March Recap at the Center for Precision Medicine

March was an active month at the Center for Precision Medicine, from hosting a round table with industry partners to launching enhanced services through our Collaborative Research Service.

On March 4, the Center for Precision Medicine welcomed representatives from Abbott Laboratories for round table discussions with various stakeholders from the School of Medicine and Public Health focused on AI, preventive care, healthcare barriers, and future collaborative opportunities. The visit included a tour of the Center led by Dr. Murtaza, highlighting the innovative research happening in our core faculty member’s laboratories.

Muhammed Murtaza, Director for Center for Precision Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Surgery talks to representatives from Abbott and the School of Medicine and Public Health Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) in a round table discussion on March 4, 2026. — Muhammed Murtaza (left), Director for Center for Precision Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Surgery talks to representatives from Abbott and the School of Medicine and Public Health Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on March 4, 2026. Photo by Taylor Wolfram.

Muhammed Murtaza, Director for Center for Precision Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Surgery leads Abbott representatives including Joana Araújo, Senior Director of Transfusion Medicine, Brad Silber, Director of Public Affairs, Melissa Brotz, Chief Marketing, Communications, and Sustainability Officer, and Chris Miller, Division Vice President of Partnerships and Sponsorship during a tour of the Center for Precision Medicine lab. — Muhammed Murtaza (right), Director for Center for Precision Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Surgery leads Abbott representatives including Joana Araújo, Senior Director of Transfusion Medicine, Brad Silber, Director of Public Affairs, Melissa Brotz, Chief Marketing, Communications, and Sustainability Officer, and Chris Miller, Division Vice President of Partnerships and Sponsorship during a tour of the Center for Precision Medicine lab in the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on March 4, 2026. Photo by Taylor Wolfram.

Representatives from other UW–Madison research cores, such as Dr. Joshua Lang from the UW Carbone Cancer Center and Dr. Sterling Johnson from the Biomarker Core in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, spoke with Abbott leaders about shared priorities in precision medicine and the promise of smarter, faster diagnostics. Topics included patient-centered care, novel testing approaches, cancer detection, dementia research, health devices, and the potential of artificial intelligence in health care to positively shape health outcomes. The visit also reflected Abbott’s growing ties to Wisconsin and ongoing connections through UW–Madison alumni and research partnerships.

Chairman and CEO of Abbott, Robert Ford, UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Student Ambassador of “We Give Blood” Drive, Kate Hopkins, Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Revenue Officer of Wisconsin Athletics, Mitchell Pinta, and Chief Operating Officer of the Big Ten Conference, Kerry Kenny hold up a giant check for one million dollars, a trophy, and make W hand signs during halftime during the Badger men’s basketball game versus Maryland in the Kohl Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on March 4, 2026. — The visit to SMPH and the Center were part of Abbot’s visit to University of Wisconsin – Madition to deliver a one million dollar check and a trophy, after UW -Madison donated the most blood during the Abbott-Big Ten blood drive. Read more about the campaign and the award here: https://news.wisc.edu/uw-madison-wins-big-ten-blood-drive-receives-1-million-for-health/ and
https://news.wisc.edu/abbott-visit-marks-uw-madisons-we-give-blood-competition-win/

Also in March, the Center hosted a technology talk and hands-on demonstration of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing capabilities. This is one of several research workflows available through the Collaborative Research Service (CRS), which supports research in genomic sequencing, metagenomics, DNA epigenomic profiling, and liquid biopsy applications. Unlike other campus core services, this service is focused on collaboration using research workflows developed, optimized and run by CPM member faculty and staff, enabling our community to benefit from each other’s expertise.

In addition, the Center hosted the inaugural meeting of its Bioinformatics User Group, a monthly forum designed to foster collaboration, share expertise, and address bioinformatics challenges across research teams. The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 12 pm – 1 pm in WIMR 2798. Contact seminar@precisionmedicine.wisc.edu with any questions.

Together, these initiatives reflect the Center’s ongoing commitment to advancing precision medicine through collaboration, innovation, and shared expertise. Thank you to everyone whose efforts contributed to a successful month.