Our faculty is committed to upholding one of the University’s longest and deepest held philosophies surrounding our academic environment, The Wisconsin Idea. The Wisconsin Idea signifies the guiding principal: that the University’s beneficial influences must expand to people’s lives beyond the boundararies of the classroom and campus. This Idea has become the guiding philosophy of our research and training efforts and has propelled our long history of research and training excellence. We have internationally recognized researchers in Cancer Virology, Cancer Genetics, and Tumor Biology.
Our faculty’s laboratories are housed in new buildings with state-of-the art research and support facilities to carry out their research. Our administrative offices are located on the 6th floor/Tower II of Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research (WIMR), 1111 Highland Ave. The Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research Towers I & II for clinical and translation research were designed to allow researchers to work with scientists from other disciplines, speeding the transfer of science to clinicians working in the adjacent UW Hospital and the American Family’s Children’s Hospital.
Research Areas in McArdle
Cancer Virology
Human tumor viruses are causally associated with over 15% of all human cancers and are likely to contribute to additional cancers. Recent research in our program and elsewhere clearly demonstrates that, for many virus-associated cancers, viral gene functions are required both for tumor development and also for continued survival of malignant cells. Thus, inhibiting tumor virus infection, replication and maintenance, and/or selected viral oncogenic functions can prevent or cure many of these cancers.
Cancer Genetics
Cancer genetics and eEpigenetic Mechanisms pursues basic and translational research to discover novel cancer genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, to translate mechanistic insights derived principally from mouse models and primary human cancer samples to human cancer, and to leverage the mechanistic insights to advance cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Tumor Biology
Tumor biology includes research groups working on aspects of cell biology, stem cells, transcriptional regulation and protein structure relevant to cell growth regulation, differentiation and cancer.
Research Training Opportunities at McArdle
Postdoctoral Research Opportunities
Our postdoctoral trainees come from a wide variety of excellent graduate programs in the biological sciences. We encourage current graduate students to contact one or more of our faculty before they complete their graduate studies to find out more information about our postdoctoral training program.
Cancer Biology and Other Biomedical Graduate Programs
Our Cancer Biology Graduate Program, along with other biomedical sciences PhD programs, are at the center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s cancer research. Our goal is to train graduate students to become committed cancer researchers working as scholars and researchers to advance cancer research and treatment.
Training in laboratory research is guided by our faculty who are the one-on-one mentors for our students. The experience and commitment of our faculty to mentoring is essential to the success of our students.
Our PhD graduates obtain full-time employment immediately after graduation, pursuing advanced training in academic postdoctoral positions or in industry.
Undergraduate Research
Oncology 699/Undergraduate Research (Fall and Spring Semesters)
Undergraduate students in our laboratories gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge cancer laboratories (ONC 699).
Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunities
UW-Madison’s Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) is designed to provide an immersive research experience to undergraduate students interested in graduate study in the biomedical sciences. Interns complete 10 weeks full-time laboratory research, attend research seminars on current topics, and give scientific presentations to their peers and mentors. Interns also receive training in responsible conduct of research, laboratory safety, and presentation skills. Additionally, interns are invited to attend career counseling sessions in which faculty and program administrators discuss graduate school and career opportunities for biomedical scientists.
Jobs at McArdle for Undergraduates
A large number of undergraduates gain research experience by working part-time in the laboratory. On average 60 undergraduates are regularly employed as student help in the research laboratories at McArdle. Responsibilities and duties vary depending on the experience of the student. Jobs are posted on the UW Student Job Center,