UW-Madison launches Microbiome Initiative

We are not alone. Each of us carries a wide array of microbial species that outnumber our cells by ten-fold. Recent studies have shown that the complement of microorganisms, the microbiome, is an important determinant of human health and disease. The microbiomes of other animals, plants, soil, bodies of water, and the atmosphere play similarly important roles.

Our understanding of the diversity and roles of these microbiomes is limited, a fact that led the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to launch the National Microbiome Initiative (NMI) last year. Stakeholders, including UW-Madison, have responded with new commitments to develop a comprehensive understanding of microbiomes across all ecosystems.

UW-Madison’s Microbiome Initiative comes with $1 million in grant funding administered by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education to support interdisciplinary research, infrastructure, and research community enhancements related to the microbiome.

To read the full press release go here.

The 2021 winners: Cool Science Image Contest

Ten images and two videos created by UW–Madison students, faculty and staff have been named winners of the 2021 Cool Science Image Contest.

Clinical trial repurposes cancer drug for treatment of vascular malformations

Dr. Beth Drolet, chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, is leading a multi-site trial at UW–Madison that is in its first phase and is testing a personalized topical medication in the form of a gel as a way to treat vascular anomalies.

Faculty receive WARF Named Professorships, Kellett Fellowships, and Romnes Awards

Thirty-three members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty have been awarded fellowships for 2021-22. The awardees span the four divisions on campus: arts and humanities, physical sciences, social sciences and biological sciences.