There are exciting advances happening in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. This panel discussion, moderated by Tommy Thompson, who will discuss his family history with pancreatic cancer, will explore new approaches to diagnosis and innovations leading to enhanced treatments.  Two members of the UW-Madison research community — Dr. Dustin Deming, oncologist with the UW-Madison Department of Medicine; and Melissa Skala, Morgridge medical engineering and biomedical engineering — have teamed up to pursue novel and aggressive approaches to pancreatic cancer research. Their work is being supported by Stand Up to Cancer, a national nonprofit organization that encourages collaboration and innovation that could lead to faster cancer treatments. Skala has received two major grants to fight pancreatic cancer, which has the lowest survival rate of all cancers. The two will discuss why these new approaches are needed and how they might lead to improved treatments.

Moderator: 

• Tommy Thompson, former HHS Secretary and Wisconsin Governor

Panelists: 

• Melissa Skala, PhD, Principal Investigator, Morgridge Medical Engineering and Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
• Dr. Dustin Deming, MD, Gastrointestinal oncologist at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC), and Assistant Professor Medicine, UW-Madison Cellular & Molecular Pathology

This project enables UW Health doctors to join forces with student engineers to solve technology challenges on the front lines of medicine. Doctors share ideas about the technical challenges they encounter in patient care. Student teams brainstorm solutions and work with doctors to create prototype medical devices in the Fab Lab. Students get an unprecedented design experience, with the ultimate goal of developing viable commercial products. Among the first ideas is a promising organ transplant technology being patented by WARF.

Moderated by:

• Jim Berbee, MD, MS, MBA, BerbeeWalsh Foundation, and Clinical Assistant Professor, BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine

Panel:

• Kevin Eliceiri, Director Fab Lab and Investigator Medical Engineering
• Dr. Dixon Kaufman, MD, PhD, FACS, Chairman, Division of Transplantation Section of Kidney and Pancreas Surgery, UW-Health
• Christopher Ford, MD, Chief Resident in the UW-Madison Department of Emergency Medicine
• Kayla Huemer, UW-Madison student involved in BerbeeWalsh Prototype Project

Industry and academic collaboration is critical for the Morgridge medical engineering team, and Wisconsin’s biohealth industry, to thrive and provide value to the state’s economy. These collaborations have resulted in several successful technologies, startup companies, and ongoing partnerships in research and development. GE Healthcare and UW-Madison have prospered through partnership, fostering white space companies like TherVoyant and OnLume and evaluating GE imaging products in their early stages. Panelists will share their experiences and perspectives on collaboration with UW–Madison and how working with the university is shaping the future of health care, as well as the next generation of innovators.

Moderator: 

Fred Robertson, Chairman, Morgridge Institute for Research, and Venture Partner, Baird Capital

Confirmed Panelists: 

• Jan Huisken, PhD, Director, Morgridge Medical Engineering and Professor, Biomedical Engineering
• Walter Block, PhD, Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics, UW-Madison
• Jason Polzin, PhD, Manager, MR Applications and Workflow, GE Healthcare
• Adam Uselmann, PhD, CEO of OnLume

Tours of the fab lab will be available for a limited amount of guest attendees. Sign up will be the day of the event!