Research drives our impact. With active programs in basic, translational, clinical and population research, our faculty advance knowledge and translate laboratory discoveries to bedside application, improving people’s lives in Wisconsin and beyond.
From theranostics and particle beam therapy research to developing new animal models for studying cancer, from treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis to social exposome studies addressing health disparities, researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are diving into exciting fields with a strong focus on health equity.
Our integrated academic medical center fuses education and training with basic research and clinical trials. An outstanding example of this integrated approach is our Center for Health Disparities Research, where identifying health challenges goes hand-in-hand with testing and deployment of solutions. CHDR brings together subject matter experts with a diversity of talents to successfully bridge basic, clinical, social science and health policy research.
Total UW research spending in 2022-23
Total extramural research support at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health 2022-23
Federal research funding awarded to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in 2022-23
Total number of graduate students in the School of Medicine and Public Health**
UW–Madison’s ranking in research expenditures among public and private universities***
Departments and 30+ centers and institutes
**UW–Madison Data Digest
***National Science Foundation (NSF)
An analysis of national data by University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health psychiatry researchers showed that the type of trauma a person experiences could be more impactful than the amount of trauma they encounter in youth.
A new study in mice shows that delivering different doses of radiation to a tumor revs up the immune system and allows it to detect not only the treated tumor but distant tumors that were not irradiated. When mixed dose radiation is followed with immunotherapy drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors, it makes the drugs more effective at killing cancer cells throughout the body than when radiation was delivered at a single dose level.
Dr. Thomas (“Tom”) Grist comes from a family of engineers and inventors. His great-grandfather was a co-inventor of the pop-up toaster, patented in 1927 — which may help explain how this native of Appleton, Wisconsin ended up pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the fields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).
A study led by Dixon Kaufman, a professor of surgery, found that by using radiation to target key parts of a kidney recipient’s immune system, then infusing blood and immune cells from the donor, researchers could induce a combined immune system. This could increase biocompatibility when recipient and donor are not an identical match.
More about Kaufman’s research
Our school’s position within a world-class research university connects talented faculty and staff with curious, passionate students. The result is a learning environment where innovation and collaboration are highly valued, and where top-notch research trainees are recruited nationally and internationally.
Clinical trials fuel treatment breakthroughs. The UW Clinical Trials Institute supports faculty and participants engaged in clinical trials to prevent, detect and treat disease, and provides opportunities for industry partners to advance health research.
The UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) provides critical resources for researchers from the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy to investigate, discover, disseminate, and translate evidence-based solutions to improve human health.
The Biohealth Industry Partnerships office connects industry partners with faculty researchers, creating a robust network of innovators.
Biohealth Industry Partnerships office
We are building an advanced computational, data and informatics infrastructure to support cutting-edge biomedical research. For example, the Real-World Data Collaborative (RWDC), available to our researchers, is a compliant system for ethically sourced, standardized biomedical data. RWDC consolidates vast amounts of real-world data from across Wisconsin, including electronic health records (EHRs), biological samples, data from state and federal agencies and environmental data. One of our most robust biospecimen and human subjects data resources, included in RWDC, uses advanced methods to ensure inclusion of participants that represent the diverse populations of Wisconsin, including disadvantaged and hard-to-reach populations. Another example is the publicly-available Neighborhood Atlas, which links data on socioeconomic disadvantage to geographic location at the neighborhood level and is used to inform health delivery and policy.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program supports research aimed at improving Wisconsin’s health. The program administers competitive faculty and community grant programs targeting the state’s most critical health issues, including cancer, obesity, infectious diseases and child and maternal health.
The school’s Office of Basic Research, Biotechnology and Graduate Studies supports faculty, trainees, and staff and their cutting-edge research programs.
Basic sciences are fundamental to every aspect of our mission as a leading academic medical center. The strategic plan serves as a roadmap for the school.