Dr. Meghan Brennan (left) and Dr. Alan McMillan (right)
The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is pleased to announce that Dr. Meghan Brennan and Dr. Alan McMillan have joined the ICTR team as Co-Directors of the Pilot Awards Program, working alongside Dr. Chris Sorkness, ICTR Senior Associate Executive Director.
The ICTR Pilot Awards Program directly supports ICTR’s goal of fostering the development of investigator-initiated translational research that addresses health disparities and promotes health equity.
The program provides funds to UW–Madison investigators for research activities intended to inform subsequent external funding proposals. It also helps build research partnerships between UW–Madison and the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute
Dr. Sorkness said, “The addition of Drs. Brennan and McMillan to the Pilot Awards Program will enable ICTR to enhance the portfolio of awards that we fund for impactful translational research and science, leading to new preventive or therapeutic options that improve human health and advance health equity. They demonstrate successful records of interdisciplinary clinical and translational research and are committed to rigorous scientific review processes and provision of resources and mentorship for investigative teams.”
Dr. Brennan and Dr. McMillan are both previous ICTR pilot awardees. Dr. Brennan received pilot funding in 2018 to identify strategies for providing integrated care to rural patients with diabetic foot ulcers. She collaborated with Dr. Christie Bartels, the Wisconsin Research & Education Network, and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative.
Dr. McMillan was awarded the ICTR Novel Methods pilot in 2015, along with co-PI Dr. Nader Behdad, for their project on Traveling Wave Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging.
Dr. Brennan is an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Disease within the SMPH Department of Medicine. Her academic background includes an MS degree in epidemiology from UW–Madison and an MD from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency, infectious disease fellowship, and an Advanced Fellowship in Women’s Health Research at UW–Madison and the VA, respectively. Additionally, Dr. Brennan is an alumna of the ICTR KL2 Scholar Program.
Dr. McMillan is a Professor of Clinical Health Sciences within the SMPH Department of Radiology. He has additional roles as the Associate Section Chief of the Imaging Sciences Section and Technical Director of PET/MR within the Department of Radiology. Dr. McMillan serves on the editorial board for the journal Radiology and has served on many international and NIH Grant Reviews. He obtained his BS, MS, and PhD in biomedical engineering at UW–Madison.
ICTR is excited to have Brennan and McMillan back in the fold and welcome the expertise they bring to the Pilot Awards Program.