The University of Wisconsin will increase its efforts to lead the nation in stem-cell research by launching a new graduate program to organize UW”s resources and studies.

The Wisconsin Stem Cell Research Program, which will be classified in the graduate school, will provide a community for stem-cell investigators to network their research, share ideas and benefit from each other”s resources.

The new program would also positively impact faculty and graduate-school recruitment, according to R. Timothy Mulcahy, the Wisconsin Stem Cell Research Program Advisory Board chair.

‘This [program] will make UW more visible for perspective students,’ said Mulcahy, who is also a UW associate vice chancellor for research policy and graduate school associate dean for the biological sciences.

He added that it will in turn draw talented faculty to Madison. ‘It”s a way to showcase the program … it is our hope people will come to Wisconsin because of the strength we have in the stem-cell area.’

Aside from the benefits seen in recruitment, Mulcahy said the main goal of the program would be seen through the program”s communication.

‘Communication and synergy are two big parts of the program — and they”re already paying off,’ Mulcahy said.

Mulcahy said there are many different projects going on throughout the different areas on campus, and a program such as this one will allow the investigators to find resources and have the chance to interact with similar research. It will also be instantaneously updated due to a website set up tracking the program participants” work.

‘To me the important thing is people will get to know who”s working on what,’ manager of the new program Barbara Lewis said in a UW release. ‘The program is a mechanism through which we can keep track of what everyone is doing and, of course, we want to keep the excitement of stem-cell research going.’

‘Embryonic stem cells don”t like to be alone. They”re much happier in a group. It”s the same with people in a research environment,’ Lewis added.

Mulcahy said the program also plans retreats where the investigators can network and combine research efforts, going on to say there was a ‘successful one a couple weeks ago.’

Mulcahy said, as of now, the program only has an abstract, that could perhaps be described as a digital center, but will become an increasingly larger role in stem-cell research and could eventually evolve into a physical home in years to come where the investigators can work side by side.

Although there are several universities in the nation that already have stem-cell research programs like UW”s in place, Mulcahy said UW has been the country”s leader in the field.
‘We”ve been a national leader all along,’ Mulcahy said. We want to maintain that edge through [this] program.’