Current Collaborations
Building a brighter future together
Combining UW-Eau Claire’s strength in undergraduate research with Mayo Clinic Health System’s expertise and state-of-the-art technology paves the way for groundbreaking discoveries and solutions. Explore our latest projects below and learn all we are doing to advance the field of health and patient care.
Science is moving fast, along with advanced technologies. I believe undergraduate students who experience Mayo’s scientific or medical approaches will have better ideas to shape their future careers in medical science and medicine. This collaboration is not only for practical scientific achievement but also for training future scientists and health care professionals.
Ongoing research projects with Mayo Clinic Health System
Family Member Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs (Chemotherapy) in the Home Setting: First Phase of Investigations
Research Question: Are family members exposed to chemotherapy drugs administered at home? If so, develop procedures and education to minimize exposure to non-patient family members.
Mayo Lead: Dr. Jordan Dow
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Dalete Mota (Nursing), Dr. David Lewis (Chemistry)
Approved Budget: $27,300
Impact of Binge-like Alcohol Exposure During Adolescence Across the Lifespan: Behavior to Neurobiology
Research Question: Using a rat model, how does excessive alcohol exposure during adolescence impact behavior across the lifespan? Examination of behavior and physiological changes (in rats) can inform treatment options in humans.
Mayo Lead: Dr. Doo-Sup Choi
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Doug Matthews (Psychology)
Approved Budget: $174,762
Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
Research Question: Do patients who undergo minimally invasive cardiac surgery achieve the same surgical results and are able to recover faster than those undergoing traditional surgery?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Andrew Calvin
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Liqiang Chen (Information Systems)
Approved Budget: $2,750
Mechanism Underlying Increased Ethanol Sensitivity in Aged Animals
Research Question: What are the mechanisms that underlie the increased effects of ethanol in the aged population?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Doo-Sup Choi
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Doug Matthews (Psychology)
Approved Budget: $41,148
Analysis of Effect on RNA Splicing of Genetic Variants of Unknown Significance Identified in Patients
Research Question: Can in vitro analysis of genetic variants improve the ability of physicians and scientists to decipher which genetic variations are clinically relevant and which impact patient health?
Mayo Lead: Katie Plamann
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Jamie Lyman-Gingerich (Biology)
Approved Budget: $104,611
Continuation of Lab Studies of Albumin-Based Foams
Research Question: Can we improve upon current hydrodissection and CO2 pneumodissection techniques? Can a biologic foam allow a greater number of tumors to be treated with proven ablation techniques and with improved patient safety?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Jeremy McBride
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Liz Glogowski (Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering)
Approved Budget: $20,550
Proximal Risk for Suicide: A Daily Diary Study to Guide Patient Care
Research Question: What markers/factors should providers be monitoring to improve the ability to detect escalations in mental health crises and suicide risk among their patients, and which physical, psychological, behavioral, and social factors contribute the most to increases in suicidal thinking?
Mayo Lead: Eve Fischer; Michele Eberle; Karlene Phillips; Dr. Robert Peck
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp (Psychology)
Approved Budget: $88,900
Quantitative Analysis of Downstream Costs of Interpreter Service Modes
Research Question: How do the modes of interpreter services impact patient costs and patient experience?
Mayo Lead: Mary Bygd
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Elena Casey (Languages)
Approved Budget: $19,400
Establishing Goals of Care Through Empathic Communication
Research Question: How does empathic communication training impact goals of care conversations and patient/staff satisfaction?
Mayo Lead: Dr. James Deming; Patty Horecki; Rebecca Brustad
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Meg Lagunas (Nursing)
Approved Budget: $64,650
COVID-19 Effect on Student Athletes and Access to Resources for Coping and Resilience
Research Question: What resources and resilience factors play into student athletes’ ability to cope with adversity and help mitigate depression and anxiety due to adversity?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Amy Rantala
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Stacey Jackson (Psychology)
Approved Budget: $11,500
Biomedical 3-D Printing Curriculum and Application
Research Question: Does the use of 3-D printed models provide surgeons with better visualization for per-operative planning and improve surgical outcomes?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Joseph Wildenberg
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Doug Dunham (Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering)
Approved Budget: $12,000
Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Resident Wellness Study
Research Question: Can we define interventions and strategies to help residents cope with stress as they go through the residency program?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Terri Nordin
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Saori Braun (Kinesiology); Dr. Marquell Johnson (Kinesiology)
Approved Budget: $20,630
Predicting Chemotherapy Outcomes in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Patients Using CT Scan as A Biomarker with Help Of Artificial Intelligence
Research Question: Can CT scan analysis and AI be used to associate survival rates in patients with PDAC who were treated with chemotherapy?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Sushil Kumar Garg
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Rahul Gomes (Computer Science)
Approved Budget: no funding needed
Three Good Things (3GT) - Intervention for Transitional Care Patients at the Mayo Clinic Bloomer Critical Access Hospital
Research Question: Is a Positive Psychology intervention effective at decreasing stress and depression and at enhancing resilience and happiness among medical-surgical inpatients at a rural critical access hospital?
Mayo Lead: Lori Miller, R.N.
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Jodi Arriola (Nursing)
Approved Budget: $39,135
Presenting Providers with Phq-9 Depression Survey Individual Responses in a Visual Format
Research Question: If medical providers are provided visual representations of individual depression survey responses over time, are they more likely to consider a wider range of therapeutic options for patients under care for depression?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Steve Rosas
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Lauren Casey (Computer Science student)
Approved Budget: $4,500
Detection of Inferior Vena Cava Filters on CT Scans Using an Artificial Intelligence Algorithm
Research Question: Can we develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to detect Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters from CT scans with high accuracy to be rapidly deployed into the clinical setting?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Joseph Wildenberg
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Rahul Gomes (Computer Science)
Approved Budget: $33,695
A Pilot Study of Slow Opioid Tapering Compared to Continued Opioid Therapy in Treating Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
Research Question: Can patients be slowly tapered off opioids without a significant change in their physical and/or mental health?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Brandon Hidaka; Dr. Terrance Witt
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Mohammad Aziz (Mathematics)
Approved Budget: $5,772
We’re doing cutting-edge science and working with some of the best minds at Mayo Clinic. It’s the most exciting science I’ve been part of in my 25-year research career.
Projects under consideration
UW-Eau Claire Student Health Services Penicillin De-labeling Project
Research Question: Can we develop a penicillin de-labeling process that can be performed safely in an outpatient setting without the use of skin testing for a low-risk patient population?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Adela Taylor; Dr. Sara Ausman; Melissa Berlin, R.N.
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Kim Frodl (Student Health Services)
Proposed Budget: TBD
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Pharmacogenetics –Guided Treatment of Depression and Usual Care
Research Question: Does pharmacogenetic testing improve the treatment of depression? Can adverse drug effects be decreased with the use of pharmacogenetic testing?
Mayo Lead: Dr. Kyja Stygar
UW-Eau Claire Lead: TBD
Proposed Budget: $67,500
Virtual Practicum Initiative (VPI): Preparing Clinicians and Multidisciplinary Students for Virtual Patient Care
Research Question: Do virtual practicum educational modules adequately prepare clinicians to deliver virtual patient care?
Mayo Lead: Sarah Strahm, R.N.
UW-Eau Claire Lead: Dr. Lisa Schiller; Dr. Meg Lagunas (Nursing)
Proposed Budget: TBD
