Grant Type: Faculty Grant

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.

This project will evaluate precision methods for measuring key indicators of success for a targeted cancer immunotherapy to expand treatment options for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which typically has low treatment response rates and poses a challenge for inducing remission after relapse. The results of this project will support efforts to improve other targeted immunotherapeutic strategies for AML through broader application of the study methods.

Dr. Alexander Birbrair, assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology, is leading a crucial research project aimed at advancing treatments for melanoma. Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, and it has disproportionately higher mortality rates in racial and ethnic minority populations. Cancer and the nervous system bear a close relationship, and the team is particularly interested in understanding how signaling from a receptor, called PAC1, impacts melanoma progression. The results of this project could inform clinical testing for medications targeting the PAC1 signaling pathway to treat melanoma, ultimately improving survival rates for all melanoma patients.

This project aims to transform ovarian cancer care by repurposing tumor cell-containing abdominal fluid (ascites) samples from patients to identify markers of treatment resistance. The ability to easily assess risk of resistance in patients would potentially eliminate the use of ineffective therapy and serve as a signal for determining when second-line therapies should be explored.

This project will utilize advanced neuroimaging and molecular pathology methods to evaluate the impact of brain tumor progression on patient neurocognitive function and quality of life while incorporating metrics that are innovative to neuro-oncology research. Through enhanced understanding of cancer progression on patient quality of life, this project aims to transform treatment and care for patients with brain tumors across Wisconsin and beyond.

This project is seeking to develop a novel diagnostic model for aspiration pneumonia (AP) through identification of a unique molecular signature for lung injury due to aspiration. Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of mortality in older adults and about 15 percent of cases are due to AP, which currently lacks objective diagnostic criteria and methodology for identifying high risk patients. The results of this project could inform identification of effective interventions for AP and promote improved health outcomes for at-risk older adults throughout Wisconsin.

This project explores the effects of puberty blockers and exogenously administered reproductive hormones on rats to better understand their impact on behavior, brain development and reproductive physiology.

This project, titled Non-Invasive Ultrasound Urodynamics to Improve Medical Care for Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) in Rural Areas, aims to develop a method to evaluate LUTS using modalities that are currently available in every urology practice. LUTS include increased urinary frequency, urgency and diminished stream which can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life and lead to various medical complications such as urinary retention, infection and renal failure. Multichannel urodynamics (MCUD) has been used to make an accurate diagnosis and distinguish between prostate obstruction and bladder dysfunction. However, the limited availability of MCUD at large medical centers has resulted in men, especially those in rural areas, receiving empirical treatment without accurate diagnostic testing, leading to delays in effective treatment or undergoing unnecessary surgeries.

More than 475,000 Wisconsin residents have diabetes, mostly type 2. This type of diabetes is associated with diet and obesity and is helped through healthy dietary intake. Yet, more innovations in dietary interventions are needed. By leveraging expertise in metabolism and plant genetics, this novel project proposes to develop a source of plant-based foods that will reduce dietary intake of certain nutrients associated with obesity. The findings will inform future studies with the ultimate goal of improved treatment of diabetes and obesity. This project is led by Dudley Lamming, PhD, associate professor, Department and of Medicine and co-principal Investigator: Jacob Brunkard, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Genetics, UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Collaborators include: Dawn Davis, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine; Daniela Drummond-Barbosa, PhD, professor, Department of Genetics, UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Shawn Kaeppler, PhD, professor, Department of Agronomy, UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Hiroshi Maeda, PhD, professor, Department of Botany, UW–Madison College of Letters and Sciences; Judith Simcox, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry, UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Gregory Barrett-Wilt, PhD, Director of Mass Spectrometry, UW–Madison Biotechnology Center. Dudley Lamming (left) and Jacob Brunkard

The Screening in Trauma for Opioid Misuse Prevention: Adaptive Intervention (STOMP-AI) project is leading efforts to address the critical issue of opioid misuse and use disorder (OMUD) among patients hospitalized for traumatic injuries. The project is led by Dr. Randall Brown MD, PhD, DFASAM, professor, Department of Family Medicine and co-collaborator Ben Zarzaur, MD, MPH, FACS, professor, Department of Surgery. OMUD remains a devastating epidemic in the United States, and prescription opioid misuse (POM) continues to contribute to this national health crisis. By implementing a brief, preventative telehealth intervention tailored to individuals’ risk for OMUD, the project aims to improve nationwide opioid misuse prevention strategies. Successful completion of this project could ultimately save lives and enhance the quality of care for trauma patients. The research team includes a number of multidisciplinary collaborators, including Andrew Quanbeck, PhD, associate professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Shinye Kim, PhD, M Ed, assistant professor, Department of Counseling Psychology, UW–Madison School of Education; Colleen Trevino, RN, NP, PhD, associate professor, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin; Danny Almirall, PhD, research associate professor, Institute for Social Research, Department of Statistics, University of Michigan; Tamara Somers, PhD, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University