Gaelen Hess

Gaelen Hess serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with additional appointments in Biomolecular Chemistry and the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine. His laboratory operates from Room 2768 in the WIMR West Wedge building (1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705), contactable via ghess3@wisc.edu or 608.890.3018.

The Hess Lab specializes in precision medicine research using high-throughput genomic approaches and genome engineering technologies, particularly CRISPR screens. Their work integrates computational and experimental methods across genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioengineering to define genetic determinants of disease risk and therapeutic efficacy while exploring natural biomolecules for mammalian cell manipulation. This research aims to translate molecular insights into diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for human health.

Notable scientific recognition includes:

• UW Research Forward Initiative Award (2025)

Professor Hess actively mentors trainees, evidenced by a farewell to "Carley" upon publication of the DivA-BE manuscript, and recruits research interns (as of April 2025). The lab maintains interdisciplinary collaborations through the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, operating at the cutting edge of mammalian systems engineering with strong computational biology integration.