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MADISON, Wis. – Today, James Dahlberg, professor emeritus of biomolecular chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was highlighted in the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2025 “Faces of American Innovation” report for his pioneering gene variation research, which has enabled the creation of diagnostic tests for numerous serious illnesses.
The Bayh-Dole Coalition, of which the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is a member, is a group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.
The coalition’s annual Faces of American Innovation report honors a select group of researchers, entrepreneurs and administrators whose groundbreaking work, made possible by the Bayh-Dole Act, has changed the lives of millions in the United States and abroad.
In recognition of their extraordinary contributions to America’s innovation ecosystem, Dr. Dahlberg and four other honorees will receive the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2025 American Innovator Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 4.
“WARF is delighted to celebrate Dr. Dahlberg for this well-deserved honor,” says WARF CEO Erik Iverson. “His remarkable scientific expertise and dedication to bringing his technology to market have played a crucial role in Wisconsin’s emergence as a rapidly growing biohealth tech hub.”
At UW-Madison, Dr. Dahlberg co-invented Cleavase – an enzyme that breaks the attachment points between single- and double-stranded DNA and can be used to detect gene variations. Because of the Bayh-Dole Act, which allows universities to patent discoveries supported by federal funding, WARF was able to secure patents on Dahlberg’s research, which had been enabled by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
In 1993, Dr. Dahlberg co-founded Third Wave Technologies, a UW-Madison spinout that licensed the Cleavase patents from WARF to develop diagnostic tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) and was sold to Hologic for $580 million in 2008. Dr. Dahlberg’s technology has since become an integral part of diagnostics for a wide range of conditions, including the revolutionary colon cancer test Cologuard.
“Dr. Dahlberg’s work has made a difference in the lives of millions of people affected by conditions like HPV, colon cancer and cystic fibrosis,” says Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. “His story underscores the importance of the Bayh-Dole Act, which enabled him to transform his research into a practical solution by launching his own startup.”
WARF, America’s first university technology transfer office, has obtained over 4,400 patents since its start in 1925. WARF has also helped launch more than 200 startups and provided over $4.5 billion in direct grants to fuel research.
About Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: Celebrating a century of service in 2025, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)patents and licenses discoveries from UW-Madison research, manages an investment portfolio generated from licensing and investment proceeds, and provides annual grants to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research to support further scientific investigation and research. By driving collaborations among researchers, investors, industry and entrepreneurs, WARF commercializes innovations from campus through various initiatives. WARF Accelerator improves the commercialization potential of university intellectual property through industry engagement and investment in proof-of-concept milestones to validate market potential, demonstrate commercial value and de-risk technology. WARF Therapeutics partners with UW-Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers employing an industry-focused approach to improve the value propositions of drug candidates. WARF Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that invests in startups based on UW/WARF technologies. Learn more at warf.org.
About the Bayh-Dole Coalition: The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.
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