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Eight Coulter Translational Partnership Projects Funded in 2008

The University of Wisconsin Coulter Translational Research Partnership in Biomedical Engineering Oversight Committee has selected its third round of research projects for funding.

  • David Beebe, BME, and Carol Diamond, Pediatrics, will collaborate on the project “Non-electric, Disposable Drug Delivery Device for Hemophilia,” $107,255.
  • Walter Block, BME, and Fred Kelcz, Radiology, will collaborate on the project “Increased Specificity for MR Screening of High Risk Women for Breast Cancer,” $75,453.
  • Kristyn Masters, BME, and David Stacey will collaborate on the project “ Advanced, Bioactive Materials for the Treatment of Chronic Wounds,” $95,272.
  • William Murphy, BME, and Ben Graf, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, will collaborate on the project “Controlled Protein Delivery Technology for Treatment of Ischemic Disease,” $91,663.
  • Brenda Ogle, BME, and Luis Fernandez, Transplantation Surgery, will collaborate on the project “Multichannel Two-Photon Flow Cytometry to Guide Cellular Transplantation,” $105,357.
  • Darin Furgeson, BME and Pharmacy, and Chris Brace, Radiology, will collaborate on the project “Microwave Thermal Ablation and Tumor Margin Directed Chemotherapy for Cancer Eradication,” $70,000.
  • Justin Williams, BME, and Karl Sillay, Neurosurgery, will collaborate on the project “Thin-Film Micro-Electrode Arrays for Minimally Invasive Neurological Monitoring,” $45,000.
  • W. John Kao, BME and Pharmacy, and Paul Sondel, Pediatrics, will collaborate on the project “Multifunctional Drug Delivery Matrix for Immunotherapy,” $50,000.

Translational research relies on cooperative work among engineers, physicians, and other health care professionals for clinical adoption of medical discoveries.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH refers to the transformation of scientific discoveries into practical solutions. To increase the chances of success, creative teamwork across disciplines is essential. Biomedical researchers engage in translational research when they focus on developing solutions that address particular clinical problems or unmet clinical needs. Translational research is currently a priority of the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies and foundations.

The University of Wisconsin has long been a leader in the field. The Biomedical Engineering Center, based in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has served as an interdepartmental hub for many medical and engineering school faculty. Recently, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation awarded the department a Translational Research Partnership Award in Biomedical Engineering consisting of $1 million annually for five years to fund translational research collaborations between biomedical engineering researchers and practicing physicians. To acknowledge the award and the center's increased emphasis on translational research, it has been renamed the Biomedical Engineering Center for Translational Research.

The strategic vision for the Department of Biomedical Engineering is to advance healthcare by integrating education, discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. The Center supports that effort by encouraging bedside physicians to collaborate with laboratory scientists and engineers. The center serves to: