Muhammed Murtaza, MBBS PhD
Director
Muhammed Murtaza started his role as Director for the Center for Precision Medicine in July 2024. As a translational researcher with background in development of genomics-enabled molecular diagnostics, Murtaza’s vision for the Center is to accurate and cost-effective diagnostics to enable early detection and precise interception of disease for patients in Wisconsin and around the world. He is leading the development of research and clinical programs at UW-Madison that will utilize multi-analyte characterization and integrated analysis to help choose the right intervention for the right patient at the right time.
To achieve this vision, the Center is catalyzing research to building the scientific foundations and advance development of multi-analyte diagnostics, training the next-generation of scientists, clinicians and leaders in translational medicine, and building the infrastructure to enable implementation of multi-analyte diagnostics. In addition, the Center is keen to develop partnerships with UW stakeholders such as Center for Genome Science Innovation, UW Biotechnology Center and interested faculty members, as well as with industry partners interested in molecular diagnostics.
In addition to this role, Murtaza serves as Associate Professor of Surgery in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He leads a computational and molecular cancer diagnostics research lab based in the Center. Before joining UW in 2020, Murtaza served as Assistant Professor and the Co-Director of Center for Noninvasive Diagnostics at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. He received a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), from Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan (where he grew up), and a PhD in Medical Science from Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Trinity College, at the University of Cambridge in United Kingdom.
Jacalyn McHugh, MSc
Assistant Director
Jackie joined the UW Center for Precision Medicine as Assistant Director on October 1, 2018. Jackie provides administrative and strategic leadership, programmatic and operational support, and oversee the effective management of the multiple and complex fiscal and human resources needed to fulfill the educational, research, and clinical missions. She will accomplish this through building partnerships with our internal and external colleagues.
Prior to joining the Center, Jackie served as the Research Operations Manager for the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. There she played an integral role in establishing the research operation infrastructure and managed the grant portfolio for the Institute. She has conducted research as part of a team using stem cells to elucidate the mechanisms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and to investigate potential treatments for the disease.
This work developed her passion for translating research to treatments and her appreciation for the operational infrastructure needed to support researchers to do their best work.
Dr. April Hall, Ph.D., MS, CGC
Assistant Director of Education and Outreach, Center for Precision Medicine
As the Assistant Director of Education and Outreach at the Center for Precision Medicine, Dr. April Hall brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, research experience, and a passion for education. Since stepping into this leadership role in 2024, she has been instrumental in advancing the center’s mission to make precision medicine more accessible and better understood by diverse audiences.
Dr. Hall’s journey in genetics began with a dual major in Human Biology and Psychology at UW–Green Bay, where she graduated in 2005. She went on to earn her Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. Her doctoral research focused on uncovering the genetic causes of neuropsychiatric disorders. Driven by a desire to bridge research and patient care, she pursued a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling at Indiana University School of Medicine, becoming a certified genetic counselor.
Her clinical and academic career has spanned both hospital and university settings. After beginning as a pediatric genetic counselor in Indianapolis, she moved to Madison in 2015 to join the Department of Medical Genetics at UW, where she focused on general genetics, neuromuscular disorders, and inpatient care. In 2018, she became the research coordinator for the UW Genetic Counselor Studies Program and joined the Center for Precision Medicine as a research genetic counselor. She now serves as Assistant Professor (CHS) in the Division of Genetics and Metabolism and Associate Director of Research for the UW Genetic Counselor Studies Program, where she continues to integrate her clinical insights with research and education.