We strive to create an inclusive, collaborative and connected culture that fosters cutting-edge basic, translational, education, and health outcomes research. Our research programs investigate the underlying mechanisms of disease, translate discoveries in the laboratory to clinical trials, and offer experimental options with the goal of improving patient care. Our research funding portfolio exceeds $18 million annually with a large percentage from the National Institutes of Health.
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Latest Research News
Wisconsin Surgery Research Roundup: March 2025
Wisconsin Department of Surgery members engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications every month. We’re highlighting several of these publications monthly to showcase the diversity of research in the department; see selections from …
Dr. Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly Receives Grant to Study the Link between Three Rare Biliary Cancers
Division of Surgical Oncology Associate Professor Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, MD, has devoted much of his scientific career to the study of fibrolamellar cancer, a rare but deadly form of liver cancer that affects young adults. So …
OHNS and Nursing Researchers Awarded Grant to Develop AI Solution for Hearing Evaluations with Non-English Speakers
Hearing loss affects millions of people, and if left untreated it can result in social isolation, diminished ability to work, and increased anxiety and depression. Hearing evaluations are essential to diagnose and treat hearing loss, …
Dr. Carrie Thiessen Awarded Prestigious NIH Career Development Award
Division of Transplantation Assistant Professor Carrie Thiessen, MD, PhD, was recently awarded a 5-year, $956,000 career development award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. NIH career development awards provide early-stage …
Zafar Awarded Grant to Explore Social Determinants of Health in GI Cancer Surgery Outcomes
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers – such as pancreatic, colorectal, and liver cancer – often require surgical treatment. Because these procedures are complex, complications can happen. “Cancer surgery complications are associated with a variety of factors, including …
Cho Lab Receives Funding from the Draper Technology Innovation Fund
Division of Plastic Surgery Assistant Professor Daniel Cho, MD, PhD, specializes in the treatment of infants and children with birth defects that affect the head and skull. One such defect, craniosynostosis, is a serious condition …
Doctoral Student in Odorico Lab Receives Prestigious Graduate Training Award from UW Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center
Second-year Cellular and Molecular Biology PhD student Caterra Leavens’ mission to develop a cure for Type 1 diabetes is personal; as a Type 1 diabetic herself, she is very familiar with the complexities of the …
Wisconsin Surgery Research Roundup: February 2025
Wisconsin Department of Surgery members engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications every month. We’re highlighting several of these publications monthly to showcase the diversity of research in the department; see selections from …
Surgery and Engineering Researchers Team Up to Enhance Wound Healing
Chronic wounds – wounds that haven’t started to heal after several weeks of treatment – affect over 6.5 million people in the U.S., are a threat to patients’ health and quality of life, and have …
Dr. Anna Beck Receives 2024 Badger Challenge Award
Certain types of benign breast lesions are associated with a high risk of future breast cancer development, but current clinical methods to estimate the level of an individual patient’s risk are inaccurate. With a new …
Wisconsin Surgery Research Roundup: January 2025
Wisconsin Department of Surgery members engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications every month. We’re highlighting several of these publications monthly to showcase the diversity of research in the department; see selections from …
Harris Lab Receives Research Funding from Two Campus-based Programs
The Wisconsin Surgical Laboratory in Metabolism (WiSLiM), run by Dave Harris, MD, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, conducts research on how bariatric surgery affects metabolism and aging, with the goal …
Vascular Surgery Resident Awarded ACS Research Scholarship
Kate Telma, MD, a PGY-2 vascular surgery resident, has been selected by the American College of Surgeons to receive a Resident Research Scholarship for the 2025-2027 award cycle. This two-year, $60,000 scholarship is supported by …
Dr. Luke Funk Selected as the New Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Surgery Open
Dr. Luke Funk, Professor in the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, was recently selected as the new Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Surgery Open. Annals of Surgery Open: Perspectives on Surgical History, Education, and Clinical Approaches …
Dr. Muhammed Murtaza Receives 2024 Bothwell Prize
Dr. Muhammed Murtaza, Associate Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, received the 2024 Bothwell Prize from the Carbone Cancer Center and the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. This prize is awarded annually for a …
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Research Leadership
Luke Funk, MD, MPH
Vice Chair of Research
Angela Gibson, MD, PhD
Vice Chair of Research
Clinical Trials Core
Provides coordinator and regulatory support for all types of human subjects research including sponsored clinical trials, survery studies, registries, and chart reviews.
UW Humanized Mouse Core
The Humanized Mouse Core at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides investigators with a variety of humanized mouse models for their individual research needs.
Statistical Analysis and Research Programming (STARP) Core
Provides faculty, researchers, and residents/fellows/students with comprehensive statistical and research programming support for their research activities including study design, grant application, abstract/manuscript review, statistical analysis, programming and results interpretation.
WiSOR Qualitative Core
The WiSOR Qualitative Core offers faculty and staff consultation, support, and expertise on study design, methodology, data collection and analysis, and interpretation of results. It also offers transcription services.