Medical Education and Research Committee Targeted Awards
The following Targeted Awards have been given by the Wisconsin Partnership Program's Medical Education and Research Committee:
2009 Awards
Advancing Evidence-Based Health Policy in Wisconsin
Thomas Oliver, PhD, Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $156,000 over three years
The Advancing Evidence-Based Health Policy in Wisconsin project, since its inception in 2006, has become an established educational resource for public-policy makers, researchers, and private sector partners on important public health and health policy topics. As of June 2009, academic and practice experts have hosted 19 briefing sessions — with over 800 participants — on health topics ranging from infant mortality to injury prevention to promoting smart health care decision making. Interest and awareness in this exciting project continues to grow.
Renewal funding by MERC will be used to continue providing policymakers, in both the public and private sectors, with timely, nonpartisan, high quality information for evidence-based decision-making. This partnership of the UW Population Health Institute, the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Wisconsin Joint Legislative Council focuses on increasing the involvement of University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty in issues of state public policy. The project is jointly funded with the Office of the UW-Madison Chancellor.
Engineering Effective Interventions for Tobacco Use: A Translational Laboratory
Michael Fiore, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention
Award: $403,650 over three years
Enormous progress in smoking cessation has been made over the last half-century, but there is still much work to do. In Wisconsin 21 percent of adults (800,000 people) are regular smokers, a habit which costs smokers 10-14 years of life and the state more than $2 billion in health care costs and lost productivity. The University of Wisconsin-Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) has been at the forefront of translating the newest research on smoking cessation into clinical practice. MERC is pleased to be continuing its partnership with UW-CTRI.
Dr. Fiore and his team will be exploring three areas that may lead to dramatic improvements in treating tobacco dependence. The first will be developing treatment packages for clinical intervention through the use of innovative and efficient research methods such as those used in industrial engineering. The project also seeks to improve the system-level strategies for translating effective treatments into healthcare settings. It will also promote adherence to effective tobacco cessation treatments, especially in underserved populations where tobacco use is increasingly concentrated.
In 2006, MERC funded UW-CTRI's Smokers' Health Studies, supplementing the group's National Institutes of Health grant.
Human Proteomics Program
Richard Moss, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiology
Award: $200,000 over two years
Proteomics is the study of the protein makeup of cells and tissues and of protein function in these systems. The Human Proteomics Program, initially funded through a MERC award in 2006, provides scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with new opportunities for collaborative research as well as new tools for understanding and diagnosing human diseases. The 2009 MERC award covers the operating costs for this Program over the next two years, after which it is anticipated that the Program will be sustained by fee-for-service income and extramural grants.
The Human Proteomics Program has been tremendously effective. Expertise and instruments vital for successful proteomics and disease proteomics research are available to UW-Madison faculty, staff and students, including user-friendly training in proteomics research. In addition, the Program has hosted two well-attended symposia, the latest featuring the potential of proteomics to impact human health.
Institute for Clinical and Translational Science Award
Marc Drezner, MD, Professor of Medicine and Senior Associate Dean for Translational and Clinical Research
Award: $10,185,996 over three years
Funding by MERC for the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) in 2006 led to a $43 million National Center for Research Resources/National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science grant. ICTR aims to transform research at UW-Madison into a continuum from investigation through discovery to translation into real-life community practice, thereby linking the most basic research to practical improvements in human health.
MERC funding in 2006 focused on two of ICTR's six cores, Community Academic Partnership and Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics. Both cores have been extremely successful with over 500 community participants and UW-Madison faculty, staff and students benefiting from their education and training offerings. The two cores have supported more than 150 grant submissions.
Additional funding from MERC in 2009 will be used to facilitate the translation of innovative discoveries of research teams to health practice through novel ICTR community partnerships. ICTR will be able to expand its resources, including informatics tools and biostatistical support, statewide with the incorporation of the Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR). WiNHR was established with MERC support in 2004 to develop a groundbreaking collaborative effort among the four largest health care systems in the state: UW Health, Marshfield Clinic, Aurora Health Care and Gundersen Lutheran.
Making Wisconsin the Healthiest State
David Kindig, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $463,635 over three years
As a result of the initial 2004 MERC grant for Making Wisconsin the Healthiest State, a framework was established for measuring and improving Wisconsin's health and health disparity in the future. Building on this framework with continuation funding from MERC, Dr. Kindig is developing an annual report on Wisconsin's overall health, health disparity reduction, and progress on key health indicators in comparison to other states.
The report will be used to enhance community engagement activities including collaboration with the development of the 2020 Wisconsin State Health Plan, integration with other UW Population Health Institute activities, and development of a more comprehensive statewide communications strategy. The Making Wisconsin the Healthiest State project, including the annual report, will also be used by the Wisconsin Partnership Program to direct and focus resources aimed at improving health in Wisconsin while also reducing health disparities.
Recruitment of Middle-Aged African-Americans for Studies of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Development of a Minority Recruitment Model in Milwaukee
Mark A. Sager, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine
Award: $219,543 over three years
This project, originally funded in 2008, will continue its work by expanding the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) recruitment and baseline testing to include adult children of African-Americans with Alzheimer's disease living in Milwaukee County. WRAP is designed to identify neuropsychological, genetic and lifestyle markers of incipient Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic adult children of parents with Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the project will expand its development of a model of minority recruitment that can be used by UW School of Medicine and Public Health researchers for facilitating minority participation in future research studies.
With the help of the Center for Urban Population Health, an outreach office and clinical assessment site for the project have been established in Milwaukee. With these in place, the project was able to successfully develop strategic partnerships and collaborations with key health and social service and community organizations and implement community outreach and educational events. As of June 2009, outreach efforts have resulted in the successful recruitment of 22 adult children of African-Americans with Alzheimer's disease living in Milwaukee County as well as 10 Hispanic participants in Milwaukee.
Reducing Cancer Disparities through Comprehensive Cancer Control
James Cleary, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Award: $399,079 over three years
With funding from MERC in 2005, a unique partnership between the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health was developed focused on developing community-based participatory partnerships with underserved/minority populations. And under the leadership of the Center for Urban Population Health, Milwaukee healthcare and community based organizations came together as part of a Milwaukee Regional Partnership Network to collaborate on ways to improve access to quality cancer care in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
To further these efforts, MERC awarded continuation funding in 2009 focused on (1) testing a cancer information intervention designed to improve patient outcomes among lung and colorectal cancer patients in rural Wisconsin, and (2) planning and establishing a model for a program to screen underserved men and women in Milwaukee for colorectal cancer.
The Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW)
Javier Nieto, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $4,119,675 over three years
The Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) is the first statewide research survey of its kind to measure information on critical health conditions in Wisconsin. Findings from SHOW will present a comprehensive picture of the health of Wisconsin residents, helping to identify needs and target resources where they are most needed.
After several years of development work with MERC's support, SHOW initiated the recruitment of participants in June 2008. Administered through its Madison and Milwaukee survey sites and its two mobile exam centers, SHOW reached 60 census block groups in the 2008 survey. Over 250 participants were interviewed, completed questionnaires, were given physical exams and provided biological samples. Continuation funding from MERC enables SHOW to maintain its infrastructure, thus ensuring the continuation of this important work.
Symposium on New Governance for Health System Change
Thomas R. Oliver, PhD, MHA, MA, Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $15,000 over one year
This award supports the development of a Symposium on New Governance for Health System Change, which aims to examine how new forms of regulation and governance affect the prospects for health systems change and improvement.
The symposium will be designed to promote dialogue among researchers focused on clinical and translational research and researchers focused on the system-level structures and policies that facilitate or inhibit health system improvement and population health outcomes. Scholars from many fields are expected to participate, including those from the fields of health services research, clinical medicine, political science, economics, public affairs, law and sociology.
Transforming Medical Education: Integrating Public Health in the Curriculum
Christine S. Seibert, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine; Associate Dean for Medical Education
Award: $2,504,333 over three years
The goal of Transforming Medical Education: Integrating Public Health in the Curriculum is to integrate the teaching of public health, biomedical sciences and clinical medicine competencies across all four years of the medical school curriculum in order to enable all graduates of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health to make an impact on the health of the public.
This will include designing and implementing a faculty development program to prepare and support teachers for the new model and establishing a Public Health Certificate program that would be offered to all students. This public health curriculum transformation will prepare interested students for entry into the Master of Public Health program.
MERC supported the initial phase of this education transformation with an implementation grant entitled Innovations in Medical Education (IME), which concluded in June 2009. IME successfully initiated the transformation of the medical school curriculum in years 1 and 2 by ensuring better integration between courses and disciplines, enhancing clinical prevention and population health throughout the curriculum, and incorporating more self-directed learning opportunities.
In addition, IME expanded the resources of the state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Teaching and Assessment Center in the Health Sciences Learning Center, which is now used by more than 20 groups of medical and health professions students. The IME Video Library was also developed offering free video content from School events such as seminar series, ground rounds, guest speakers and course lectures.
2008 Awards
Recruitment of Middle-Aged African-Americans for Studies of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Development of a Minority Recruitment Model in Milwaukee
Mark A. Sager, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine
Award: $90,000 over one year
This project will design and test interventions to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease in at-risk populations. Funding provided by the Medical Education and Research Committee and its collaborative partners, the Center for Urban Population Health and the University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, matches a significant contribution by the Helen Bader Foundation.
The project's aim is to expand the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) recruitment and baseline testing to include adult children of African-Americans with Alzheimer's disease living in Milwaukee County. The registry is designed to identify neuropsychological, genetic and lifestyle markers of incipient Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic adult children of parents with Alzheimer's disease.
Shared Resources for Interdisciplinary Research for the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research Phase I
Robert N. Golden, MD, Dean, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs
Award: $2,470,347 over two years
The Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) will be the interdisciplinary research platform for the future, giving the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health the opportunity to implement research from basic discoveries to clinical and population health applications.
The Medical Education and Research Committee's funding supports the first phase of the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research by providing molecular biology equipment to be shared by investigators, and animal caging and ancillary equipment necessary to operate the vivarium. These shared resources and services will help to implement the full capability of interdisciplinary research within the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, which is critical to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's transformation to an integrated school of medicine and public health.
UW Carbone Cancer Center Biobank
Catherine Leith, MB, Bchir, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of UW CCC Biobank
Award: $450,108 over two years
The goal of this project is to establish a global Biobank for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. This will begin with development of a centralized location for collection and storage of human tissues and other human biological material. The UW Comprehensive Cancer Center (UWCCC) Biobank will be used as a platform for an expansion to incorporate samples from noncancer related programs, such as the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) and the Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR).
The institution of a single Biobank instead of multiple banks provides advantages to the institution in terms of specimen quality and accessibility, regulatory issues and cost. In addition, access to high quality tissue, blood and other human biological material is central to a wide variety of research into human disease, ranging from population health to epidemiology studies to unraveling the causes of cancer.
Wisconsin Center for Infectious Diseases (WisCID)
Bruce Klein, MD, Professor, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Award: $1,511,306 over three years
Despite advances made in reducing infectious diseases over the past hundred years, the overuse of antibiotics has driven the evolution of microbes that are resistant to the major antibiotics used against them. The Wisconsin Partnership Program is providing funding to create a Wisconsin Center for Infectious Diseases (WisCID) that will investigate microbiological areas of public health importance and translate the research discoveries into novel therapies and preventive measures.
The center will be designed to integrate the work of physicians and scientists to facilitate the application of the tools of microbiology, immunology and public health to combat infectious and inflammatory disease. The center will link efforts with state health professionals and agencies, including the Wisconsin Division of Health and the State Laboratory of Hygiene.
2007 Awards
2007 Emergency Care and Trauma Symposium
George Mejicano, MD, MS, Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education; Director, Office of Continuing Professional Development in Medicine and Public Health
Award: $80,000 over one year
This award, jointly funded by the Wisconsin Partnership Program and the Chancellor's Office of UW-Madison, expands the Emergency Care and Trauma Symposium by providing complementary admission for Emergency Medical Personnel (EMS) across the state. The Symposium aims to effectively educate EMS personnel in current medical and trauma care standards.
Development of Human Rights Initiative
Cynthia Haq, MD; Professor, Departments of Family Medicine and Population Health Sciences; Director, Center for Global Health
Award: $22,500 over three years
Students, staff and faculty can play an important role in advancing the concept of health as a basic human right. This project will help prepare them to serve as health care advocates and leaders, statewide and worldwide. This project provides support for development of an initiative focusing on human rights, access to primary health care, nutrition, and social and economic factors impacting health. The initiative aims to coordinate diverse human rights activities on campus, promote new research, enhance existing studies, and help raise the study and teaching of human rights to a new level.
Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine
Byron Crouse, MD, Associate Dean for Rural and Community Health
Award: $668,490 over three years
While 33 percent of Wisconsinites live in rural areas, only 11 percent of physicians practice in rural areas, a wider gap than at the national level, where rural areas account for 20 percent of the population and 9 percent of physician practices. As a result, 83 percent of Wisconsin counties (60 of 72) are designated as totally or partially underserved. In addressing the current and increasingly serious shortage of physicians in the workforce, the UW SMPH has pledged to increase class size, and has created the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM) to help ensure that more physicians practice in rural areas.
Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR)
Howard Bailey, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine
Award: $2,711,469 over two years
WiNHR is a groundbreaking collaborative effort among the four largest health care systems in the state: UW Health, Marshfield Clinic, Aurora Health Care, and Gundersen Lutheran. Established in 2004 with planning grants from the Medical Education and Research Committee (in 2004 and 2005), WiNHR continues to link researchers and health care organizations across the state. Its work with medical informatics, in creating a statewide research database, will provide access to data on diseases, trends, interventions and therapies.
2006 Awards
Advancing Evidence-Based Health Policy in Wisconsin: Translating Research into Practice
David Kindig, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Population Health Sciences, in collaboration with Bobbi Wolfe, PhD, Director, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Award: $149,230 over two years
This award brings together the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the La Follette School of Public Affairs, in partnership with the Wisconsin Legislative Council, to develop methods to forge a stronger link between the worlds of policy making and scholarly research.
The goals of the partnership are twofold: to provide decision-makers with the best available evidence for crafting solutions to health care issues, and to increase the relevance of University of Wisconsin-Madison research by incorporating real-world issues into the research agenda of the school's faculty. This will be accomplished through forums, symposiums and meetings between state policy makers and university researchers on current health issues facing the state. The project is jointly funded with UW-Madison.
Center for Urban Population Health Public Health Development Plan
Co-Principal Investigators, Ron A Cisler, PhD, Associate Professor, UWM College of Health Sciences, and Director, Center for Urban Population Health; Randall Lambrecht, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, UWM College of Health Sciences
Award: $1,058,448 over two years
This award aims to support an expanded role for the Center for Urban Population Health (CUPH) in the public health initiatives being implemented in the Milwaukee area. The Center for Urban Population Health's overall goal is to develop an increased capacity for conducting population health research and education to advance health and well-being in the Milwaukee community through the recruitment of faculty and scientists at UW-Milwaukee and the Aurora UW Medical Group. It focuses on the Univesity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health's objective to address the challenging public health issues facing the underserved populations in Milwaukee.
University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
Director, Marc Drezner, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research
Award: $6,847,846 over 2 years
This award supports the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, which will serve as the foundation to achieve major changes in the clinical and translational research enterprise. The institute's goal is to create an environment to transform health research into a continuum extending from investigation through discovery to translation into clinical practice in communities.
Medical Research and Education Committee funding is primarily designated for support of Type 2 translational research, including community research, and biostatistics and biomedical informatics. Drezner is principal investigator of a recently submitted five-year, $65 million NIH grant application, which will support the many other functions essential to enhance clinical and translational research and develop a comprehensive program with a long-term goal of delivering improved health care to communities.
The Wisconsin Smokers Health Studies
Michael Fiore, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Director of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention
Award: $600,000 over two years
This award builds on the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention's National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant by expanding the number of smokers being followed from 2,000 to 2,600 and by increasing the followup time period from three to years. It will also support an increase in minority participation in Milwaukee. By expanding the sample size, the Smokers Health studies will be able to fine-tune the development of new treatment algorithms, particularly for racial and ethnic populations in Wisconsin.
2005 Awards
Genetic or Molecular Epidemiologist, Department of Population Health Sciences
Javier Nieto, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $261,706 for a three-year period for a .50 FTE
Startup funding for recruitment of a faculty member in genetic or molecular epidemiology to expand the Department of Population Health Sciences' capabilities in epidemiology coursework and research, to play a critical role in the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), and to help develop multidisciplinary educational programs in public health genetics in support of the transformation to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Health Care Data Collection and Reporting: Models for Public-Private Partnerships
Patrick Remington, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences Director, UW Population Health Institute
Award: $11,121
In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, the conference, held on Feb. 7, 2005, focused on health care data repositories, including public and private sector initiatives, partnership, and regional health information organizations. It addressed design, governance, financing, and integration of existing initiatives in Wisconsin.
Health Innovations Program
Jeff Grossman, MD, Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs
Award: $1,310,158 over three years (2005)
The purpose of the Health Innovations Program is to improve health care delivery and health outcomes for the people of Wisconsin with the goal of promoting increased involvement of UW faculty and clinicians in health services research. The program's aim is to create new knowledge and models of care, in partnership with health care providers and communities statewide, that address quality, safety, effectiveness of care, access and timeliness. For more information, go to www.hip.wisc.edu.
Health Policy Faculty — Department of Population Health Sciences
Javier Nieto, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $261,706 for a three-year period for a .50 FTE
Startup funding for recruitment of a faculty member in health policy who will expand the Department of Population Health Sciences' capabilities in health policy coursework, research and service, and develop collaborative relationships with related academic departments, the La Follette School of Public Affairs and governmental and community public health entities. The faculty member also will support the transformation to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Human Proteomics Program
Jeff Walker, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiology
Rick Moss, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Physiology
Award: $1,767,208 over three years
Proteomics is the study of the protein makeup of cells and tissues and of protein function in these systems. This project will provide scientists and physicians with the powerful new tools of proteomics for studying and diagnosing human disease. This will be accomplished by developing a core research facility that is focused on the identification and functional characterization of proteins associated with human health and disease, and through a program of professional and public education.
Improving Cancer Care in Wisconsin
George Wilding, MD, Director of UW Comprehensive Cancer Center
Award: $319,092 over 16 months
The goal of this project is to develop the Wisconsin Cancer Control Plan for 2005-2010 in partnership with the Wisconsin Division of Public Health and other statewide partners. The project will survey 1,000 cancer patients regarding quality of care, with the goal of improving outcomes for patients and families. In addition, it will establish a coordinated program to translate evidence-based results to practitioners statewide on issues such as colorectal screening, cancer pain, and palliative care as well as enhance cancer care and patient outcomes in rural populations.
Innovations in Medical Education
Susan Skochelak, MD, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Award: $3,414,780 over four years
This includes: 1) development of a new curriculum combining medicine and public health, with an emphasis on population health, problem-solving skills, new content areas and new technologies; 2) a clinical skills teaching and assessment center to enhance the ability to teach and assess using standardized patients and performance-based testing; and 3) statewide healthcare distance education to allow more community providers, patients and Wisconsin residents to participate in health education programs as well as to provide interdisciplinary education for health professions students. A symposium on the development of these initiatives will be held during the grant period.
Library Collection Support for Public Health Research and Teaching
Terry Burton, MFA, MLIS, Director, Ebling Library
Award: $159,794 for a three-year period
Acquisition of a solid core collection of public health resources to support the transformation to the School of Medicine and Public Health to include print and online journals, books and monographs.
Making Wisconsin the Healthiest State
David Kindig, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Population Health Sciences
Award: $820,343 over four years
Implementation of a planning and evaluation effort identifying effective investments for — as well as monitoring progress toward — making Wisconsin the nation's healthiest state with less health disparity. The results will form a guiding framework for assessing the overall effectiveness of The Wisconsin Partnership Fund and will assist in the development of funding priorities for the program. The initial phase will concentrate on assessment, while later phases will develop strategic options and intervention priorities.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Susan Skochelak, MD, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Patrick Remington, MD, MPH, Professor of Population Health Sciences, and Director of MPH Program
Award: $2,646,534 over five years
Implementation of the Master of Public Health program will: 1) provide education to all enrolled students in public health concepts and skills to serve the public health work force; 2) encourage collaborative graduate education for students from a variety of disciplines in the health sciences to understand multidisciplinary approaches to health problems in communities; 3) arm health professionals with skills to participate in community-based clinical health services and population-based research; 4) provide continuing professional education for state and local public health practitioners; and 5) enable health professions students to combine training in their primary discipline and in public health.
Reducing Cancer Disparities through Comprehensive Cancer Control
James Cleary, MBBS, Department of Medicine
Award: $532,126 for a three-year period
Through a unique partnership model between the UW Carbone Cancer Center and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, projects will be implemented to reduce cancer disparities in Wisconsin. Funds will be directed toward development of community-based participatory partnerships with underserved/minority populations, and under the leadership of the Center for Urban Population Health, development of a Milwaukee Regional Partnership Network dedicated to breaking down barriers to access to cancer care.
Regenerative Medicine Program
Tim Kamp, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine
Award: $1,200,000 over four years
The aim of the Regenerative Medicine Program is the development of core facilities necessary to overcome roadblocks to the application of stem cell biology to clinical medicine. The program will consist of four core facilities: Stem Cell Resources, Immunology/Pathology, Non-Human Primate and Imaging.
Medical Education and Research Committee funding supports the Immunology/Pathology and Imaging cores. The core facilities will provide interdisciplinary resources to researchers, foster collaborations and bring the promise of regenerative medicine to fruition in the form of treatments for various diseases.
Survey of the Health of Wisconsin
Javier Nieto, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Population Health Sciences
Award: $4,116,906 over three years
The overall goal of the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin is to create an infrastructure to assess health needs, to understand the major determinants of health, and to study health trends over time. Results from this survey of a representative sample of Wisconsin residents will be used to establish state health priorities.
The Transformation of Health Care and the Role of the University
Jeffrey Grossman, MD, President and CEO of UW Medical Foundation and Sr. Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
UW Population Health Institute
Award: $32,145
The conference, held Nov. 17-18, 2005, brought together public and private industry leaders, health policy makers, public agency officials and faculty to consider contributions the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health can make toward transforming the healthcare system and its role in improving health and health care.
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute
Mark Sager, MD, Professor of Medicine and Population Health Sciences, and Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute
Award: $375,000 over five years
Support of a statewide public health initiative to promote early diagnosis, treatment and support for persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their families by: 1) developing a statewide network of satellite diagnosis and treatment centers (SDTC) to support research and education; 2) recruiting statewide for the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) as part of a statewide research initiative to prevent AD; 3) developing a prospective cohort pilot study to evaluate a screening instrument(s) capable of accurately identifying cognitive impairment; and 4) developing statewide interdisciplinary educational opportunities for students interested in AD and related dementias.