MADISON, Wis. — Madison is home to the United States government’s National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC).

It’s part of the federal agency known as the United States Geological Survey, which studies the landscape of the U.S., its natural resources and the natural hazards that threaten it.

What You Need To Know

  • Madison is home to the United States government’s National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC)

  • Researchers who work at the NWHC help detect, control and prevent diseases among wildlife
  • The current facility was built in the 1970s and has gotten overcrowded. Construction of a brand new facility is set to begin by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025

Researchers who work at the NWHC help detect, control and prevent diseases among wildlife. Most recently, they’ve been instrumental in assessing the risk of transmitting COVID-19 between humans and animals and mitigating the spread of bird flu.

“The work we do here is done under various biosafety levels, and we do meet all current biosafety level standards,” said LeAnn White, the acting director of the NWHC. “But, due to the age of the building, it’s both energy intensive and maintenance intensive.”

The current facility was built in the 1970s and has gotten overcrowded. White says the labs need updating. 

That’s why a brand new NWHC is set to be built on the property at 6006 Schroeder Road, on Madison’s southwest side. It is land owned by the federal government, and the project will be paid for with federal dollars.

“Our new laboratories will be purposefully designed for modern molecular biology work,” said David Blehert, the chief of laboratory sciences at the NWHC. “They will be designed for better workflows to optimize efficiencies at all levels.”

Construction is set to begin by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.

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