From stem cells to technology, the next Wisconsin RISE initiative focuses on improving health

Today, Aug. 28, 2024, University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin announced that the newest area of focus for the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative, called RISE-THRIVE, will be aimed at advancing health and improving lives.

The Wisconsin RISE Initiative, which Mnookin unveiled in February, takes advantage of UW–Madison’s research strengths to address significant, complex challenges of importance to Wisconsin and the world. The effort is focused on accelerated and strategic faculty hiring, research and infrastructure enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration and enhanced student opportunities.

RISE-AI (artificial intelligence) was the first area of focus announced under the new initiative, followed by Mnookin’s announcement of the environmental sustainability-focused RISE-EARTH in April.

Now, RISE-THRIVE (THRIVE stands for Transforming Healthspan through Research, InnoVation, and Education) is set to harness and grow the university’s reputation as a global powerhouse in interdisciplinary health research — translating both medical discoveries and innovative social science approaches into tangibly healthier lives for Wisconsinites and people and communities around the world. The effort will focus on strengthening UW–Madison’s investments and leadership in two distinct yet complementary areas: the science of immunology and the study of healthspan, or the number of years a person is not only alive but healthy.

“UW–Madison is internationally known for our research on both the complex human immune system and on healthy aging, as well as work aiming to better understand social contexts and lifestyles that allow people not just to live but to thrive,” says Mnookin. “RISE-THRIVE will strategically focus our investments in these disciplines to improve human healthspan, building on our existing strengths and generating research into critical new treatments for diseases ranging from Parkinson’s to cancer.”

University leaders envision RISE-THRIVE as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration across campus. At its outset, 10 UW–Madison schools and colleges are set to contribute expertise and resources to boost research in several priority areas, including stem cell biology; immune system-microbiome interactions; social, economic and behavioral factors associated with health and well-being; genomics and epigenetics; and developing new technologies to support health and healthspan.

“Our ultimate goal is to develop an integrated approach to advancing healthspan,” says Robert N. Golden, dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Growing our understanding of the human immune system is crucial for developing new treatments for cancer, improving organ transplantation, combating autoimmune disorders and enhancing our ability to ward off infectious diseases. Improving healthspan will also require deeper scientific knowledge of the complex relationships between our bodies and the world that surrounds us.”

UW–Madison’s decades-spanning global leadership in health research cuts across all manner of disciplines, from demography to pharmacology, from molecular biology to surgery, biomedical engineering and robotics.

For example, UW–Madison researchers originated the field of embryonic stem cell research in the 1990s. More recently, they’ve developed innovative approaches to studying and defending against old and new pathogens, like influenza and the virus that causes COVID-19. In 2023, the National Institutes of Health selected the university to lead a nationwide, $150 million research initiative to investigate the neurobiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

“RISE-THRIVE will channel the depth and breadth of the university’s world-class research community to provide tangible benefits to Wisconsinites and the world, especially given the recognition that health is about more than just our biology — it’s also affected by where we live, our access to nutritious food and the socioeconomic stressors we face,” says Eric Wilcots, dean of the College of Letters & Science. “What better embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea than results that lead to richer, healthier lives.”

By advancing research aimed at improving human health, Provost Charles Isbell says RISE-THRIVE will build upon the university’s existing strengths by “introducing new collaborators with cutting-edge ideas to our campus community.”

He adds, “Diseases and health conditions that cut short the number of healthy years individuals can live are a growing challenge for caregivers, medical professionals and policymakers. Being a part of empowering individuals to own and improve their healthspan is a complex challenge that requires an all-hands-on-deck interdisciplinary approach embodied by RISE-THRIVE.”

Hiring for the initiative will begin immediately, with approximately 80 hires over the next several years, with half centrally funded through RISE-THRIVE and half matched by already planned hiring by schools and colleges. Learn more about other RISE initiatives, like RISE-AI and RISE-EARTH, online.