We Care Fund

At its core, the We Care Fund for Medical Innovation and Research in MCW’s Department of Surgery is about the hope for a future with better treatments. We Care has awarded 21 grants since it was founded in 2010. These grants are instrumental in launching new and innovative pilot projects that gather preliminary data and investigate hypotheses to pursue competitive federal awards. Grants from We Care have launched projects that have received multi-million-dollar funding from institutions such as the National Institutes for Health, the American Heart Association and NASA.

Kirkwood Pritchard Jr., PhD, Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Cardiovascular Pharmacology, received a Recovery grant from We Care during the COVID-19 pandemic to support his research on how patients with sickle cell disease suffer from poor vascular function, which increases vaso-congestion. As he shares, “The We Care grant made it possible for me to complete the experiments lost due to the pandemic. Without We Care funding, the loss to my lab concerning data and publications would have been immense. I was able to replace the sickle mice lost earlier, set up our previous experiments, and perform the studies. We are now submitting manuscripts and grants based on data generated from the We Care award that paid for the replacement experiments. Thank you very much for your Fund Committee generosity.”

Gwen Lomberk, PhD, Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology & Toxicology, received a Recovery grant to investigate windows of opportunity for providing novel targets and treatment approaches for pancreatic cancer. As she shares, “We thank We Care for their tremendous support during these challenging times! The Recovery grant allowed us to replenish key reagents that had expired during the COVID-19 mandated shutdown of the lab and had to be thrown away, as well as re-purchase some pancreatic cancer cell lines that were not coming out of cryopreservation very well. Due in part to this help, we were able to acquire the necessary additional preliminary data to successfully re-submit our NCI (National Cancer Institute) R01 grant in October 2020, which was funded. We also published a manuscript, which utilized reagents supported by the Recovery grant.”

The Mission

To provide patients and families with hope through advanced treatments for cancer, organ failure and complications from trauma, and cardiovascular diseases. The We Care Fund helps accelerate the development of advanced, life-saving treatments, and serves as a catalyst to engage the local community to ensure we have the healthcare we deserve in our region.

2021 We Care Grant Recipients

William Hall, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Hall’s project, Optimal Immunotherapy for Improving Pancreatic Cancer Survival, looks to compare different types of radiation therapy and evaluate the resulting immune response.

Thomas Carver, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Trauma and Acute Surgery. Dr. Carver’s project, Clinical Trial to Identify Best Treatment Approach for Traumatic Injuries to the Spleen, focuses on studying splenic trauma to improve the success rate of non-operative management.

Donate Now

Philanthropic support plays a vital role in launching pilot studies and research that would not otherwise be funded for months. Throughout the pandemic, We Care has maintained its dedication to the important and life-saving work at Froedtert & MCW by continuing its support. Every penny raised supports research and clinical programs that can’t wait for traditional funding sources. Your gift will help our researchers and physicians translate new medical discoveries from the laboratory to the operating room, bedside, and clinic. With your support, we can bring new hope to patients in Wisconsin and throughout the world. Scan to donate or visit https://mcwsupport.mcw.edu/wecarefund.