Murtaza named director of Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine

Murtaza is a cancer researcher and an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the school. Since 2021, he has served as the associate director of the center.

The Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine advances the use of an individual’s genetic information to optimize and guide health care decisions including diagnosis and treatment. Experts affiliated with the center help evaluate pediatric and adult patients, some of whom have undergone lengthy or inconclusive clinical evaluations prior to receiving a definitive diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder. Since the center opened in 2018, its mission has been to catalyze research, clinical and educational activities in this field, to grow the community of researchers, and bring the benefits of precision medicine to all Wisconsinites.

As its associate director, Murtaza nurtured the infrastructure for this research at UW–Madison and fostered the center’s research and clinical care community, which consists of genomics and computational scientists, as well as surgeons, oncologists, pediatricians and genetic counselors.

“Our researchers are poised to have a transformative impact in the field of precision medicine, and I am thrilled to be able to help further advance their success,” Murtaza said. “Our center is flanked by a strong tradition of scientific discovery at the school and a highly regarded state-of-the-art clinical facility at UW Health. My vision is to advance this collaboration, and bring our novel discoveries closer to clinical practice where they can benefit our patients.”

Murtaza’s research works to bridge gaps in cancer diagnostics by developing and testing new methods for detecting cancer that leverage an individual’s genome, which is an individual’s complete genetic information. Using these methods, his laboratory became the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using a blood test to predict success of some breast cancer treatments. One of his lab’s technologies was licensed for further development and evaluation by Exact Sciences, a Madison-based biotechnology company focused on early cancer detection.

Murtaza earned his medical degree from Aga Khan University Medical College in Pakistan and a doctorate in medical science at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute at the University of Cambridge. His professional career began at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, a nonprofit medical research institution based in Arizona. He also practiced at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Murtaza joined the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Surgery in 2020 and was appointed associate director of the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine in 2021.

“Dr. Murtaza is committed to the mission of our Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine to improve the health of the citizens of Wisconsin and beyond,” said Anjon Audhya, senior associate dean for basic research, biotechnology and graduate studies at the school. “I look forward to seeing how his incredible leadership will help build on its strengths, overcome challenges and find new opportunities, particularly in coordination with the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub.”