Madison leaders and economists are still working to predict all of the major changes that could take place with the sale of local cancer diagnostics company Exact Sciences to Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, which was announced late last month. But one local economist and business analyst says the merger is likely to be a net positive for both companies. Dan Olszewski, director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, studies mergers and acquisitions in prominent companies.
Category: Research
UW Health expert emphasizes how to de-stress during the holiday season
The holidays are always exciting, but they can also be incredibly stressful. Our Leigh Mills sat down with psychologist Dr. Shilagh Mirgain to discuss ways to keep your mental health in check during the cold, dark winter months.
Early study results show landfill runoff in Wisconsin has high PFAS levels
Early results of a new study show landfill runoff contained the highest levels of PFAS among liquid wastes sampled statewide in Wisconsin.
Since 2023, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been collecting and analyzing samples from four waste materials that could be potential sources of PFAS in groundwater, which provides drinking water to two-thirds of state residents. It’s also a source of drinking water for around 800,000 private wells.
Teaching assistant receives UW fellowship for second consecutive year: a look into his research
PhD candidate Morgan Henson received the Gulickson fellowship for the second year in a row, an award given to graduate students working to improve the teaching experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His research focuses on how far-right political movements use digital platforms and media to gain political support. Outside the classroom, Henson is making a different kind of impact: helping his fellow teaching assistants.
Archaeologists in Wisconsin unearth an ancient ‘parking lot’ with 16 dugout canoes — including one that’s 5,200 years old
For the past few years, Thomsen has been collaborating with the preservation officers with the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, as well as Sissel Schroeder, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. Together, they’re unraveling the mysteries of the Indigenous canoes, which are some of the oldest surviving specimens of their kind in eastern North America.
Don’t let politics tear Thanksgiving apart. Talk it out.
The good news amid the rancor is that people are not only studying why we’re so polarized, but they are also working on ways to fix it. I learned that fact during my recent interview with Susan Yackee, director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison.
The school is launching a new undergraduate public policy program in the fall of 2026, including a required course titled Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America.
In it, students literally practice talking across ideological divides. “If I don’t work out my bicep, it’s just not gonna get strong, right? It’s the same thing with our students and their skills in talking across differences,” Yackee told me. “[It’s] super easy for them to be siloed in their own little social media environments and not hear or have to interact with people that think differently than them. So we’re gonna force that in the class.”
WARF increases UW research investment with $206.9 million
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) announced a $206.9 million commitment on Nov. 13 to support research and innovation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in FY26. The commitment is one of the largest annual investments in the university’s history and marks the celebration of the foundation’s centennial celebration and federal research funding uncertainty.
What are NAD+ supplements good for? We asked the experts.
“When it comes to skin health and appearance, the data is pretty limited,” says Dr. Apple Bodemer, an integrative dermatologist at UW Health, and professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
UW-Madison’s new center studies the link between aging and diseases
UW-Madison researchers at a new federally funded center on campus will examine how aging influences diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s.
The Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging will fund new research that examines how metabolic changes associated with aging are linked to disease. The center’s researchers aim to develop improved treatments or methodologies that physicians can use to better address their patients’ conditions.
UW-Madison, Microsoft, TitletownTech team up to boost Wisconsin research with AI
A new collaboration between UW-Madison, Microsoft, and TitletownTech is set to boost scientific research in Wisconsin. The partnership will leverage advanced AI tools to help researchers tackle major challenges more efficiently.
The polar vortex is about to bring a wild weather pattern change
It’s still not certain there will be a major winter blast, but scientists are watching for colder than normal conditions to develop in the mid-latitudes — where most of the world’s population resides — over the next month or so. Once the polar vortex is disrupted, it can take a month or more to recover, said Andrea Lopez Lang, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We can see more active and shifted storm tracks and increases in cold air outbreaks in regions across the Northern Hemisphere,” she said in an email.
Honda invests in soil carbon removal credit scheme to offset emissions
University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension’s Crops and Soils program defines a carbon credit as, “a certified, tradable carbon offset that is exchanged under a cap and trade system of emissions regulation.” Under that system, companies are allotted a certain number of credits to offset their emissions impact. Farmers who have generated their own credits may sell them to companies who, in turn, may release more harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Six more canoes found this year in Lake Mendota, one is 5,200 years old
The secrets of Lake Mendota continue to be revealed.
The latest cache of ancient canoes discovered in the spring includes one estimated to be around 5,200 years old. It is now the oldest dugout canoe recorded from the Great Lakes region and the third-oldest in eastern North America, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
UW-Madison’s new center studies the link between aging and diseases
UW-Madison researchers at a new federally funded center on campus will examine how aging influences diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s.
UW launches new research center to examine aging and age-related diseases
Aging is the biggest risk factor for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disease, according to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Nobel Prize winner James D. Watson ‘complex’ mentor for UW-Madison researcher
It’s been said the best teachers can be judged by the success of those they mentor. In the case of Nobel Prize winner James D. Watson, who died this month at 97, a prime example is UW-Madison molecular biologist and biochemist Richard Burgess.
UW Madison scientists create THC free hemp with genetic editing
The hemp industry is facing major uncertainty nationwide, but University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a breakthrough strain that could protect farmers from potential fallout. The strain, named ‘Badger G’, was created at the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center.
QTS partners with UW–Madison for sustainable data center research Fary
QTS Data Centers is partnering with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to advance sustainable digital infrastructure.
The initiative, Advancing Data Center Sustainability, involves a $1.5 million investment from QTS, aimed at driving innovation in responsible data center development.
Americans want to restore civility. A new UW-Madison major will help.
Written by Susan Webb Yackee, a professor of public affairs and director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison.
Researchers examine the professional skepticism of audit partners
The research team examined the audit reports of 19,200 financially distressed companies in Belgium between 2008 and 2017. The vast majority of the companies examined were private companies, as is the case with most Belgian companies. The study is authored by Kris Hardies from the University of Antwerp, Sanne Janssen of the Court of Audit, Ann Vanstraelen of Maastricht University, and Karla M. Zehms from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
WARF gives $206.9 million to UW-Madison, Morgridge Institute to boost research
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation will give nearly $207 million to UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research to boost research and future facility costs, the university announced Thursday.
Drugged driving is a growing concern on Wisconsin’s highways
As the United States becomes more and more accepting of marijuana, many police and public health experts worry about the dangers people using those drugs pose on the road.
Heather Barkholtz has been experimenting in a laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to try to understand how cannabis products affect people’s driving.
In the face of federal grant cuts, UW-Madison’s research head learns to pivot in her first year
Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska a year ago stepped into a top role at UW-Madison with big plans to expand its billion-dollar research operation.
Then the executive orders poured in. Her plans had to change.
UW-Madison wants to conduct more research with the Department of Defense
As the pot of federal funding for research at universities and colleges continues to shrink, UW-Madison’s campus leaders are positioning the university to grow its work with the Department of Defense.
That doesn’t mean UW-Madison researchers will be at the forefront of developing new bombs, said Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska.
Bat behavior is still a mystery. UW-Madison’s ‘Bat Brigade’ helps figure it
As darkness fell over the state capital Oct. 25, Makeela Magomolla, Tayah Dean and George Whitney led a group of more than 40 people on the winding paths of UW-Madison’s Lakeshore Nature Preserve.
Microsoft partners with UW-Madison, Princeton to accelerate AI scientific discovery
Microsoft, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Princeton University, and the New Jersey AI Hub, announced a unique partnership with TitletownTech to accelerate scientific discovery.
This new model will combine the agility of a startup, the technology of a global company, and a university’s expertise.
UW primate lab names new director
The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison appointed Ricardo Carrion Jr. as its next director on Oct. 23. Carrion will begin the role Nov. 3, 2025.
UW-Madison secures $13.5 million boost for cancer research accelerator
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved a request from University of Wisconsin-Madison on Sept. 18 seeking an additional $13.5 million to make space for a cancer research project.
Originally budgeted at $48.5 million, researchers at the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research found the new structure requires significantly more complex infrastructure, adding $13.5 million to construction costs. The building will support a cyclotron particle accelerator, [brief definition], and will be ready in 2027 according to UW-Madison’s request.
Experts discuss racial inequities in student debt at UW webinar
The University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty hosted a webinar Oct. 29. The webinar examined the effects of student loans and how they specifically target Black students and families, welcoming three experts to discuss a variety of effects impacting students.
Injunction blocks school mental health funding cuts
The Wisconsin Department of Justice says funding in the state would impact a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction grant program that includes training new providers, increasing teleservices, and a UW-Madison program which trains 24 psychology graduate students to work in high-need high schools.
What’s a cyclotron and why is UW-Madison spending $77 million to build one?
UW-Madison is building a new cyclotron particle accelerator, aimed at making the university a leader in the exploding field of theranostics and nuclear medicine, expanding research into and treatment of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Overfishing has greater impact on midwestern fish populations than climate change
A recent University of Wisconsin study found that overfishing is hurting the Wisconsin and Minnesota fish population more than climate change.
Most species of fish are impacted primarily by overfishing, though climate change has a detectable impact on the upper midwest region of the United States, co-author of the study and associate professor Olaf Jensen said. “When we compare the magnitude of [climate change and fishing], for most species, fishing is still having a much larger impact than warming,” Jensen said.
UW-Madison wants to grow defense research — but not build weapons
Vice Chancellor Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska wants the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct more research with the U.S. Department of Defense — with a caveat.
“I’m not thinking of us going directly to classified (research) and developing new weapons. There’s so much good work we can do that benefits … society but also provide national security,” said Grejner-Brzezinska, who oversees UW-Madison’s $1.7 billion research operation.
Health Day: Fighting ageism, treating voice disorders, and the disease-curing potential of cell therapy
Older Americans are often the victims of ageist attitudes. Then, a new UW department forms to improve treatment of larynx disorders. Then, we learn about possible cures for disease coming out of cell therapy research at the UW.
UW-Madison pioneers cancer detection research
According to University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Zachary Morris, the university has experts in nearly every area of a rising field of cancer research called theranostics.
Morris, a faculty member at the School of Medicine and Public Health and Chair of the Department of Oncology, leads the UW-Madison Initiative for Theranostics and Particle Therapy. He told The Daily Cardinal the theranostics field has quickly been gaining traction over the past decade, and UW-Madison is poised to be at the forefront.
Most Wisconsin schools protect students from discrimination against everything but this.
A study of Wisconsin school board policies has found that nearly all districts have policies protecting students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and the vast majority protect students from discrimination based on gender identity.
“I don’t think there’s enough work that describes the environment that we’re in. But then the project gained some urgency when we started hearing from educators across the state about the need for some sort of description of the state of guidance affecting teachers and students,” said Mollie McQuillan, lead author of the school board policy research and an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at UW-Madison.
Wisconsin joins clinical trial to see if AI can catch more breast cancer cases
The trial, led by the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Davis will look at hundreds of thousands of mammograms at UW Health and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s medical school, as well as academic medical centers in four other states. Wisconsin researchers say it’s an important foray into better understanding both the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI in cancer screenings.
University of Wisconsin psychology professor Gary Lupyan: If you talk to yourself out loud, you’re probably this type of person
Talking to oneself out loud—known in psychology as “self-talk” or “thinking out loud”—is a common and beneficial behavior, not a sign of irrationality. Rather than indicating madness or social isolation, self-talk serves as a powerful cognitive tool with a range of psychological benefits. Gary Lupyan, associate professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, explains that this practice can improve memory and concentration, challenging the stereotype that talking to oneself is a symptom of instability.
In one experiment, participants who named objects out loud were able to locate them more quickly than those who remained silent. As Lupyan explains, “Even though we all know what a banana looks like, saying the word out loud helps the brain activate additional information about that item, including what it looks like.” Verbalizing names or thoughts engages both visual and contextual processing in the brain, enhancing identification and recall.
7 benefits of meditation, and how it can affect your brain
“Research shows we can actually train our attention and our meta-awareness, and that this is a learnable skill,” says Richard Davidson, PhD, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds.
Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems
“In Wisconsin overcrowding is a huge issue. Assigning more people to a room than they’re supposed to, which, of course, affects your sleep,” said Farah Kaiksow, associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, who has researched aging and care in prison.
Two UW–Madison professors awarded prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius grants’
Two University of Wisconsin–Madison professors have been named MacArthur Fellows, receiving one of the nation’s most prestigious honors.
Angel Adames Corraliza studies tropical weather patterns, focusing on atmospheric physics and climate model simulations. He says his research helps improve understanding of the planet and can ultimately save lives.
Sébastien Philippe, the second recipient, studies the harms and risks of building, testing and storing nuclear weapons. Using archival research, data modeling and his experience as a nuclear safety engineer, he examines the damage caused by nuclear testing. His work has influenced policy and improved compensation for people exposed to nuclear radiation.
Fishing plays greater role on Midwest fish populations than warming, study finds
Despite worries over rising temperatures, it turns out anglers have a greater effect on fish populations than global warming. That’s according to a new study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We found that for the majority of the populations so far fishing has far more greater impact than warming on the fish populations,” said Luoliang Xu, postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology.
What the Pacific ‘blob’ + La Niña means for winter in the US
Atmospheric scientist Elizabeth Maroon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison told CNN there are large uncertainties in how this marine heat wave will affect the atmosphere above it, but there is no question that the blob will have an impact.
For example, she said there is the question of, “Will the marine heat wave get amplified by La Niña conditions, which is a very distinct possibility?” Those two would then work together to change winter weather patterns, she said, calling it one of several scenarios.
Wisconsin’s successful cranberry industry won’t be immune from Trump’ tariffs, growers say
Wisconsin’s cranberry industry generates nearly $1 billion annually and supports over 4,000 jobs in the state, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. While 2025’s production of the fruit saw a slight decrease from the 6.01 million barrels harvested in 2024, the forecasted 5.3 million barrels will make up roughly 65% of the total U.S. supply.
These UW-Madison faculty have been awarded MacArthur fellowships
wo more MacArthur fellows were added Wednesday to UW-Madison’s growing list of faculty who have received the prestigious award.
Since 1985, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has granted eight UW-Madison professors the fellowship, which often is referred to as a “genius award.”
2 UW-Madison professors named MacArthur Foundation ‘genius’ fellows
Two UW-Madison professors have been named MacArthur Foundation fellows, called “genius awards,” for their work in studying weather patterns in the tropics and investigating the effects of nuclear weapons.
UW-Madison professors Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, who is an atmospheric scientist, and Sébastien Philippe, a nuclear security specialist, were selected Wednesday for the prestigious fellowships. Fellows receive $800,000 paid out over five years for any use.
MacArthur 2025 ‘genius’ grant winners include 2 UW-Madison professors
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation named atmospheric scientist Ángel Adames Corraliza, 37, and nuclear security specialist Sébastien Philippe, 38, as recipients of the prestigious MacArthur fellowship. Also known as the “genius grant,” the national award is given annually to a small group of people across a range of disciplines who show exceptional creativity in their work and future ambitions.
Bat Brigade: The UW group contributing to bat conservation
A University of Wisconsin-Madison collective is working to establish a long-term data set of little brown bat populations on campus with national implications for conservation.
The UW-Madison Bat Brigade is a collaboration between students, professionals and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to monitor and study bats on campus. The Brigade is part of Biocore, an honors biology program.
How does the government shutdown impact UW-Madison research?
Some University of Wisconsin-Madison research will be affected due to the federal government shutdown, according to a message from both the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration and of Research.
UW-Madison ranked sixth nationally for research expenditure in 2024 and is at risk for delayed research project funding after the shutdown.
Meet the 22 artists, scientists and authors who will each get $800,000 MacArthur genius grants
For Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the award is also a recognition of the talent and grit coming from Puerto Rico, where he is from, despite the hardships his community has endured. His research has uncovered many new findings about what drives weather patterns in the tropics, which may eventually help improve forecasting in those regions.
Adames said usually one of his classes would be ending right when the foundation would publish the new class of fellows, so he was planning to end the lecture early to come back to his office. He said he’s having trouble fathoming what it will be like.
“I am low-key expecting that a few people are just going to show up in my office, like right at 11:02 a.m. or something like that,” he said.
Many 2025 ‘Genius’ Fellows affiliated with universities
Since the fellowship launched in 1981, fellows have included writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers and entrepreneurs. While no institutional affiliation is required, the award went to the following 2025 fellows with ties to a college or university:
- Atmospheric scientist Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, an associate professor in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for investigating the mechanisms underlying tropical weather patterns.
- Nuclear security specialist Sébastien Philippe, assistant professor in the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for exposing past harms and potential future risks from building, testing and storing launch-ready nuclear weapons.
Fishing is impacting fishery populations more than climate change, new study finds
It’s no secret that Wisconsinites love fishing. But who knew the effects of local anglers on our fisheries were outpacing that of climate change?
That’s exactly what a new study from postdoctoral researcher Luoliang Xu and Prof. Olaf Jensen at UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology found. The discovery was published last week in the journal Science Advances.
“Warming and fishing are happening at the same time, and they both can strongly affect the fish populations,” Xu said. “So the intention of our study is to try to tear apart these two factors.”
Record crop yields won’t lead to financial security for Wisconsin farmers this year. Here’s why
In Wisconsin, grain farmers will likely face negative margins in 2025 as expected prices for corn and soybeans are below the estimated break-even points for Wisconsin producers, according to projections by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
UW scientists prepare for final IceCube expedition
This fall, as temperatures plummet to -50°C (or -58°F) at the South Pole, a team of UW-Madison scientists and engineers will embark on an adventure to the frozen desert. Their goal: drill seven holes through a mile and a half of Antarctic ice to complete a revolutionary upgrade to the world’s coldest neutrino telescope.
“Whoever had the idea of drilling holes a mile and a half into a glacier was crazy,” says Vivian O’Dell, project manager for the IceCube Upgrade. “Completely nuts. And yet it works.”
Do you know a farm MacGyver? Or a Dairyland Darling? Wisconsin farmers redefine stereotypes
In Wisconsin, there were 37,600 women farmers in 2022, accounting for 35.5% of the state’s total producers, according to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. However, some people have a hard time believing that.
Glacier melt will lead to ice-free peaks in California for first time in human history
“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “This has ecological implications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is very abstract, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”
UW research resumes on social media effects after funds frozen
Funding for a long-term study on the effects of social media on 325 Wisconsin teenagers aged 13-15 resumed on Monday after funding for the study was frozen by the Trump administration in March of this year, according to UW News.
The study is operating on a five-year $7.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health who terminated the grant on the basis that the grant no longer “effectuates agency priorities,” according to UW News.
By 2100, humans might see a glacier-free Sierra Nevada for the first time ever
“Glaciers are touchstones between the past and the present, and it’s just so visceral when you can see how it used to be and how it is today,” Andrew Jones, a geoscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead author of the study, tells the Los Angeles Times’ Ian James.
UW, state leaders unveil Morgridge Hall, ushering in ‘AI revolution’
Morgridge Hall, the new home of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS) programs, which may soon separate from Letters & Sciences, is officially open for business.
After a two-and-a-half-year construction project which cost $260 million, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and a host of other speakers cut the ribbon on Morgridge Hall Friday, ushering in a “new AI revolution” that will sweep the campus.
Lake Winnebago wild rice restoration project continues despite federal funding cut
For Jessica Skeesuck, vice chair of the Brothertown Indian Nation, restoring wild rice goes beyond just helping the environment.
“It is an important food from a nutritional value perspective, but also from a very important cultural perspective for many tribes, including Brothertown Indian Nation,” Skeesuck told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”
Skeesuck and Jessie Conaway, an outdoor educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are co-leads on the Intertribal Lake Winnebago Wild Rice Revitalization Project.