Morgridge Institute for Research

Congratulations to Kevin Eliceiri, who will receive the inaugural Spencer Shorte Legacy Award at the ABRF - Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Annual Meeting today in Pittsburgh, PA. Kevin’s award will support the establishment of the Illuminating People Program, a platform for matching experienced and early-career researchers that recognizes the “bi-directional intellectual spark that good mentoring has on both the mentor and mentee.” Spencer Shorte was a deeply respected leader in the global bioimaging community, not only for his scientific gifts but also for his character. The award honors his legacy by recognizing someone who embodies these guiding core values, including “their dedication to uplifting their community, their quiet selflessness, their unwavering integrity, and the genuine warmth they bring to every interaction.” Morgridge is incredibly fortunate to have Kevin as an investigator of biomedical imaging and director of the Fab Lab at Morgridge — and an anchor of our imaging science community in Madison. BioImaging North America McPherson Eye Research Institute University of Wisconsin Department of Medical Physics Read more about the award ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gtyzDnF7

The average ratio of students to career services staff is about 2,000 to 1, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Experts recommend 500 to 1. At the Morgridge Institute, that ratio is 150 to 1. It's a reflection of our dedication to training the next generation of scientists not just at the lab bench but beyond it. Meet Ellen Dobson, PhD, GCDF and Wesley D. Marner II, who lead our "whole scientist" approach to professional development 👉 https://lnkd.in/g49Mfn-N

A nice briefing on how mass spectrometry helps cancer researchers understand the molecular actors gone rogue during disease.👇 Kudos to Joshua Coon and Katherine Overmyer advancing this technology at Morgridge and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Many congratulations to Miron Livny on his receipt of a 2026 Hilldale Award from UW–Madison! 🎉 We are so fortunate to have Miron be such an integral part of our community — a word that defines his four decades of work in high throughput computing. Lead investigator in research computing at Morgridge and director of the Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC), Miron's research, teaching and mentorship enables scientific discovery through building communities of computers *and* communities of people.

Morgridge scientists uncover a small but mighty regulator of viral replication; Virology Investigator Megan Spurgeon brings us up to date on Merkel cell carcinoma research; our latest Rising Spark unlocks knowledge in the lab and classroom; and more!

Our March newsletter, 💥 SPARK💥 , is out now! A great issue for virology enthusiasts and anyone passionate about curiosity-driven research: 🦠 New research: How does a surprisingly little, elbow-shaped sequence of just 17 amino acids control viral replication in a model nodavirus? Led by Helena Jaramillo Mesa in Morgridge's Rowe Center for Research in Virology and the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. 🦠 Investigator Q&A with Megan Spurgeon: What’s happening in the world of Merkel cell polyomavirus research? 🦠 Blue Sky Science: Why do some viruses cause cancer? ➕ Revisit a night devoted to art and science at our latest Fearless Science Forum, and meet Corinne Moss, our latest profile in a series on early-career scientists and their passions in and outside the lab. Read here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/geW7fGut

Join us! Morgridge’s Kenneth Poss will be among an exciting line-up of speakers featured at the Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium on April 15, 2026. This year’s symposium, the 20th annual, addresses a fundamental question: how do inflammation and the immune system work together with tissue stem cells to drive repair and recovery after injury? This is a fantastic opportunity to join the conversation that is cutting across the wider stem cell, immunology, and regeneration communities around shared mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. 🗓️When: April 15, 2026 (Psst: grad student poster abstracts due 3/20!) 📍Where: BTC Institute, on the Madison campus of Promega Corporation ➡️Register: https://lnkd.in/eY3vjyfF The event is cohosted by the UW-Madison Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Center and the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute. Morgridge is a proud sponsor.

How do T cells preserved by freezing behave when thawed out? Cryopreservation is a critical, routine step in manufacturing the CAR T cell therapies that have begun to transform cancer treatment. But whether T cells resume metabolic activity and function as they should upon thawing — and if so, when — has not been fully understood. The Melissa Skala Lab has been engineering optical metabolic imaging to create a non-invasive, single-cell resolution window into the intricate process behind making successful CAR T cell products. Most recently, their pilot study on cryopreservation reveals the impact of the freeze-thaw process on T cell metabolism, with implications for clinical CAR T therapy. Read on 👉 https://lnkd.in/g3s_PHtq

Roma Broadberry has a unique perspective on Wisconsin science, as both a biophysics Ph.D. student in the Tim Grant Lab at Morgridge, and a WARF ambassador. Broadberry reflects on the resilience that helps both organizations thrive in challenging times. https://lnkd.in/gnFt6DQA

If you haven’t already, register now for our next #FearlessScience Forum: The Art of Seeing More. Come see how curiosity and creativity reveal new ways of understanding the hidden layers of our world with a panel of interdisciplinary experts: Dean of the College of Letters & Science (and incoming interim UW Chancellor) Eric Wilcots, Artist and Professor of Digital Media Meg Mitchell, and Morgridge Investigators Randy Bartels and Kevin Eliceiri. Join us at the Chazen Museum of Art or on Zoom on Tuesday, March 10th at 5pm. ➡️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/exM-XNJd #STEAM #STEM