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The Future of Innovation: Cancer Research and Care at UW-Madison

April 22, 2026 By Jordyn Babalola, Outreach and Social Media Assistant

Since 1973, the UW Carbone Cancer Center has stood as Wisconsin’s only National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center. They maintain a legacy of innovation that began in 1940 with the founding of the McArdle Memorial Laboratory. This was the first university-based cancer research center in the U.S.

Over the last half-century, the UW Carbone has bridged the gap between basic science and patient care. Today, the center integrates its historic strength in laboratory research with an expansive clinical trials program, providing cutting-edge treatment options for patients at every stage of their journey.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

A classic black-and-white studio portrait of a middle-aged man from the chest up.
Portrait of Frederic E. Mohs

Named after its founder, Frederic E. Mohs, Mohs Micrographic Surgery pioneered the treatment of skin cancers located near delicate structures like nerves, muscle, and bone. Dr. Mohs began his work in 1936 at the Wisconsin General Hospital in Madison. He drew inspiration from his mentor, Dr. Guyer, who was an expert in harvesting and processing tissue for microscopic examination. By 1940, after years of refining his technique, the procedure had become so surgically intensive that his practice was officially transferred from the dermatology suite to the department of surgery.

The technique underwent a significant evolution in 1953 when Dr. Mohs transitioned from accidentally performing a fresh tissue excision. This benefited patients who could now have their surgeries and closures in one visit on the same day

While the 1970s and ‘80s introduced modern advancements the root of the procedures are from Mohs’ advancements. 

McArdle Cancer Research Laboratory

On the left, a middle-aged man with a bald head and round spectacles wears a white laboratory coat. The right half of the frame is filled with an intricate, dense laboratory setup.
Dr. Harold Rusch conducts research with laboratory equipment.
A high-angle, black-and-white photograph of a large group of approximately 100 people posed on a wide concrete staircase outside a brick building. The majority of the individuals are wearing white laboratory coats.
McArdle Cancer Research Group, 1967

A Wisconsin native, Dr. Harold Rusch earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison by 1933. His potential was recognized by the Medical School Dean and he was encouraged to pursue a career in cancer research.

During World War II, when Dean Middleton left to help organize the Army’s medical support, he left Dr. Rusch in charge to lead the cancer research team that was in the very early stages. 

During his tenure, Rusch transformed the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research into an internationally renowned institution. As its director until 1972, Rusch and his colleagues conducted groundbreaking work, including the first studies to establish the range of ultraviolet light wavelengths that cause skin cancer in mice.

In 1972, Dr. Rusch became the director of the newly established Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center, a move that bridged the gap between laboratory science and clinical work. 

Despite his numerous accolades, such as being appointed to President Kennedy’s Committee on Heart Disease and Cancer, Rusch was most celebrated by his peers for his unwavering commitment to his colleagues, prioritizing the creation of an optimal research environment that fostered the careers of countless associates.

Fluorouracil

A man sits looking toward the camera. He is wearing a white laboratory coat over a shirt and a patterned tie. The man is seated at a dark workbench crowded with vintage scientific instruments:

After earning a PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University and completing postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley, Charles Heidelberger became a professor of oncology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Heidelberger spent 27 years at the University of Wisconsin’s McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research; his pioneering work there led to the development of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a drug that remains a standard treatment for stomach, colon, and breast cancers. Later serving as director of basic research at the University of Southern California’s Comprehensive Cancer Center after leaving Wisconsin in 1976, Heidelberger was internationally recognized for his impact on cancer treatment. He received the first $100,000 Athayde Prize from the International Union Against Cancer for the most outstanding contribution to the fight against cancer.

Carcinogen Research

This black-and-white historical photograph depicts two scientists, a man and a woman, reviewing data in a laboratory setting.
Drs. James and Elizabeth Miller (McArdle Lab, Cancer Research) working together in a laboratory.

In the late 1940s and early ’50s, James and Elizabeth Miller, a husband-and-wife duo, fundamentally altered the landscape of oncology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Working out of the newly established McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, the Millers published a series of papers demonstrating that cancer-causing chemicals, known as carcinogens, must be enzymatically metabolized before they can trigger cancer. Their work was the first evidence that carcinogens can modify tissue components, such as nucleic acids and proteins.

Clinical Science Center

A man in a dark suit stands at the center of the frame, smiling as he holds a long-handled shovel. Surrounding the central figure are approximately 11 men, all dressed in formal business attire.
University of Wisconsin Cancer Research Center groundbreaking.

Originally built in 1925, the Wisconsin General Hospital served for more than 50 years as the clinical hospital for the UW Medical School. A much-needed renovation in the mid-1950s modernized the physical structures and connected discrete buildings; however,  it failed to resolve the overcrowding and lack of academic spaces. 

By 1965, it became clear that the original University Avenue site was insufficient for the hospital’s growing needs, leading to the selection of a new 45-acre site adjacent to the Veterans Administration Hospital. Despite the logistical challenges of splitting medical facilities across two locations for two decades, the Board of Regents finalized this move in 1966.

The construction of the center continued well into the following decades, highlighted by an $18 million expansion in 1986 that added specialized modules for surgical science, radiology, and records management to keep the facility at the cutting edge of medicine.