CONTACT: Lisa Hildebrand
(608) 890-8490
Lhildebrand2@uwhealth.org
Wisconsin Partnership Program funds new studies in mental health,
vascular disease, HIV, birth defects, high-risk surgery
MADISON – Five researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) have received grants through the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s (WPP’s) New Investigator Program. Researchers will study vascular disease, birth defects, mental illness, high-risk surgery and HIV.
The New Investigator grants support assistant professors early in their careers to pursue innovative research and education efforts related to health improvement. WPP’s Partnership Education Research Committee awarded two-year, $100,000 grants to research projects that take innovative approaches to improving health in Wisconsin. Recipients are:
Dr. Lian-Wang Guo, assistant professor of surgery, will study a new drug-delivery system that is effective in preventing recurrent vascular disease, especially for patients who undergo open vascular reconstruction.
Dr. Melissa Harrison, assistant professor of biomolecular chemistry, will research the causes of neural-tube defects – one of the most common and debilitating human birth defects – in the hope of developing methods to treat or prevent them.
Dr. Nancy Pandhi, assistant professor of family medicine, will study the effectiveness of an integrated-care model for adults with severe mental illness such as bipolar disorder and psychotic illnesses.
Dr. Margaret Schwarze, assistant professor of surgery, will train physicians in the use of a preoperative communication tool that helps chronically ill elderly patients understand the potential consequences of high-risk surgery.
Dr. Nathan Sherer, assistant professor of oncology, will focus on cell-to-cell transmission of HIV with the potential for new therapies that halt the spread of HIV in infected individuals.
The New Investigator Program is one of seven grant programs administered by the Wisconsin Partnership Program, which is dedicated to improving the health of the people of Wisconsin through its grant-making programs for community partnerships, education and research projects. The UWSMPH created the Wisconsin Partnership Program from an endowment provided by Blue Cross/Blue Shield in 2004. More information is available at http://med.wisc.edu/wpp.
