Mark Burkard, MD, PhD, associate professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, received a Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Award.

This award, which recognizes research and teaching excellence in faculty who are at mid-career, provides $75,000 in flexible research funds over three years.

The funds can be used for research, publication, project assistantships, or other expenses related to Dr. Burkard's scholarly activity.

Dr. Burkard’s research is focused on understanding the drivers of genomic changes in breast cancer, and developing precision treatments for the disease. He is also studying how some patients live many years with metastatic breast cancer.  

His laboratory seeks to advance cancer therapy by identifying person-to-person differences in cancer behavior, and using this knowledge to select the best treatment.