing more intensive treatment to those at highest risk. Collaborators include Lisa Barroilhet, MD, associate professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pam Kreeger, PhD, professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW–Madison.

The project, Disrupting DNA Damage Repair to Potentiate the Efficacy of Radiopharmaceutical Theranostics Agents in Advanced Prostate Cancer, led by Reinier Hernandez, PhD, aims to improve outcomes for people with advanced prostate cancer by enhancing the effectiveness of next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies. The initiative tests a new treatment strategy that pairs a highly targeted radiopharmaceutical, [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA, with drugs that disrupt cancer cells’ ability to repair radiation-induced DNA damage. By identifying which tumor subtypes benefit most and determining the safest, most effective combination regimen, the project seeks to inform the design of future clinical trials.

The project, Defining the Role of Diabetes and Dysbiosis in Acute Laryngeal Injury After Intubation, led by Ruth Davis, MD, investigates why adults with diabetes are at higher risk for laryngeal injury after endotracheal intubation. With more than 1.5 million critically ill adults intubated each year, understanding the biological factors that influence healing is essential. Using patient samples and a mouse model, the study examines how diabetes, microbial imbalance and inflammation affect wound repair in the larynx. Findings will help guide the development of new therapies and preventive strategies to improve recovery and long-term health for people in Wisconsin and beyond. Collaborators include Susan Thibeault, PhD, CCC-SLP, professor, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and Federico Rey, PhD, professor, Department of Bacteriology, UW–Madison.

The project, Adapting and Feasibility Testing an Integrated Exercise Program as Part of First Episode Psychosis Coordinated Specialty Care, led by Shiri Raphaely, MD, adapts and pilots an integrated exercise and lifestyle program to improve physical and mental health outcomes for young people experiencing first episode psychosis. The initiative aims to address the significant cardiometabolic risks faced by individuals with serious mental illness. The project will develop a culturally appropriate 12-week program focused on physical activity, metabolic monitoring and wellness skills to prevent chronic disease and enhance overall well-being. Collaborators include Emilie Pinkovitz, LCSW, Wings Program Director, and Jacob Meyer, PhD, assistant professor, UW–Madison School of Education.

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.