17 Jul Murtaza named director of Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine
Dr. Muhammed Murtaza
Dr. Muhammed Murtaza has become the next director of the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Murtaza is a cancer researcher and an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the school. Since 2021, he has served as the associate director of the center.
The Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine advances the use of an individual’s genetic information to optimize and guide health care decisions including diagnosis and treatment. Experts affiliated with the center help evaluate pediatric and adult patients, some of whom have undergone lengthy or inconclusive clinical evaluations prior to receiving a definitive diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder. Since the center opened in 2018, its mission has been to catalyze research, clinical and educational activities in this field, to grow the community of researchers, and bring the benefits of precision medicine to all Wisconsinites.
As its associate director, Murtaza nurtured the infrastructure for this research at UW–Madison and fostered the center’s research and clinical care community, which consists of genomics and computational scientists, as well as surgeons, oncologists, pediatricians and genetic counselors.
“Our researchers are poised to have a transformative impact in the field of precision medicine, and I am thrilled to be able to help further advance their success,” Murtaza said. “Our center is flanked by a strong tradition of scientific discovery at the school and a highly regarded state-of-the-art clinical facility at UW Health. My vision is to advance this collaboration, and bring our novel discoveries closer to clinical practice where they can benefit our patients.”