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Volume 11, Issue 4 | Fall 2026
Science Feature
MCW Receives NIH Funds to Renovate Biophysics Research Space
MCW was awarded a three-year, $8.0 million C06OD042691 grant from the National Institutes of Health Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) to modernize, improve, and expand the infrastructure supporting the Department of Biophysics on the second floor of the MACC Fund Research Center.
The NIH ORIP's C06 funding mechanism supports large-scale construction projects for the development of modern, shared-use biomedical research facilities. This mechanism offers funding for projects that are ambitious, high-cost, and of high impact to the future of institutional research programs. MCW has only received one previous C06 grant, which went to fund renovations of the Eye Institute building more than 20 years ago.
The Biophysics research space is used to develop, apply, and disseminate core technologies for in vitro, in situ, and in silico studies focused on modeling human biology across the molecular, cellular, and organismal scales. By providing access to specialized research tools and expertise, the Department drives innovation, productivity, and impact, supporting a broad range of NIH-funded research projects at MCW and several institutions across the nation. Core technologies in the Department include engineering, electron paramagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, magnetic resonance imaging, chemistry, drug discovery, cell metabolic profiling, protein engineering, RNA chemistry, and computational modeling.
Constructed in 1978, the 18,000-net-square-foot Biophysics space is aging, and no longer adequate to support modern high-performance research instrumentation. The C06 project will completely renovate the space to support current and future research and development that relies on rigorous, fundamental, and quantitative technologies. The renovation will address all of the issues limiting research progress, and allow creation of a new state-of-the-art space capable of serving the present and growing needs of our research community.
The MCW project team comprises Ann Nattinger (PI), Francesca Marassi (co-investigator), Brian Cowperthwaite (project manager), and Jessica Basile (project manager).
Biophysics FY26 Highlights
Faculty
9 Assistant professors
4 Associate professors
8 Full professors
2 Professors emeritus
Trainees
23 PhD students
3 New students entered in 2026
11 Postdoctoral researchers
Publications
31 Peer-reviewed publications
6 Preprints and under review
Grant Funding
26 Active NIH grants (PI, MPI, co-I)
10 Active non-NIH grants
2 NIH fellowships (PI, sponsor, co-sponsor)
4 New NIH grants
3 New non-NIH grants
36 Submitted NIH grants
11 Submitted non-NIH grants
$7.6M FY26 total funding
Patents
3 Patents issued
6 Patent applications filed or pending
15 Disclosures
Graduate Student Q&A
Learn about the students in our Biophysics Graduate Program.
Tyler Gallun
Program: Biophysics
Mentors: Nikolai Mickevicius, PhD
Year Entered MCW: 2024
Background: I grew up in Delafield, Wisconsin. I graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in 2024 with a BS in biomedical engineering and minors in technical communication and chemistry. Later that year, I was accepted as a direct admit into the Mickevicius lab at MCW.
Research Interests: It is difficult to produce clear magnetic resonance (MR) images near metal, such as around joint replacements, which makes it difficult to evaluate inflammation caused by metal wear debris (metallosis-induced synovitis). My research focuses on overcoming these limitations by building imaging test objects (phantoms), designing new MRI acquisition methods, and developing advanced image reconstruction techniques. My goal is to make MRI a more reliable and practical tool for diagnosing synovitis near metal.
Future Plans: My mind is not 100% made-up about what I would want to do after I graduate. The leading contender right now is to translate my skills and experience into an industry setting working as an MRI pulse sequence developer. However, I have also taken an interest into teaching others about the physics of MR, and I could also see myself leaning into a teaching-heavy role in my future.
Fun Fact: One of my favorite hobbies is swimming. As young as three years old, I was able to swim without any assistance from water wings.
Biophysics Alumni: Where Are They Now?
Zachary Boyd, MS
Title & Institution: Workflow Services Engineer, GE Healthcare
Location: Brookfield, Wisconsin
Year Graduated MCW: 2020
Mentor: Eric Paulson, PhD
Beth Meyerand, PhD
Titles, Institutions, & Locations: Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate School; Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
Emeritus Professor, Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
Year Graduated MCW: 1996
Mentor: Andrzej Jesmanowicz, PhD
Daniel Olson, PhD
Title & Institution: Senior MR Applications Engineer, GE Healthcare
Location: Waukesha, WI
Year Graduated MCW: 2018
Mentor: L. Tugan Muftuler, PhD
Seminar Series
Our Fall 2026 Biophysics Seminar Series takes place most Fridays throughout the semester, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., in MFRC 2063 (except as otherwise noted).
Sept. 11 | Brian Volkman, PhD (MCW)
Sept. 18 | Ryan Bonate (MCW)
Oct. 9 | Oliver Beckstein, PhD (ASU)
Oct. 23 | Mark Sherwin, PhD (UCSB)
Oct. 30 | Benjamin Chao (MCW)
Nov. 6 | Hu Yang, PhD (MCW)
Nov. 13 | Randy Stockridge, MD (U-M)
Nov. 20 | Alyssa Kraft (MCW)
Dec. 4 | Biprojit Nath (MCW)
Dec. 11 | Somayeh Najafi Hamedani (MCW)
Please reach out to Meghan Byrne (mbyrne@mcw.edu) for additional information or if you'd like to be included on the Biophysics Seminar Series mailing list.
Department News
Welcome
- Nick Malcolm (postdoctoral researcher, Lerch lab)
Farewell
- Kyle Johnson (postdoctoral researcher, Sidabras lab)
Congratulations
- Jimmy B. Feix was promoted to professor emeritus effective Aug 4, 2026.
- Mike Lerch was awarded a five-year, $2.28 million R35GM164174, titled "Elucidating molecular mechanisms of GPCR signaling with novel EPR technologies," by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
- Jeannette Vasquez-Vivar was awarded a five-year, $3.04 million R01NS146896, titled "Aldo-keto reductase’s mechanism in brain injury from hypoxia-ischemia and tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency," by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
- MCW (PI: Ann Nattinger, co-I: Francesca Marassi) was awarded an $8.0 million C06OD042691, titled "BRF: Renovation of the Biophysics Research Resources at the Medical College of Wisconsin," to renovate the second floor of the MFRC.
- Rana Mansour received an award from the 36th Annual Graduate School Research Poster Session for her poster titled "Towards the Structure of Vitronectin: An NMR Perspective."
- Kathleen Schmainda was selected by BioForward to receive the Hector F. DeLuca Scientific Achievement Award. This award is given to scientists who exemplify excellence in science, education, and medicine. Read the full announcement.
- Jason Sidabras & Kyle Johnson were profiled for MCW Stories. Read the full feature.
- Aleksandra Winiarz was profiled for MCW Stories. Read the full feature.
Featured Pets
Pet Names: Lily and Lavender
Age: 5 years
Likes: Lavender loves Kopp's chocolate malt and string cheese, and enjoys greeting people at the door. Lily is obsessed with food in general and enjoys being carried around by the kids. They both enjoy chasing and leaping after hair ties and lounging on their humans.
Dislikes: Lavender dislikes closed doors and being held. Lily dislikes that we don't pay attention to her while we're sleeping.
Origin Story: Adopted as kittens from HAWS. They are littermates; we were told they were found outside together. We adopted these family friendly kittens after our two previous cats died of very old age.
Guardians: Candice, Cate, and Caroline Klug
Biophysics News is a quarterly MCW departmental newsletter aimed at enhancing departmental engagement through information and good news sharing.
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