Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine

Children’s Wisconsin works with the Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (Mellowes Center) at the Medical College of Wisconsin to help find answers in the field of undiagnosed and rare diseases.

Giving hope when hope is scarce

When doctors have performed test after test with no clear diagnosis, the Undiagnosed and Rare Disease experts at Children’s Wisconsin partner with researchers at the Mellowes Center to sequence the individual’s genome and apply the most advanced analysis available to identify and validate variations that may be causing disease.

Groundbreaking research leads to an unexpected discovery

Our team of experts was one of the first in the nation to use genomic sequencing to diagnose and treat a child for his undiagnosed genetic condition. After he spent years in the hospital, our team was able to define his rare disorder and develop a treatment plan that allowed him to walk out of the hospital and home to his family.

Learn more about that story. 

Our services

Our Undiagnosed and Rare Disease Program provides services to individuals with unidentified complex health problems thought to have genetic causes. Some of our services are:

• Medical evaluations
• Pre-test education
• Genome sequencing
• Result education
• Treatment planning

Our team

The Mellowes Center team at Children’s Wisconsin is dedicated to working with patients and their families to find solutions to problems that can so often make families feel helpless.

Why genomics?

The specialists in our program use their expertise to uncover genetic mysteries. There is information hidden in DNA that can help us diagnose and treat genetic conditions. With genomics, we have a fully integrated process to educate families, analyze the genome, and explain results to families and their physicians.

Our doctors also are on staff at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin, allowing them to diagnose and manage pediatric and adult genetic conditions. Our physicians are clinicians who see genetics patients and are molecular genetics experts trained in the interpretation of genomic information.

Genomics in the news

As the field of genomics grows, we are learning more about how our genetic code affects our lives. To help you learn more, we’ve put together a list of videos that will help you learn about our program and the field of genomic medicine.

• Cracking your genetic code
• DNA sequencing leads to diagnosis and treatment

Location

The Undiagnosed & Rare Disease clinics are located in the Genetics Center on level 1 of the Curative Care Network building, across the parking lot from Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Enter the north door (which faces the Children's Wisconsin parking structure), and take the elevator to level 1.

Our partners in the Mellowes Center are located in the Health Research Building of the Medical College of Wisconsin, located alongside Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus.

We also see Genomic Medicine patients at Children’s Wisconsin specialty clinic in New Berlin.

Find a map and directions.

Parking: Free parking is available in the Children's Wisconsin parking structure and the surface lot at Children’s Wisconsin specialty clinic in New Berlin. A voucher for free parking is available at Curative.