Medical College of Wisconsin Cardiovascular Research Center

10/28/2026

Registration closes on November 5 - sign up today and join us for our annual Cardiovascular Research Center Research Retreat, being held on MCW Campus on November 16! We will be hosting Dr. Kenneth Poss of the Morgridge Institute as the Keynote Speaker and will have innovative presentations throughout the day along with our poster sessions. https://www.mcw.edu/departments/cardiovascular-research-center/events/cardiovascular-center-research-retreat

10/26/2026

Congratulations to CVRC Member Bo Wang, PhD has been awarded a $1.6M R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for collaborative research focused on improving bone health and healing after radiation damage. The project, titled “Bone-Derived Nanoparticles for Targeted rhBMP2 Delivery to Restore Function and Promote Osteogenic Differentiation in Radiation-Damaged Bone Marrow Stem Cells,” will develop and validate a nanoparticle-based therapy designed to restore proper function of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal cells, an osteogenic stem cell whose function is severely altered by high-dose radiation.

If successful, this research will aid in restoring the body's own capacity to rebuild and heal bone tissue after exposure to high-dose radiation. More broadly, the nanoparticle platform this project is developing could serve as a model for delivering other therapeutic entities to damaged tissue throughout the body, extending its potential impact well beyond bone repair.

Dr. Wang is an assistant professor in the Marquette-MCW joint department of biomedical engineering and director of the Tissue Regenerative Engineering Laboratory. Her research interests include tissue and regenerative engineering for defect and disease of bone and cartilage. Collaborators on this project include Dr. Heather Himburg, MCW department of radiation oncology; Dr. Pengfei D**g, Florida Institute of Technology; Dr. Linxia Gu, Florida Institute of Technology; Dr. Shue Wang, University of New Haven.

10/23/2026

TODAY is the last day to submit your Abstract for the Poster Sessions on November 16 for our annual Cardiovascular Research Center Research Retreat! Upload your Abstract when you register and join us for a day of innovative presentations, networking and cardiovascular research! https://www.mcw.edu/departments/cardiovascular-research-center/events/cardiovascular-center-research-retreat

10/23/2026

Congratulations to CVRC Member Nikki Lytle, PhD, assistant professor in the department of surgery, division of surgical oncology, who has been awarded a $2.25M R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the project titled, “Regulation of cell state plasticity in breast tumorigenesis.”

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that can spread, resist treatment and evade the immune system. These behaviors are partly driven by cell plasticity, the ability of cancer cells to change their identity and characteristics. However, the mechanisms that control these changes remain poorly understood.

This project will investigate how the AP-1/c-FOS protein complex contributes to the development and spread of TNBC. It will also test whether blocking AP-1/c-FOS can make cancer cells less aggressive and improve the immune system’s ability to fight the disease, including response to immune checkpoint therapy.

By uncovering how cancer cells change identity, this research could point the way to new therapies that push tumor cells toward less aggressive states and, ultimately, improve outcomes for patients with TNBC. https://www.lytle-lab.com/

10/20/2026

Abstract submission to participate in the Poster Sessions closes THIS Friday! Register today and join us on November 16 for a day of science, discovery and networking. https://www.mcw.edu/departments/cardiovascular-research-center/events/cardiovascular-center-research-retreat

10/07/2026

Cardiovascular Research Center Member (CVRC), Elizabeth Sweeny, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry has been named the recipient of the 2026 Steve Cullen Healthy Heart Scholar Award for her project, “The Role of NADPH Oxidase in Canonical vs. Noncanonical NFkB Signaling in Atrial and Ventricular Cardiomyocytes.”

The atria and ventricles within the heart develop distinct pathologies (e.g., atrial fibrillation and left ventricular hypertrophy), but the roles of NADPH oxidase-induced oxidative stress, angiotensin, and NFkB signaling in these distinct heart chambers are not fully understood. This $50,000 award will support multidisciplinary research to determine how the expression and nuclear localization of different NADPH oxidases, a family of oxidative signaling enzymes, in atrial vs. ventricular cardiomyocytes contribute to angiotensin II-induced NFkB signaling. The funding will help Dr. Sweeny generate critical preliminary data to support a future NIH R01 grant application.

The Steve Cullen Healthy Heart Scholar Award is funded by the 2025 and 2026 Steve Cullen Healthy Heart Club Run/Walk events. Over the past 30 years, this annual event has raised more than $750,000 to advance cardiovascular research. The run honors the memory of former Milwaukee Alderman Steve Cullen, who died suddenly of a heart attack at age 40.

The 31st Annual Steve Cullen Healthy Heart Club Run/Walk will be held on February 13, 2027. https://cullenrun.com/

09/11/2026

We are pleased to welcome our newest CVRC Member, Yang Xiao, MBBS, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology. Dr. Xiao's research focuses on epigenetic regulation and inter-organ communication in cardiometabolic disease, using an integrated experimental and computational approach. She applies cutting-edge technologies including spatial and single-cell functional genomics, AAV-based mouse genetics and iPSC disease modelling to unbiasedly uncover novel mechanisms that can guide therapeutic development and disease prevention.

09/11/2026

09/09/2026

The CVRC is happy to welcome our newest member, Stefano Schena, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Schena's research interests include the utilization of robotic technology for the minimally invasive treatment of non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. He also uses the application of computational modeling to longitudinal assessment of bioprosthetic aortic valve failure, as well as studies the impact of bilateral intercostal nerve cryoablation on perioperative outcome of patients undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy.

09/08/2026

We are thrilled to share that CVRC Director, Michael Widlansky, MD, MPH, has been appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine effective September 1, 2026. Dr. Widlansky has served as interim Division Chief since October 2025, leading the division through significant growth and development during that time. Over the past year, he has overseen the recruitment of 10 new faculty and a substantial increase in clinical productivity for the division in FY26. By securing philanthropic support, the cardiovascular fellowship program has expanded to include new research-intensive fellowship positions, and additional research opportunities have been generated through the creation of a unified philanthropic platform across the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Heart and Vascular Service Line, and the Cardiovascular Research Center.

Dr. Widlansky joined MCW and the Department of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology in 2007 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and to Professor in 2019. He holds the Northwestern Mutual Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine and currently serves as Academic Chief in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center, leading MCW’s work to improve cardiovascular health in southeast Wisconsin through cutting-edge research. He is also Director of the CTSI’s KL2 Program, co-directs MCW’s NIH-funded Physician-Scientist Training Program, and previously directed MCW’s Clinical and Translational Research Master's Program, underscoring his commitment to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists.

Dr. Widlansky is a highly accomplished clinician and researcher whose work focuses on the mechanisms of vascular endothelial function in humans in both diseased and non-disease states in settings of observational studies and physiological clinical interventional trials. His work has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2009. His research has had a demonstrable impact on his field and has been recognized with several honors, including the Department of Medicine’s Michael J. Dunn Award for Research Excellence in 2021 and the Dean’s Award for Clinical and Translational Research in 2023. He serves as a Guest Editor for Vascular Medicine and on the editorial boards of Circulation and Circulation Research, and is a reviewer for multiple other high-impact journals. He also chaired the NIH’s Clinical Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences study section from 2019-2021. His bibliography includes more than 120 refereed journal publications, original papers, books, chapters, abstracts and reviews, and he frequently presents at local, regional, and national conferences as a key educator and thought leader in his field.