Sept. 12, 2025:
The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium honored Howard Bailey, MD, with the 2025 Distinguished Leadership Award today during its annual Summit at Big Ten Conference Headquarters in Rosemont, Ill.
The award celebrates Dr. Bailey’s vision, leadership, and longstanding commitment to the consortium.
Dr. Bailey, who recently retired as cancer center director at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, served on the Big Ten CRC Cancer Center Directors Committee for 10 years and as chair of the committee from 2021 – 2024. He also served as secretary of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Foundation from 2016 – 2024. In these roles, Dr. Bailey strengthened opportunities for scientific and clinical research collaboration for investigators across institutions, and he set the stage for the consortium’s expansion as the University of Washington / Fred Hutch joined as a member institution early this year.
As a physician and researcher, Dr. Bailey dedicated 36 years to advancing cancer care, first joining UW in 1988. He directed the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center from 2015 until his retirement in January 2025 and held the roles of associate dean for oncology and professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Bailey championed the Big Ten CRC’s mission and ensured that the University of Wisconsin was among the consortium’s most engaged and productive members. Under his leadership, Wisconsin consistently ranked among the top accruing institutions for Big Ten CRC studies, maintained strong investigator participation in clinical trial working groups, and contributed a steady pipeline of innovative research studies and proposals.
“Dr. Bailey’s steadfast leadership of the Big Ten CRC resulted in long-lasting ties between the institutions,” said Kari Wisinski, MD, Big Ten CRC Steering Committee representative for the UW Carbone Cancer Center. “His advocacy for the organization played a key role in elevating the visibility of the Big Ten CRC across academia and with pharmaceutical sponsors.”
The Big Ten CRC congratulates Dr. Bailey on this well-deserved honor, and we thank him for his distinguished service to the University of Wisconsin, to the Big Ten CRC, and to the field of oncology research.
About the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium: The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium was created in 2013 to transform the conduct of cancer research through collaborative clinical trials and observational studies that seek to improve the lives of cancer patients in the diverse communities we serve by leveraging the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities. The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium creates a unique team research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to treatment and prevention. Within this innovative environment, today’s research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow. Since its founding, the Big Ten CRC has activated nearly 40 clinical trials across a wide range of cancer types, more than 1,000 participants have enrolled in Big Ten CRC studies, and more than 500 researchers have joined Big Ten CRC Clinical Trial Working Groups.
About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
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