Mark Burkard

As UWCCC Associate Director for Genomics and Precision Medicine, Dr. Burkard leads the translational genomics efforts in UWCCC.  This effort spans multiple efforts: enabling accessible and affordable clinical molecular testing accessible for patients; selecting optimal treatments for patients across Wisconsin as co-director of the UWCCC Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board with Dr. Deming; and developing a suite of precision medicine clinical trials as co-director of the UW Basket group with Dr. Uboha.   Dr. Burkard also leads the UW2020-supported UW Omics Discovery Bank, to ensure optimal regulatory and informatics infrastructures to allow UW investigators to learn from our patients who wish us to do so.  In one related project (outliers.cancer.wisc.edu) he has enrolled > 1000 participants with metastatic breast cancer from across the US and internationally to learn how some live with metastatic cancer for decades. He is responsible for coordinating these efforts with Dr. Meyn and the UW Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine.  The net goal of all these efforts is to enable UWCCC to rapidly apply new knowledge in genomics and precision medicine to improve the care for patients across Wisconsin and beyond.

In addition to serving as the Associate Director for Genomics and Precision Medicine, Dr. Burkard is a physician-scientist with a clinical practice in breast cancer and precision oncology.  He leads a laboratory focused on mechanisms of genomic instability, and had an ongoing NCI R01 with Dr. Weaver on developing innovative and impactful clinical biomarkers.  Dr. Burkard co-leads the UW Medical Scientist Training Program and the ICTR TL1 training program.  Beyond UW, he serves as editor of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, co-leads the Basket Group in the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium, is a member of the ASCO/TAPUR molecular tumor board, and is a standing member of the NIH Cancer Biomarkers Study Section.  He has received the Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Award, The Page-Grossman Professionalism award, the Dean’s Teaching Award, and 3x the UW Health Patient Champion Award.  These experiences will help ensure that UWCCC learns from our patients and rapidly applies knowledge of precision oncology to benefit patients across Wisconsin and beyond.