Brad’s Update
Great science begins with curious minds
Curiosity is the spark that drives us at the Morgridge Institute for Research. It is indispensable to our scientific work and woven into our culture.
The best researchers are driven by their innate curiosity. It is this kind of curiositydriven research that has unfailingly brought the greatest benefits to society. If you tell a scientist to work on a project and they lack the interest, they’re not going to apply the same energy and relentless refusal to give up on a problem if that project doesn’t motivate them.
Brad Schwartz
Tashia Morgridge gave us a parallel from her work in education: curiosity-driven learning. If you tell someone they have to learn about something, they learn it just enough to satisfy a test. But when people are confronted with something that interests them, their curiosity gets them off the couch to consult the world around them for answers.
Our culture and values at Morgridge help us attract and retain top researchers who possess that insatiable curiosity, deep passion, and unremitting determination. I often say that if you took one of our scientists and dropped them onto a deserted island, they would find a way to do research.
We work hard to create an environment where scientists feel free to do research well, understand its practicality, and know that they have support from our entire community.
Morgridge scientists have the freedom to follow their curiosity, and the freedom to take what they’ve learned in new directions. Some call this the “freedom to fail.” But that term misses the mark. I think the better terminology is the freedom to take advisable risks, to pursue experiments that will teach us what does and doesn’t work.
This fall’s update details some of the impressive products of that research. It also profiles Jim Neupert, whose father’s struggle with heart disease and heart failure led him to endow a research chair at Morgridge.
Jim’s compelling story is more evidence that our donors are central to our work, helping us to advance scientific discovery and build the future of medicine.
Because of the vision of our friends and supporters we can continue to nurture the curiosity that triggers high-impact advances in human health.
Thank you for sharing that vision with society through our work at Morgridge.
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.
Advanced imaging highlights quick-changing act of innate immune cells
New research from the Melissa Skala Lab uses advanced metabolic imaging to study neutrophil metabolism in cell culture and a live zebrafish model.
Students envision their own futures in STEM at Summer Science Camp
The 19th annual Morgridge Summer Science Camp welcomed students from Wisconsin high schools for a week-long immersion into the world of science.
Morgridge loses a science visionary and friend, David Mangelsdorf
David Mangelsdorf, a visionary scientist at UT Southwestern in Dallas and one of our most recent additions to the Morgridge Scientific Advisory Board, died unexpectedly on Aug. 3 at the age of 67.
HTCondor celebrates 40 years powered by community
HTCondor celebrates 40 years of advancing science through a network of distributed computing power and a deeply engaged community.
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.
Rising Sparks: Pierre Gillotay, regenerative biology
Pierre Gillotay, who researches spinal cord regeneration, joined Morgridge in fall 2024 and quickly sensed a scientific culture that encourages curiosity and collaboration. “It is stimulating. It’s very chill and welcoming,” he says.
Study shows environmental conditions alter dependence on a key metabolic enzyme
At the intersection of genetic rules and environmental conditions, scientists at Morgridge are gathering new insights about how diseases function in the human body.
Founder of Morgridge spinoff company awarded for entrepreneurial impact
Greg Piefer, founder of Morgridge spinoff company SHINE Technologies, is among three outstanding recipients of the 2025 Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Achievement Award.
Morgridge Trustee James Dahlberg honored for entrepreneurial achievement
James Dahlberg, Morgridge trustee and former interim chief executive officer, is among three outstanding innovators to receive 2024 Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards.
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.
bswisher@morgridge.org
(608) 316-4364