Centers & Labs

Led by Dr. Joseph Carroll, the Advanced Ocular Imaging Program promotes the development and implementation of translational ocular imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. AOIP seeks to develop imaging tools, software, and methodologies that enable earlier detection of ocular and systemic disease, as well as more precise disease classification.

Learn more about the AOIP

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging  |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation

Clinical Applications:   Vision, Neuroscience 

Lab Director:  Dr. Joseph Carroll

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Robert Cooper

The Airway Biomechanics Laboratory quantifies transport processes in the respiratory tract in order to better understand respiratory physiology and develop innovative technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases.

Learn more about the Airway Lab

Technical Themes:   Computational Systems Biology & Medicine  |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation

Clinical Applications:   Drug Delivery, Otolaryngology, Pulmonary 

Lab Director:  Dr. Guilherme Garcia

The field of Biophotonics studies the interaction between photons and biological systems.  Due to the light-weight, low-cost, non-invasive nature of many biophotonics devices, the Biophotonics Laboratory focuses on the development of medical tools for use in low- and-middle-income countries.  

Learn more about the Biophotonics Lab

Technical Themes:  Biomedical Imaging |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation

Clinical Applications:  Cancer, Pulmonary

Lab Director:  Dr. Bing Yu

Clinical Collaborators:  Tina Yen, MD, MS, FACS, FSSO, Medical College of Wisconsin; Julie Jorns, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Joseph Kerschner, MD, FACS, FAAP, Medical College of Wisconsin; Daron Ferris, MD, Georgia Regents University

The Cardiovascular Regenerative Engineering Laboratory develops living tissue replacements for cardiovascular structures with a focus on developing next-generation treatments for cardiovascular diseases.  

Learn more about the CaRE Lab

Technical Themes:   Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation  |  Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering

Clinical Applications:  Cardiovascular, Regenerative Medicine  

Lab Director:   Dr. Brandon Tefft

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. John LaDisa

The CLPL develops experimental and computational strategies to investigate lung physiology at all levels—from molecular, to cellular, to whole-organ and body.  Their goal is to identify mechanisms and processes involved in lung diseases and injuries and then develop treatments for those diseases by targeting the elucidated mechanisms.

Learn more about the CLPL

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging  |  Computational Systems Biology & Medicine

Clinical Application:  Pulmonary

Lab Directors:   Dr. Said Audi | Dr. Anne Clough

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Ranjan Dash

The Computational Systems Biology Laboratory (CSBL) uses an integrated experimental and computational modeling approach to understand kinetic and molecular mechanisms and the associated biochemical driving forces that regulate mitochondrial, cellular, and tissue/organ function and how malfunctions in the mitochondrial and cellular machinery lead to tissue/organ dysfunctions and pathogenesis of different diseases. 

Learn more about the CSBL

Technical Themes:   Computational Systems Biology & Medicine  |  Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering

Clinical Applications:  Cancer, Cardiovascular, Metabolic Disease, Pulmonary

Lab Director:   Dr. Ranjan Dash

The Fan Flow Integrated Research Laboratory (F²IRL)  integrates clinical and experimental data from real world experiments to inform the development of multi-scale, multi-physics subject-specific computational models informing our understanding of vascular and cardiovascular function, brain disease, and pathophysiology of exercise. 

Learn more about the F²IRL

Technical Themes:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering  |  Biomedical Imaging  |  Computational Systems Biology & Medicine  |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation

Clinical Applications:  Cardiovascular, Metabolic Disease, Neuroscience

Lab Director:   Dr. Lei Fan

The Functional MRI Research Laboratory specializes in the use of MRI to assess brain function (fMRI).  Researchers in the Functional MRI Research Laboratory create imaging strategies, sequences, and instrumentation related to fMRI.  This specialization may include neuroscience and vision research.   

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging

Clinical Application:  Cardiovascular

Lab Director:   Dr. Kristina Ropella

Investigators at the Integrative Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Laboratory (INERL) have access to six separate facilities designed to facilitate research at the cross-section of biomechanics, neural and rehabilitation engineering. 

Learn more about INERL

Technical Themes:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering  |  Biomedical Imaging |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation

Lab Director:   Dr. Brian Schmit

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Tanya Onushko

The Integrative Neural Systems Laboratory (INSL) combines human behavioral studies with multimodal brain imaging and computational modeling to investigate the brain networks that control visually guided movement and determine how neurological diseases impact brain structure and function. 

Learn more about the INSL

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation 

Lab Director:   Dr. Scott Beardsley

BME Collaborator(s): Dr. Einat Liebenthal | Dr. Robert Scheidt | Dr. Brian Schmit | Dr. Phil Voglewede

Clinical Collaborators:  Rene Andrade-Machado, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin; Raquel Farias-Moeller, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin; Matthew Harmelink, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ahmed Obeidat, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Pradeep Javarayee, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin; Manoj Raghavan, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Wei-Liang Chen, MD, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital

CV T.E.C. investigates of cardiovascular disease from the perspective of hemodynamics, vascular biomechanics and cellular mechanisms. The ultimate goal of this research is to create programs that improve the quality of life for patients with cardiovascular disease by developing new medical device, procedural, or pharmacological initiatives.

Learn more about CV T.E.C.

Technical Theme:   Computational Systems Biology & Medicine

Clinical Application:  Cardiovascular 

The VisLab works to demonstrate how visualization technology can be used in learning, research, and industry. By providing users with experiences within a realistic environment, VisLab is able to promote active learning, critical thinking, decision making, and improved performance.

Learn more about VisLab

Technical Theme:   Biomedical Imaging

Clinical Applications:  Any

Lab Directors: Dr. Robert Cooper | Dr. Adam Greenberg

OREC's Motion Analysis Center at Shriners uses advanced orthopaedic technologies to assess gait kinetics and kinematics, balance, and upper extremity motion in children, with a goal of diagnosing orthopaedic abnormalities and providing advanced therapeutic options for children suffering from the same.

Learn more about MAC @ Shriners

Technical Themes:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering  |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation

Lab Directors:   Dr. Gerald Harris | Dr. Karen Kruger  

Clinical Collaborators:  Peter Smith, MD, Shriners Children's; Haluk Altiok, MD, Shriners Children's; Kelsey Davidson, MD, Shriners Children's; Joseph Krzak, PT, PhD, Shriners Children's

NIGIL investigates nanoparticles, light transport in tissue, and the integration of optical and multimodal imaging and remotely triggered nanotechnologies in its efforts to develop minimally invasive and non-toxic diagnostic and therapeutic technologies directed at cancer, pulmonary and infectious disease, and other vascular pathologies.

Learn more about NIGIL

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging  |  Computational Systems Biology & Medicine  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Cancer, Drug Delivery, Metabolic Disease, Otolaryngology, Pulmonary 

Lab Director:   Dr. Amit Joshi

Clinical Collaborators:  Joohyun Kim, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

The NEMo Lab employs a combination of neurophysiology, optogenetics, viral gene therapy, and optical imaging techniques to develop novel neuroprosthetic and gene therapy approaches to alleviate motor deficits caused by conditions such as spinal cord injury or ALS.

Learn more about the NEMo Lab

Technical Theme:   Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Trauma  

Lab Director:  Dr. Jordan Williams

By gaining a better understanding of how the brain uses sensory information to optimize the control of motion of the arms and hands, the NMCL seeks to provide the knowledge and tools needed to develop and deliver individualized training or therapeutic interventions that optimize motor performance throughout the lifespan.

Learn more about the NMCL

Technical Themes:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering  |  Computational Systems Biology & Medicine |  Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Vision

Lab Director:   Dr. Robert Scheidt

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Scott Beardsley 

Clinical Collaborators:  Tina Stoeckmann, DSc, MA, Marquette University; John McGuire, MD, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin; Kim Bassindale, DPT, Marquette University 

The OCVL is working to understand the underpinnings of vision in health and disease by imaging the retina with advanced, non-invasive imaging devices—such as the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope—and analyzing the resultant images with state-of-the-art computer vision techniques.

Learn more about the OCVL

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Application:  Vision

Lab Director:   Dr. Robert Cooper

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Joseph Carroll | Dr. Baseer Ahmad | Dr. Adam Greenberg

Clinical Collaborators:  Baseer Ahmad, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Eye Institute; Thomas Connor, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Eye Institute; Kimberly Stepien, MD, University of Wisconsin—Madison, McPherson Eye Research Institute

OREC supports and coordinates the efforts of laboratories from Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and affiliative organizations conducting research in orthopaedic biomechanics, biomaterials, rehabilitation engineering, and human motion analysis.

Learn more about OREC

Technical Theme:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation

Center Director:   Dr. Gerald Harris 

Lab Directors:   Dr. Jessica Fritz  |  Dr. Karen Kruger |  Dr. Jeffrey Toth |  Dr. Mei Wang

The PDAT Lab focuses on the development of novel therapeutics, particularly electrical stimulation therapies, for treating pelvic floor diseases (with a primary focus on urinary incontinence). To improve therapy design and therapy selection, PDAT is also working on creating new, and improving current, diagnostic tools. Research is conducted at both the pre-clinical and clinical levels.

Learn more about PDaT Lab

Technical Themes:   Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Application:  Neuroscience

Lab Director:   Dr. Jim Hokanson

Clinical Collaborators:  Joan Neuner, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin; Emily Davidson, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Corey O'Conner, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Bradley Crotty, MD, MPH, FACP, FAMIA, Medical College of Wisconsin; Claire Yang, MD, University of Washington; Anna Kirby, MD, University of Washington; John DeLancey, MD, University of Michigan; Jon Routh, MD, Duke University; Whitney Hendrickson, MD, University of Utah; Giulia Lane, MD, University of Michigan, David Sheyn, MD, University Hospitals; Cindy Amundsen, MD, Duke University

ReyLab seeks to answer critical questions in cognitive and clinical neuroscience by capturing recording of neural activity in the human brain. With captured data, ReyLab furthers understanding of epilepsy and human episodic memory while developing new tools for acquisition and analysis of electrophysiological data.

Learn more about ReyLab

Technical Themes:   Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Application:  Neuroscience

Lab Director:   Dr. Hernan Rey

BME Collaborator(s):  Dr. Jordan Williams

With the use of psychophysical and neuroimaging methods—including MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation diffusion spectrum imaging and computation modeling—the SNAP Lab studies the neurobiology of attention and perception in the visual, auditory, and olfactory domains to understand perception's effect on human behavior.  

Learn more about the SNAP Lab

Technical Themes:   Biomedical Imaging  |  Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation

Clinical Applications:  Cancer, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Vision

Lab Director:   Dr. Adam Greenberg

Clinical Collaborators:  Rachel Phelan, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin; Michael Harris, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Amanda Kong, MD, MS, FACS, FSSO, DABS, Medical College of Wisconsin; Denise Uyar, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin; Laura Umfleet, PsyD, ABBP, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ann Nattinger, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin; Theresa Mikhailov, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin

In an effort provide advanced therapeutic options for such conditions as birth defects, bone disorders, liver and vascular diseases, the TRE Lab seeks to develop bio-functional engineered tissues.  To do this, the TRE Lab will first develop a greater understanding of the biological and molecular processes involved in regenerative progression.

Learn more about the TRE Lab

Technical Themes:   Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation  |  Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering

Clinical Applications:  Cardiovascular, Drug Delivery, Regenerative Medicine

Lab Director:   Dr. Bo Wang

Clinical Collaborators:  Kant Lin, MD, Children's Wisconsin; Sameer Shakir, MD, Children's Wisconsin

Current studies of the Trauma Biomechanics Laboratory (TBM Lab) leverage insight from real-world crash database review, sled testing, finite element computational modeling, and statistical probability analysis to investigate the underlying mechanisms for musculoskeletal injuries and develop injury risk curves. 

Learn more about the TBM Lab

Technical Themes:  Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering 

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Trauma

Lab Director:   Dr. Karthik Somasundaram

BME Collaborators:  Dr. Frank Pintar, Dr. Brian Stemper, Dr. Narayan Yoganandan

The Crash Injury Research & Engineering Network (CIREN) seeks to improve the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of motor vehicle crash injuries to reduce deaths, disabilities, and human and economic costs.  Operated under a contract from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Wisconsin CIREN Center provides expert analysis and reconstruction of crash case histories, offering novel insight into the biomechanics of injury to humans in motor vehicle accidents.

Learn more about the Wisconsin CIREN Center

Technical Theme:   Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Trauma

Program Director:   Dr. Frank Pintar

BME Collaborator(s): Dr. Karthik Somasundaram

The Zablocki VA Medical Center Laboratories specialize in neuroscience and biomechanics of trauma to the spine.  Ongoing investigations include vehicle crashworthiness, computational modeling of injury to the spine, preclinical traumatic brain injury, brain-computer interfaces for spinal cord injury, and more.  

Learn more about the ZVAMC Labs

Technical Theme:   Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Bioengineering

Clinical Applications:  Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Trauma, Orthopaedics 

BME Collaborators:   Dr. Shekar Kurpad | Dr. Frank Pintar | Dr. Karthik Somasundaram |  Dr. Brian Stemper  |  Dr. Jordan Williams |  Dr. Narayan Yoganandan