The Morgridge Metabolism Initiative is an effort to enhance the pace, productivity, and international profile of metabolism-related research in Madison. Centered within the Metabolism Theme at the Morgridge Institute for Research, the initiative has three pillars.
Building a vibrant team of metabolism investigators at the Morgridge Institute
First and foremost, the initiative seeks to fuel metabolism research on campus by infusing new investigator talent into the community. In the coming years, the Metabolism Theme at Morgridge plans to hire ~5 new investigators who will be housed within the institute and will hold joint faculty appointments at UW–Madison. We will seek investigators that span a range of metabolism expertise, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative-minded researchers passionate about exploring the basic molecular and mechanistic underpinnings of cellular metabolism and its dysfunction in human disease. The current Morgridge Metabolism investigators include:
- Jing Fan (UW Department of Nutritional Sciences) — Quantitative cancer metabolism
- Jason Cantor (UW Department of Biochemistry) — Influence of environmental factors on human cell metabolism
Catalyzing the development of leading-edge resources and enabling technologies
The initiative seeks to help provide metabolism researchers in Madison with the resources and technology to pursue their most creative and adventuresome science. Through partnership with the UW–Madison Graduate School, School of Medicine and Public Health, and various individual colleges and departments, the Metabolism Theme is helping to launch new world-class technological centers, such as the Laboratory for Biological Mass Spectrometry, led by UW Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry, Josh Coon.
Fostering a collaborative culture within Madison and the larger scientific community
The Metabolism Theme seeks to be a nucleating center for the large community of metabolism researchers in Madison by providing a physical meeting space for gatherings and seminars, establishing programs aimed at fostering collaboration, and hosting an internationally recognized meeting. Current programs and resources include:
- The Morgridge Metabolism Colloquium — An ongoing seminar series that features local and invited lecturers and brings together metabolism researchers to share ideas, expertise, and resources.
- The Morgridge Metabolism Interdisciplinary (MMI) Fellowship — A competitive fellowship opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows designed to support their work toward metabolism-related challenges in a manner that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
- UW–Madison Metabolism Directory — A collection of scientist profiles across UW–Madison.
- Updates from the Metabolism Community — News and publications from campus to increase the awareness of our experimental capabilities.
- The Morgridge/UW–Madison Metabolism Symposium — An annual symposium to bring together our local metabolism community for time to engage, reflect, and plan for the future. This symposium is an effort to continue to build community, catalyze collaborations, and define needs within the Madison metabolism community.
- Frontiers in Metabolism Meeting – A Morgridge Metabolism meeting focused on bringing together a diverse group of scientists who investigate the basic mechanistic underpinnings of metabolic disorders and pioneer new approaches for probing and quantifying metabolic processes.
