Medical College of Wisconsin Preclinical Cores

Animal Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory (ABSL3)
Fully equipped laboratories for biocontainment level 3 preclinical in vivo or in vitro or human in vitro studies.

Contact: Chris Mueller

Biomedical Resource Center
Preclinical research services.

Contact: brc@mcw.edu

Biostatistics Consulting Service/Biostatistics Shared Resources (MCW Cancer Center)
Part of the Data Science Institute, the Biostatistics Consulting Service provides comprehensive statistical consulting. Services cover the spectrum of cancer-related and non-cancer research including: experimental design, sample size calculation, randomization, data analysis, design and analysis of clinical trials, observational studies and surveys, assistance with public databases and innovative methods development.

Co-Directors: Aniko Szabo, PhD and Paul Auer, PhD

Center for Imaging Research
The Center for Imaging Research provides high-field MRI for functional MRI, structural imaging, dynamic contrast imaging, and diffusion imaging. Animal preparation including survival surgery and post-imaging support can be performed in our facility.

Director: Andrew Nencka, PhD

Comprehensive Rodent Metabolic Phenotyping Core (CRMPC)
The CRMPC provides guided access and technical support for the comprehensive assessments of energy expenditure and fluid homeostasis in mice and rats. We provide high resolution measurements of metabolic rate, core body temperature, body composition, food/water intake behaviors, caloric density, thermal imaging, bioimpedance and electrolyte flux, fecal material transfer, and blood pressure to the MCW research community.

Director: Justin Grobe, PhD; Manager: John Reho, PhD

CRI Histology Core
The Children’s Research Institute (CRI) Histology Core is a CAP accredited laboratory that offers a full range of routine and specialized histological, immunological and related services. Training is provided by ASCP certified Histologists with analysis from an American Board of Pathology certified Pathologist. We offer services to investigators from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, the Medical College of Wisconsin and other institutions.

Director CRI Cores: Jason Jarzembowski, MD, PhD; Scientific Director: Paula North, MD, PhD; Manager: Christine Duris BS, HTL, QIHC(ASCP)

CRI Imaging Core
Children’s Research Institute’s imaging core houses with a variety of state-of-the-art microscopic imaging systems including several confocal microscopes, a laser microdissection system and whole slide scanners. The imaging core is open to all investigators including those at our collaborating institutes. Core users will be trained and consulted on the instrumentation, software, and analysis.

Director CRI Cores: Jason Jarzembowski, MD, PhD; Director: Suresh Kumar, PhD

Echo Core - Shared High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging Facility
The Echo Core – Shared High Frequency Ultrasound Imaging Facility has a self-use FUJIFilm VisualSonics Vevo 3100 preclinical high frequency/resolution imaging system for preclinical in vivo imaging for oncology, cardiovascular, neurobiology, developmental and other conditions. Transducers: MX250, MX550D, MX700 are available for image-guided injections, color doppler, contrast imaging & 4D. Isoflurane sedation, warming platforms & VevoLAB data analysis software are available, including strain analyses.

Director: John Auchampach, PhD; Manager: Tina Wan, PhD

Echocardiography Core
Echocardiography is the cornerstone of the phenotyping process. Its highly versatile nature makes it the non-invasive tool of choice. This form of non-invasive assessment is ideal for performing serial evaluations of cardiac function or real-time monitoring during and after pharmacological or therapeutic intervention.

Co-Directors: Divyanshu Mahonaney, MD and Noelle Garster, MD; Research Sonographer: Lindsey Kalvin, ACS, BS, RDCS (AE&PE), FASE

NRC Microscopy Core
The microscopy core at the Neuroscience Research Center offers a variety of confocal imaging systems for specialized imaging of neuronal tissue, including the AxL Cleared Tissue LightSheet Microscope along with appropriate software including Bitplane Imaris 10.0 F1 package and SVI Huygens Professional deconvolution software. The availability of a cleared tissue instrument enables unparalleled visualization of developmental processes, injury recovery, and disease-related pathology.

Scientific Director: Suresh Kumar, PhD; Faculty Director: Chris Olsen, PhD

NRC Rodent Behavior Core
The Neuroscience Research Center's Rodent Behavior Core was established to enable laboratories within the Medical College of Wisconsin to perform behavioral analysis on rodents. The center is equipped with up-to-date experimental devices, analysis software, multifunctional rooms, and the ability to reserve time, space and equipment for your own research needs.

Core Director: Cecilia Hillard, PhD; Behavioral Specialist: Chris Olsen, PhD; Core Manager: Jennifer Sterrett, BS

Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine
The Mellowes Center provides short read (Illumina) and long read (Oxford Nanopore) sequencing (NGS), single cell sequencing and spatial genomic analysis, and NanoString nCounter applications to investigate the genome, transcriptome, epigenome and proteome. The Mellowes Center Bioinformatics Resource will assist in processing data and provides services or collaborative research support to MCW investigators. Analysis services include study design, data acquisition, data analysis, and publication. Standard and novel assays, and analyses, are applied to integrate new data types, in support of investigator single or multi-omics studies.

Research Director: Angela Mathison, PhD; Project Manager: Jaime Wendt Andrae, BS

Ophthalmology Animal Research Services
The Ophthalmology Animal Research Services Core provides access to the PROVEO 8 F42 – Premium Ophthalmic surgical microscope with intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), used to perform precise ocular injections. In addition, multiple devices are available for imaging and measuring various aspects of eye anatomy and function in multiple species.

Director: Daniel Lipinski, DPhil; Program Manager, Facility Administrator: Chris Skumatz, BS

Precision Irradiation Core 
The Irradiation Core utilizes three x-ray instruments from Precision capable of irradiating both small animals and cells. These units are currently implemented to develop therapeutics to mitigate radiation damage to radiosensitive organs such as bone marrow, heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Director: Heather Himburg, PhD; Core Manager: Tracy Gasperetti