Research Collaborations

UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) The UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is headquartered in Madison, and collaborates with its partner Marshfield Clinic and numerous other member sites across Wisconsin. The ICTR has major funding from a 2007 NCRR/NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award. Its goal is to transform research 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.

The Wisconsin Network for Health Research (WiNHR), a component of the ICTR, is a collaborative effort involving the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Aurora Health Care Center for Urban Population Health and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation. WiNHR was established to promote greater inter-institutional cooperation in research and move research results to the bedside more efficiently and effectively.

Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) The Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) is a statewide practice-based research network of over 130 primary care clinicians and academic researchers. WREN members conduct high-quality translational research projects in "real-world" family practices across Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Oncology Network (WON)

Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Working together as a national consortium, CTSA institutions share a common vision to improve human health by transforming the research and training environment to enhance the efficiency and quality of clinical and translational research. The CTSA program is led by the National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, or PLCO, is a large-scale clinical trial to determine whether certain cancer screening tests reduce deaths from prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer. The underlying rationale for the trial is that screening for cancer may enable doctors to discover and treat the disease earlier.

Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) project is a collaborative effort between CDC's Immunization Safety Office and eight large managed care organizations (MCO). The VSD project was established in 1990 to monitor immunization safety and address the gaps in scientific knowledge about rare and serious adverse events following immunization.

HMO Research Network The HMO Research Network is an organization of HMO research programs whose mission is to use our collective scientific capabilities to integrate research and practice for the improvement of health and health care among diverse populations.

Genome-Wide Association Studies TA genome-wide association study is an approach that involves rapidly scanning markers across the complete sets of DNA, or genomes, of many people to find genetic variations associated with a particular disease. Once new genetic associations are identified, researchers can use the information to develop better strategies to detect, treat and prevent the disease. Such studies are particularly useful in finding genetic variations that contribute to common, complex diseases, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and mental illnesses.