UW Madison Receives $8.3 Million to Establish Urology Research Center

The prostate can cause problems for many men as they age, and some of these problems do not yet have solid treatments that can help with the problems. With the help of a recent $8.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in late 2014, the University of Wisconsin, Madison will be able to establish a new Urology Research Center that will focus on studying the prostate and some common diseases associated with it. 

The new center, named the George O'Brian Center, will primarily focus on studying different mechanisms that cause urinary symptoms in men, such as prostatic fibrosis. Factors like hormones, aging, and obesity will be studied to see how they effect male urinary symptoms. With more knowledge about these factors, researchers in the center will find ways to enhance treatments and diagnosis for these symptoms. 

According to William Ricke, PhD., a UW Madison professor in the Department of Urology, explained that this recent NIH grant will help the university establish a “new state-of-the-art core facility to serve as an international research hub for identifying genetic, environmental, dietary and pharmacological factors that influence male urinary function.”

A main focus of the new research center will be on studying changes in the prostate to better understand the connection between urinary tract dysfunction and BPH - benign prostatic hyperplasia. 

BPH is a disease that causes the prostate to enlarge and affects nearly half of men ages 50-60, and even more are affected by the age of 80. Those with BPH have a high chance of developing symptoms associated with lower urinary tract dysfunction. 

The $8.3 million grant will help Madison researchers study urinary dysfunction, BPH, and the prostate in mice and humans. Through studying the relationship between BPH and urinary tract dysfunction, researchers in the new center will work to develop new tools and treatments for urinary dysfunction.  

The new George O'Brian Center will be established within the UW Madison School of Medicine (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) 

The new George O'Brian Center for Urology Research will add to the many research centers already established at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This multi-million research institution has research centers and departments that span the life sciences and provide great contributions to life science research. Research centers at UW Madison include:

• Asthma, Allergy and Pullmonary Research Center
• Biotechnology Center
• Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics
• Institute for Molecular Virology
• Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center
• Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center
• Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

Along with having many well-established research centers, the University of Wisconsin, Madison also receives millions of dollars in funding annually to support research and create new centers. In the 2014 fiscal year, the NIH awarded UW Madison $255.4 million in funding. Currently funded research in Madison includes: 

• The University of Wisconsin, Madison received funding of $25 million per year for 5 years to support research at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. The Center is housed at UW-Madison and includes a major partnership with Michigan State University. Research includes disciplines ranging from from microbiology to economics to plant biology and engineering.
• The University of Wisconsin, Madison received a $18.1 million grant from the NIH for a collaborative study of the molecular processes of viral infections. 
• The University of Wisconsin, Madison received a five-year, $7.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore the potential of stem cells and natural growth factors to treat Lou Gehrig's disease.

Researchers found new lab supplies at the 2014 Madison BioResearch Product Faire™ Event.

Lab supply companies interested in marketing products to Madison area researchers in this well-funded marketplace are encouraged to attend the 16th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event at the University of Wisconsin, Madison on July 17, 2015. This event gives lab suppliers the chance to meet face-to-face with more than 300 researchers to display and promote new lab equipment and technologies that will benefit these researchers in their labs. 

To learn more about participating in the 2015 event, as well as to view more funding stats for UW Madison, visit the link below. 

Researchers in Madison can visit the link below to learn more about attending this event, and to pre-register: 

Visit the 2015 trade show calendar here to find more marketing opportunities in your area.