University of Wisconsin–Madison

Announcing Additional 2026 Collaboration Award Recipients

CAIRIBU Collaboration Awards support short-term, novel, high-risk, non-malignant urologic research. The April application deadline saw a record number of applications. Based on reviewers’ comments and NIDDK Program Officers’ review, the CAIRIBU Interactions Core was able to offer three additional awards this year. Each award provides up to $120,000 total costs for one year. The three awardees who will begin their projects starting in August 2026 are:

  1. Dudley Lamming, PhD, From diet to disease: improving urinary health through altering dietary macronutrients
    • Dr. Lamming is an Associate Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Lamming’s research focuses on understanding how nutrient-responsive signaling pathways can be harnessed to promote health and longevity. One major focus of his research is the regulation of metabolic health and aging by diet. His laboratory discovered that low protein diets promote metabolic health -improving blood sugar control and reducing adiposity – in humans and mice and has identified dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) as key regulators of these effects.
  2. Nicholas Steers, PhD, Influencing of microbial exposures on bladder immunity and pathogenesis of Gardnerella
    • Dr. Steers is an Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences at Columbia University. His previous research focused on the immune responses related to nephropathy. Dr. Steers is coordinating the launch of the CAIRIBU Uro- Immunology Research Interest Group, which will discuss the role of innate and adaptive immunity in the context of urologic diseases.
  3. Lindsey Burnett, MD, PhD, Defining the Gut-Bladder Metabolic Axis in Women with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
    • Dr. Burnett is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and urogynecologist and UC San Diego Health. Her research focuses on understanding why and how pelvic floor disorders occur at a molecular level to ultimately develop novel treatment strategies with a focus on the role of metabolism in these disorders.

Congratulations, awardees!