UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee award inter-institutional research grants

Twelve teams of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin–Madison will collaborate with the help of the third round of Intercampus Research Incentive grants.

The awards, announced today (Thursday, July 12) by UW-Milwaukee and UW–Madison, provide nearly $600,000 to start-up research combining the talents of scientists at Wisconsin’s two largest research centers. The program is funded by UW–Madison and UW-Milwaukee donors, and projects are selected by a committee of faculty and administrators from both institutions.

“Two universities are better than one,” says David Yu, interim dean of the UW-Milwaukee Graduate School. “By combining our best research talent, we are better able to speed scientific outcomes and apply that knowledge to improve the lives of Wisconsin citizens.”

The grants will support projects arrayed across the broad strengths of both institutions, including efforts to improve human health, produce environmentally friendly materials and expand our understanding of the natural world. Each award, chosen from a pool of 60 proposed research programs, is in the range of $50,000 for one year.

“The questions posed by these new research teams are evidence of the creativity and capabilities of our faculty,” says Martin Cadwallader, dean of the UW–Madison Graduate School. “Every year brings a new crop of collaborative projects that we are proud to be able to support.”

Research funded by this year’s grants includes:

• Development of in-situ imaging-based diagnostic system to quantify interfacial gas exchange in aquatic wetlands — Qian Liao, Milwaukee, Civil Engineering and Mechanics; Chin Wu, Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Porous nanosilica reinforced antibiotic loaded bone cement — Matthew Squire, Madison, Orthopedics & Rehabilitation; Jill Meyer and Konstantin Sobolev, Milwaukee, Civil Engineering and Mechanics; Carol Spiegel, Madison, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Krishnan Suresch, Madison, Mechanical Engineering
• Development of a hand sensory prosthesis for stroke survivors — Na Jin Seo, Milwaukee, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; John Webster, Madison, Biomedical Engineering
• Novel nanomedicines for targeted neuroendocrine cancer therapy — Shaoqin “Sarah” Gong, Madison, Biomedical Engineering; Yiqiang “Eric” Cheng, Milwaukee, Biological Sciences; Herb Chen, Madison, Surgery
• Role of carbonic anhydrase in plant development — Dazhong “Dave” Zhao, Milwaukee, Biological Sciences; Marisa Otegui, Madison, Botany
• Scalable green composites made from cellulose nanofibers — Krishna Pillai, Milwaukee, Mechanical Engineering; Lih-Sheng (Tom) Turng, Madison, Mechanical Engineering; Rani El-Hajjar, Milwaukee, Civil Engineering and Mechanics
• Microfluidic corral trap arrays for molecular analysis — Jorg Woehl, Milwaukee, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Tom Krupenkin, Madison, Mechanical Engineering
• SOS-CNS: software for optical stimulation of central nervous system — Ramin Pashaie, Milwaukee, Electrical Engineering; Kevin Eliceiri, Madison, Molecular Biology
• Understanding and forecasting meteotsunami in Great Lakes — Chin Wu, Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Paul Roebber, Milwaukee, Freshwater Sciences and Mathematical Sciences
• Characterizing a unique association between Rice and Rhizobium — Gyaneshwar Prasad, Milwaukee, Biological Sciences; Jean-Michel Ané, Madison, Agronomy
• Vocal mechanisms maintaining monogamy and pair bonding — Catherine Marler, Madison, Psychology; Gerlinde Höbel, Milwaukee, Biological Sciences
• Oxidative stress detection in bronchopulmonary dysplasia — Christine Sorenson, Madison, Pediatrics; Masha Ranji, Milwaukee, Electrical Engineering