Morgridge Institute for Research

Morgridge Institute for Research is a private, non-profit biomedical research institute located in Madison, Wisconsin, adjacent to the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Founded in 2006, it operates as an independent entity within the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, a public-private partnership designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The institute is dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery to improve human health, focusing on areas where significant technological and conceptual barriers exist. Its work spans regenerative biology, medical engineering, virology, and data science, leveraging close ties with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and other global research partners.

History and founding

The institute was established in 2006 following a landmark gift from alumni John P. Morgridge and Tashia F. Morgridge, former chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems. This philanthropic investment was a cornerstone in creating the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, a dual-institute complex that also houses the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The vision, championed by figures like former University of Wisconsin System President Kevin P. Reilly, was to create a collaborative research hub bridging academia and private enterprise. The physical building, located on University Avenue, opened in 2010, symbolizing a new model for interdisciplinary science in the Midwestern United States.

Research focus and programs

Core research is organized into interdisciplinary themes rather than traditional departments. The Regenerative Biology group, led by pioneering stem cell scientist James Thomson, investigates pluripotent stem cells, organoid development, and applications for diseases like age-related macular degeneration. The Medical Engineering team develops novel imaging technologies, such as adaptive optics and computational microscopy, to visualize biological processes at unprecedented scales. In Virology, research targets host-pathogen interactions, including studies on norovirus and influenza, to inform vaccine and therapeutic development. The Data Science initiative applies machine learning and bioinformatics to complex biological datasets, supporting efforts in personalized medicine and systems biology.

Leadership and organization

The institute is governed by a board of trustees comprising leaders from academia, industry, and philanthropy. Brad Schwartz, a physician-scientist formerly with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, serves as Chief Executive Officer. Scientific direction is provided by managing directors for each research focus area, who often hold joint appointments at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The organizational structure emphasizes flat hierarchies and team science, encouraging collaboration between principal investigators, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students from affiliated programs. This model is supported by core administrative teams in research development, communications, and philanthropy, aligning operations with the strategic vision of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Facilities and resources

The institute occupies the north tower of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building, a state-of-the-art facility designed by the architectural firm Uihlein/Wilson Architects. Shared resources include the Discovery Building atrium, which hosts public science outreach events. Laboratory spaces are equipped for Biosafety Level 2 research, advanced microscopy suites, and computational clusters for large-scale data analysis. Core facilities provide access to flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing, and protein crystallography instrumentation. The building also houses the Town Center, a venue for forums like the Wisconsin Science Festival, fostering dialogue between scientists, policymakers, and the public, in line with the educational mission of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Collaborations and impact

The institute maintains extensive partnerships with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, particularly the College of Engineering, School of Medicine and Public Health, and Middleton-based Mirus Bio. It is a founding member of the National Institutes of Health-funded Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center. International collaborations include work with the Francis Crick Institute in London and the RIKEN institute in Japan. Research impact is evidenced by high-profile publications in journals like *Nature* and *Science*, numerous patents licensed through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and spin-off companies such as Cellular Dynamics International. Its outreach programs, including the BioForward initiative, aim to strengthen the Wisconsin biotechnology sector and inspire future scientists through partnerships with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Category:Research institutes in Wisconsin Category:Biomedical research institutes in the United States Category:Organizations based in Madison, Wisconsin Category:2006 establishments in Wisconsin