Melinda Dwinell, PhD, Named Associate Dean for Research
The below announcement is from Ann B. Nattinger, MD, MPH, MACP, Vice Dean for Research in the School of Medicine and Associate Provost for Research.
The Office of Research is pleased to announce that Melinda Dwinell, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Eminent Scholar, has been named Associate Dean for Research effective August 1, 2025.
Dr. Dwinell earned her master’s and her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed postdoctoral training in Physiology at the University of California, San Diego, and later joined the UCSD Department of Medicine faculty as a Project Scientist. She arrived to MCW in 2001, joining the Physiology faculty as Assistant Professor. She has been highly active within the Human & Molecular Genetic Center (now the Mellowes Center), taking on leadership roles as Scientific Center Administrator, Interim Business Administrator, and Associate Director of Education and Academic Relations. She is also a member of the Cancer Center and Cardiovascular Research Center.
Dr. Dwinell’s research focuses on the use of physiological genomic approaches to dissect complex diseases with a focus on using the rat as a model for disease. She was able to translate this work to secure funding for the Hybrid Rat Diversity Program via an R24 grant, an NIH mechanism designed to support resource-related research projects. Specifically, the Hybrid Rat Diversity Program extends the use of rat models for clinical translation through establishing an animal resource and genomic dataset, which in turn facilitates the translation of laboratory research to clinical relevance. Dr. Dwinell has maintained continuous funding as PI for the R24-funded rat resource since 2015. She is also Co-Investigator on the Rat Genome Database project with Principal Investigator Anne Kwitek, PhD. Established in 1999, the RGD is an NIH-funded digital resource for genetic, genomic, phenotype, and disease-related data generated from rat research. Dr. Dwinell is also the PI of the Dissemination and Coordinating Center for the Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) Consortium since 2019, initially as a Multi-PI with Mary Shimoyama, PhD. This center aims to support the SCGE consortium and disseminate the safe and effective gene editing and delivery approaches to treat genetic diseases in somatic cells. Phase I of the SCGE focused on improving the efficacy and specificity of genome editing approaches. Now in Phase II, the Program is focused on accelerating the translation of genome editing therapies into the clinic.
Dr. Dwinell is an advocate for biomedical science education at all levels, most recently serving as Director of Integration for Phase 1 of the new MCWfusion curriculum. She has previously served as the Vice Chair and Secretary for the Curriculum & Evaluation Committee for the School of Medicine and was instrumental in ensuring that rapidly changing LCME requirements were met during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also stood up the Master’s in Medical Physiology Program at MCW, serving as Inaugural Director for the program from 2015-2019.
With this extensive experience in laboratory and animal research, genomics, complex data, large programmatic grants, resource development, translational capabilities and institutional program development, Dr. Dwinell will facilitate growth and development of research at MCW as Associate Dean for Research. Reporting to Dr. Ann Nattinger, Vice Dean for Research, she will provide leadership to the Office of Research. She will work closely with Dr. Nattinger and Blair Stauffer-Fetting, CRA, Assistant Dean for Research Operations, to engage on strategic matters, particularly those related to laboratory research, to ensure faculty are well positioned to pursue their scientific goals. Specifically, she will support the planning and development of research infrastructure including cores and shared services, coordinate strategies for maximizing success with external research funding, and identify opportunities for enhancements, efficiencies, and collaborations across the research mission.
As we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dwinell to this important leadership role, we also wish to express our appreciation to Cecilia Hillard, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and G. Frederick Kasten, Jr. Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research. Dr. Hillard served as Associate Dean for Research since 2015 after serving as Co-Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research that same year. Dr. Hillard provided countless contributions to the Office of Research and the Mission during her tenure as Associate Dean, and we are grateful for her years of service!