Brad’s Update
An idealistic community of donors powers our curiosity-driven approach to science. What grows from your idealism and generosity are discoveries that advance human health and change lives.
Our community is broad and diverse. What unites you is a shared desire to expand the reach of research and spark scientific curiosity in the public. Some of you make high-profile gifts. Others find room in your budgets to write checks that help sustain our work. Every contribution matters.
Brad Schwartz
When you believe in our mission, your gifts create a powerful foundation that lets us do new things. This is especially important today. Traditional grant funding often comes with strict limits that can slow down lab research and hold back the kind of creative thinking that defines Morgridge science. Your support frees our scientists to follow new paths and push the frontiers of biomedical science.
In 2025, two of our principal investigators received endowed chairs through donor generosity. Ken Poss, Morgridge’s director of regenerative biology, was named the James W. Neupert Investigator in Regenerative Biology. Morgridge Investigator Jing Fan received the Arthur C. Nielsen Chair in Metabolism. These chairs will support their work for many years to come.
Across Morgridge, your support funds research initiatives, educational programs, and community engagement opportunities that hold personal meaning for you. We are grateful for every form of support you offer.
Our scientists are inspired by your vision and generosity. We take seriously our responsibility to deliver real benefit in return. That means pursuing discovery through rigorous methods and careful interpretation of our findings. Your gifts help us uphold the ideals of science and strengthen public trust in it.
Thank you for being part of this community. Your continued support of the Morgridge Institute for Research will drive the progress of science and society well into the future.
Brad Schwartz, M.D.
Carl Gulbrandsen Chair
Chief Executive Officer
Morgridge Institute for Research
As a donor, you are:
Exploring Science, Fearlessly
Donors like you help scientists pursue fearless science. Thank you for supporting biomedicine that will improve human health. With your support, you’re helping fight disease, understand the depths of biology, unlock ways to stop cancer, HIV, and many more disorders.
Changing Lives
Science is for everyone. You help many free and heavily-discounted science education and outreach programs for underserved children and families. From afterschool programs to the Summer Science Camp, these opportunities bring the wonders and joy of science to all families.
Milestones
You play an important role in pushing science forward. Thanks to private support from donors like you, the Morgridge Institute is working to improve human health. We can’t do this work without you—THANK YOU.
Here’s a look at some of the milestones made possible by you.
Matt Peterson’s vision builds scientific understanding by supporting youth
A Morgridge supporter driven to foster cultural connections around science, Matt Peterson found inspiration in the immersive Summer Science Camps hosted at the institute each July.
CHAMMI-75: Finding common ground across millions of biology images
Using nearly 3 million images from 75 studies, Morgridge scientists have developed a new machine learning tool to examine cellular morphology.
Rising Sparks: Helena Jaramillo Mesa, virology
Helena Jaramillo Mesa thrives on constant learning, fresh ideas, and new challenges as she works to understand the inner workings of viruses.
Best of the Fest 2025: Wisconsin Science Festival in photos
We’ve collected some of our favorite moments from the 15th annual Wisconsin Science Festival. Which is your favorite?
For effective science communication, ‘just the facts’ isn’t good enough
Scientists who show humility and recognize that science "doesn't have all the answers" will be more effective communicators with society, argues Morgridge PI Dietram Scheufele.
Researchers ‘seq’ and find a way to make pig retinal cells to advance eye treatments
For the first time, researchers developed stem cell-derived pig retinal cells in comparison with human retinal cells, envisioning a path to advance treatments for eye disease and injury.
Bioengineered arteries show promise for cardiovascular surgery
Scientists bioengineered stem cell-derived artery grafts that could advance the field of vascular bypass surgery to combat cardiovascular disease.
New mass spec method gets the ‘nMOST’ out of multiomics data
The Coon Lab developed a new method to acquire multiomic data as quickly and as comprehensibly as possible, while keeping the system simple and accessible for anyone to use.
High-throughput computing as an enabler of black hole science
The stunning new image of a supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way was created by eight telescopes, 300 international astronomers and more than 5 million computational tasks. The Wisconsin-based Open Science Pool helped make sense of it all.
Science for All
When you establish a planned gift, you help inspire the next generation of scientists. Planned gifts through an estate or annuities help support science education and outreach activities, like the Summer Science Camp.
Contact Bill Swisher, Chief Development Officer, today.