Morgridge Institute for Research

09/02/2026

For patients facing certain cancers or immune conditions, clinicians turn to their white blood cells for clues about the progression of disease and treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or PBMCs, are part of the standard blood draw.

The Skala Lab at the Morgridge Institute and the UW-Madison Department of Biomedical Engineering are out with a new study asking the question: “What can we get from (PBMCs) that we aren’t already getting?”

Led by graduate student Jeremiah Riendeau, the study, for the first time, accurately observes the metabolic state of single immune cells across complex PBMC samples using a nondestructive analysis called optical metabolic imaging.

“Part of the research that’s being done here is making this label-free metabolic information accessible to more labs,” says Riendeau. “Our lab and collaborators are in the process of commercializing our technology so we can make this measurement more available.”

In the process, they hope to help improve diagnosis and treatment of immune system-related conditions like blood cancers, lupus, sepsis, and cognitive decline. PBMCs are also the starting material for CAR T cell therapies, which engineer a patient’s own immune cells to fight certain cancers.

Learn more here: https://morgridge.org/story/new-imaging-technique-reveals-the-inner-workings-of-immune-cells/

Image: Metabolically quiescent (left) and activated (right) peripheral blood mononuclear cells captured with optical metabolic imaging. Jeremiah Riendeau/Skala Lab.

09/02/2026

A short trip away from the Discovery Building, Habitat ReStore of Dane County West hosted a handful of Morgridge Institute volunteers for a half-day of constructing, moving, organizing, sweating, and (a bonus!) team-building for a great cause. Sales made from store the help fund the building of new affordable homes for local families.

09/01/2026

Please join us in welcoming Eric Perrault as the next CEO of the Morgridge Institute for Research!

Perreault comes to Morgridge from Northwestern University, where he recently completed a three-year term as vice president for research. Across more than two decades at Northwestern, Perreault served as faculty in the McCormick School of Engineering, with joint appointments in the Department of Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

Perreault's career as both engineer and research executive has been defined by interdisciplinary collaboration. He says he sees that same spirit at work across Morgridge, and is inspired by the institute’s extensive research partnerships with University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

“The science done at Morgridge and the resources that enable it are outstanding. I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Brad Schwartz and the Morgridge team have established and working to expand collaborations with the university for mutual benefit and impact.”

Hear more from Eric and other leaders in our full story: https://morgridge.org/story/eric-perreault-named-new-ceo-of-morgridge-institute-for-research

08/26/2026

In many cases of heart failure, the heart pumps normally but the muscle is too stiff to fill properly.

This condition — called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF — is on the rise.

But the challenges for patients and doctors are many. It’s difficult to detect, diagnose, and treat. No clinical trial has yet advanced a successful therapy. And more than 80% of HFpEF patients also face pulmonary hypertension, or PH-HFpEF — an especially debilitating condition.

A new study from UW–Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers and their collaborators reports an improved clinical method for characterizing PH-HFpEF patients’ prognosis and potential mechanistic and molecular changes involved with energy metabolism contributing to the condition.

Read more here: https://morgridge.org/story/debilitating-and-rising-form-of-heart-failure-is-target-of-new-multi-modal-study/

Image: 4D flow cardiac MRI images of the pulmonary artery in patients with HFpEF. Left: a patient with normal right ventricle function shows laminar blood flow in the pulmonary artery. Right: a patient with right ventricle dysfunction experiencing turbulent blood flow in the artery. Credit: Farhan Raza and Oliver Wieben

08/25/2026

In cooperation with researchers and other partners at UW–Madison, students from kindergarten through 12th grade can visit campus for hands-on science

08/20/2026

We’re welcoming a new investigator in bioethics! 🎉

Artificial intelligence has entered the doctor’s office — and the patient–provider relationship.

Quinn Waeiss, Morgridge’s second investigator devoted to bioethics, will study the ethical and social issues posed by this transformation. Waeiss joins Morgridge from Stanford University, where they completed a postdoc at the Center for Biomedical Ethics.

“It's kind of like we're building a Jenga tower of technological solutions to the problems we've identified in the past,” says Waeiss, whose postdoc project involved interviewing patients and providers about securing messaging — including scenarios where LLMs are used in the provider response.

Waeiss is excited to continue this line of inquiry at Morgridge and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where they will be an assistant professor in the Department of Medical History and Bioethics. Their larger research goals focus on encouraging greater ethical reflection among scientists and ensuring that community voices are heard on scientific issues.

Join us in extending a hearty welcome to Waeiss!

Learn more about their research here: https://morgridge.org/story/new-morgridge-investigator-explores-ais-rapid-rise-in-healthcare/

08/10/2026

In print!🚨

Fearless Science Magazine 2026 turns the microscope on "the galaxy within."

You'll find stories about Morgridge scientists and their national colleagues pushing imaging to improve cell therapies, build a universal cell morphology, capture bacterial genome replication in the act, harness the power of quantum, and explain the vivid colors of butterfly wings, among others directions.

You'll also hear about how and why UW–Madison and the Morgridge Institute have built a network of scientists pushing microscopy forward.

If you're interested in what propels today's imaging scientists — more than four hundred years after microscopes began revealing the secrets of biology — request a (free!) copy here: https://morgridge.org/news/publications/fearless-science-magazine-2026/

08/06/2026

Once a student of philosophy aspiring to go to law school, Judith Wexler's innate curiosity led her to a variety of science communication jobs. Eventually, those same instincts landed her at the Morgridge Institute — working with snails infected by parasitic flatworms.

“Since I was young, I was very omnivorous intellectually,” Wexler says. “I loved thinking about how we know what we know. I loved science. I loved reading. I loved writing.”

Wexler's love for writing landed her as a science writer for the Tufts University Daily student newspaper — writing features on scientists and their work. Wexler says though it was interesting to learn about research through reporting, she wanted more.

“I wanted to be doing the research. I wanted to be at the bench.”

Following her doctoral and post-doctoral training, Wexler found herself valuing a staff scientist position.

Now, Wexler is a scientist in the lab of Phil Newmark and Melanie Issigonis. The lab uses molecular cell biology and functional genomics to address major biological problems with planarian models. Planarians, or non-parasitic freshwater flatworms, are known for their remarkable ability to regenerate lost body parts.

Wexler’s work focuses on Schistosoma mansonia, a parasitic worm that infects a certain freshwater snail species. Once released from the snails, the parasite can infect humans. Wexler says time spent understanding the snail has prompted questions about stopping disease transmission in humans, with emphasis on a curiosity about the species she works with.

“It’s very cool to work on a system that can somehow influence humanity for the better and to think about these questions of human health,” Wexler says. “But what I’m super excited about is this really basic biology with the crazy life history of this animal.”

Read her story here ➡️ https://morgridge.org/story/rising-sparks-judy-wexler-regenerative-biology/

08/03/2026

That's a wrap on the 20th annual Morgridge Summer Science Camp — three one-week sessions of immersive science experience for three groups of inspiring rural Wisconsin high school students. 🎉

Full recap story here featuring impressions from this year's campers, volunteer scientists, organizers, and a special alum from School District of Phillips ➡️ https://morgridge.org/story/a-milestone-year-for-morgridge-summer-science-camp/

07/30/2026