Dennis J. Baumgardner, MD 
Associate Director and research administrative leadership of the Aurora UW Medical Group
Institutional Officer for Aurora Health Care’s Research Subject Protection Program
Editor of the Journal of patient-Centered Research and Reviews,  
Clinical Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Dr. Baumgardner completed his medical training at the University of Illinois and the Rockford Family Practice Residency Program. He originally joined the St. Luke's Family Medicine Residency faculty in 1986 as Assistant Director, later assuming additional duties as Obstetrics Coordinator and Research Director. He later served as Residency Director for seven years. He then served as Associate Chair and Campus Director for the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine, Milwaukee Clinical Campus. Dr. Baumgardner, who has received the Teacher of the Year Award from St. Luke's residents six times, focuses his instruction time on teaching research concepts and applications, staffing residents and teaching obstetrics. He received the Wisconsin Academy of Family Practice 1993 Educator of the Year Award; the Pickles Research Award from the Wisconsin Research Network in 2001; and the Faculty Excellence Award for Leadership and the William Scheckler Award for Best Faculty Research Project, both from the UW Department of Family Medicine in 2004. His research and publication focus is the fungal disease, blastomycosis, and geographic determinants of disease.

​Curriculum Vitae

Kayla Heslin, MPH
Biostatistician, Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group
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​Kayla Heslin, MPH, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry and Spanish (2016) from Wartburg College. She then went on to the University of Iowa for her Masters of Public Health in Biostatistics (2018). Kayla joined Aurora in 2018 as a Biostatistician for the Aurora Research Institute, partially supporting the Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Group and the Center for Urban Population Health. During her time at Aurora, she has collaborated with residents, physicians, and researchers to assist with protocol development, study design, data collection, statistical analysis ,and interpretation of results. Kayla also has experience with GIS mapping in SAS and R. 

Curriculum Vitae

Jessica J.F. Kram, MPH
Research Associate Senior, Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group

Jessica J. F. Kram, MPH, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Microbiology and Immunology (2012), as well as her Master of Public Health degree (2014), from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined Aurora in 2014 as a Senior Research Associate for the Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Group and Center for Urban Population Health. During her time at Aurora, she has actively collaborated with medical and research professionals in the development, implementation, and dissemination of research. Additionally, she has facilitated numerous Aurora Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications and has overseen research projects to ensure compliance with IRB regulations and policies. She became a Biomedical Member of the Aurora IRB in fall 2016. In spring 2017, she was promoted to Manager of Translational Research. She was also given an Honorary Associate Appointment with the University of Wisconsin-Madison that acknowledges her collaborative work within the Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Group, Center for Urban Population Health, and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Her research interests include infectious diseases, obstetrics and gynecology, population health, oncology, and quality improvement initiatives. 

Curriculum vitae 

Marianne Klumph, MA
Research Associate Senior, Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group

Marianne attended California State University San Marcos where she obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees in experimental psychology as an NIH funded scholar graduating with honors. She comes to us with a background in experimental psychology, with over 8 years of biomedical bench work research on the behavioral and neural effects of drug abuse and the molecular mechanism underlying chronic pain in sickle cell disease.  Additionally, she has worked as a research coordinator on several clinical research projects.
 
Marianne works in collaboration with Jessica Kram, MPH and Dennis Baumgardner, MD on numerous quality improvement and research projects. She plays an integral role in the design, development, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, implementation and dissemination of investigator initiated research studies of AUWMG faculty and resident physicians. 

Curriculum Vitae

Karen Pankowski
Senior Administrative Assistant for Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group

Karen supports the Director of the Center for Urban Population Health and front line contact for the department, as well as assisting Dr. Dennis Baumgardner as part of the Editorial Staff for the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews and supporting Dr. Michael Farrell in his role of Associate Research Director, Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Group. 

Karen is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience with Aurora Health Care. most recently from Aurora Pharmacy Systems, where Karen was copy editor for the Pharmacy Capsule and Aurora Pharmacy Tablet weekly listserv publications, along with management of the Pharmacy Services website.  Karen was also worked in Aurora Graduate Medical Education as the Institutional Coordinator/Sr. Administrative Assistant overseeing Graduate Medical Education regulatory requirements and assisting the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) institutional site reviews.

Tamara Reed
Senior Administrative Assistant, Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group

Tamara is internal and comes to us from Aurora St. Luke’s with a background in patient services, health unit coordination, and administrative services.
In her free time Tamara enjoys Zumba, cooking, and visiting new restaurants.  She also loves traveling to new places with beautiful beaches and weather. Additionally, Tamara has a big family and loves spending time with them; she always looks forward to the planning of her family reunion every year. She also has a new grandchild and loves to spoil him rotten. 

“I am very passionate about the work that I produce and love to maintain an environment that is warm and welcoming.  I will make sure you are treated with the same level of care as my own” Tamara

​Curriculum Vitae

Alex Schwank, MPH
Biostatistician, Center for Urban Population Health, Aurora UW Medical Group
 
Alex Schwank provides support around research design and statistical analysis for the Center for Urban Population Health, the Aurora UW Medical Group, and the Aurora Research Institute. Alex previously worked at the City of Milwaukee Health Department as an Epidemiologist with a focus on maternal and child health. Prior to his work in Milwaukee, Alex worked in Chicago as an evaluator at Thresholds, a large behavioral health non-profit. Alex holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of South Florida. 

Curriculum Vitae