Wang named co-director of TL1 translational research training program

Xudong Wang, the Thomas and Suzanne Werner Professor and Grainger Institute for Engineering Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been named co-director of the TL1 Training Awards Program, part of the university’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. 

Wang will lead the program together with current co-directors Dr. Vivek Prabhakaran and Dr. Lauren Trepanier. 

The TL1 Training Programs, which include postdoctoral and predoctoral awards, are designed to train future clinical and translational leaders and to introduce UW healthcare professional and engineering students to the scientific foundation of translational science. 

Translational research seeks to help move basic research findings more quickly and efficiently into practice. In the field of medicine and human health, this means encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration among health professionals and medical researchers, engineers, and other scientists to improve human health and healthcare.

TL1 trainees gain competency in areas including the fundamentals of research design and data science as well as regulatory and research ethics. During their training, they participate in a variety of courses, workshops and seminars and other field-specific career development opportunities.

In his new role, Wang will contribute to strategic planning, execution, and evaluation for the TL1 Program. Additionally, he will mentor TL1 trainees, guiding them in research methodologies, grant writing, and career development. He will also collaborate with UW–Madison faculty across a wide range of disciplines to enhance translational research training.

Featured image: In his new role, Xudong Wang (right) will guide graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the field of translational research. [Credit: Joel Hallberg]