Some people can take an early idea and move it into something real and sustained. Colleen Bushell did that throughout her career at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her work combined a talent for visualizing complex information with a focus on building strong teams to ensure impact. For more than 15 years, Bushell was a driving force behind the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare, a partnership between Mayo Clinic and the University of Illinois focused on advancing research, education, and innovation in healthcare.
The Alliance was formed in 2010 by Dr. Frank Prendergast of Mayo Clinic and Prof. Larry Schook of Illinois to advance solutions in genomics related to cancer and the microbiome, computational medicine, and point-of-care technologies. As a Senior Research Scientist in the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Bushell became involved in the growing partnership though collaborations established by former Alliance Director Bryan White, focused on advanced data analysis and visual analytics work between Illinois and Mayo Clinic. Through long-term relationship building, strategic partnership development, and a deep understanding of how to move ideas into action, Bushell helped strengthen the foundation of the Alliance. With warmth and wisdom, she brought Mayo Clinic and Illinois researchers, clinicians, and technical teams together, creating relationships that sustained collaboration over time.
Bushell’s influence extends across some of the most significant Alliance efforts, from early visual analytics projects and cross-disciplinary research collaborations to major initiatives that continue today.
Turning data into action
The challenge of communicating genomic data to physicians shaped Bushell’s work within the Alliance, merging her background in information design with genomics and medical data. Mayo Clinic provided seed funding for the Visual Analytics for Precision Medicine pilot project, and Bushell helped develop a prototype genetic report for a 17-gene colorectal cancer panel. This effort positioned her in ongoing collaboration with researchers and clinicians across Illinois and Mayo Clinic and extended into broader visual analytics and computational efforts.
Through the Alliance, Bushell led multiple projects at NCSA focused on advancing data science, visualization, and clinical research. Many early collaborations centered on targeted research questions, producing joint publications between Illinois and Mayo Clinic researchers. This work expanded into KnowEnG, for analyzing gene-based data sets in the context of previously published genomic knowledge, OmiX, for analyzing patient microbiome data, and the Tumor Phylogeny Visualization Project, to predict how a tumor evolves over time. Together, these efforts reflected a growing focus on connecting data, tools, and expertise in ways that could inform real-world clinical decision-making.
Building on that work, Bushell recognized complementary efforts, uniting Illinois and Mayo Clinic researchers around common challenges. She became a consistent point of connection for researchers and clinicians at both institutions, creating a foundation for collaboration that extended beyond individual projects.
Building trust across institutions
As Mayo Clinic co-chair of the Alliance Executive Committee, Kiaran McGee worked closely with Bushell in shaping collaboration between the two institutions. He saw firsthand how she built long-term relationships that allowed research partnerships and joint projects to grow.
“With her warmth of character and superior intellect, Colleen has been instrumental in forming a foundational and long-lasting relationship between Mayo Clinic and Illinois,” McGee said. “She helped build a legacy of trust and formed a vital nexus between investigators across both campuses.”
Bushell extended that same approach to in-person engagement, organizing trips to Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester, Minnesota, and Jacksonville, Florida, where Illinois faculty and staff connected with researchers and clinicians to explore new areas of collaboration.
“Colleen’s ability to see connections that others may not see, build and foster connections that add value to a project, and bring people together both professionally and socially makes all the difference to ignite something meaningful,” said LeaAnn Carson, Clinical Partnerships Manager for the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) and the Alliance at Illinois.
Bushell connected clinicians, researchers, and technical groups, aligning AI experts, UI/UX designers, visualization specialists, and data scientists around shared research goals. Recognizing where expertise could complement complex clinical and research challenges, she helped shape teams that moved projects forward more effectively.
That cross-disciplinary approach strengthened the research. Clinical questions, research priorities, and technical problem-solving were not treated as separate tracks, but as parts of the same process. Integrating those perspectives made it possible to solve problems that clinical, research, or technical expertise alone could not address.
Leading work that pushes boundaries
Interim Director of Healthcare Innovation Maria Jaromin worked closely with Bushell in the Healthcare Innovation Program Office (HIPO) of NCSA where she saw how that leadership shaped both the work and the people around it. Her perspective reflects Bushell’s broader impact at NCSA and her role in advancing the Alliance.
“NCSA has been incredibly fortunate to have Colleen, from her early work on designing the Mosaic web browser to founding the HIPO,” Jaromin said. “She is a true visionary, unafraid to take risks, invest in new ideas, and build meaningful partnerships. She has been a dedicated champion of the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance, believing deeply in its potential to drive meaningful, real-world change.”
That leadership is reflected in MarginDx, a multi-year Alliance effort funded by the ARPA-H Precision Surgical Interventions Program to drastically improve surgical outcomes for cancer tumor removal. MarginDx is a fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward effort to develop an end-to-end solution that will be commercially available within five years. Operating much like a start-up company within a research university, MarginDx has benefitted tremendously from Colleen’s entrepreneurship and cutting-edge technology experience.
Illinois co-chair of the Alliance Executive Committee and IHSI Director Stephen Boppart highlighted Bushell’s role in bringing NCSA and the HIPO into the MarginDx project, as well as her ability to recruit the right talent and guide the team through the frequent challenges that followed.
"From the start, Colleen recognized that computing, data management, and user interface design would be essential to the success of this novel imaging platform,” Boppart said. “Her tireless work through our Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance made so many new collaborative projects like MarginDx possible. She was a catalyst that sparked and ignited so many others."
A legacy that endures
Bushell’s impact on the Alliance extends far beyond the projects she helped launch. The partnerships she built, the collaborations she strengthened, and the systems she put into place continue to influence how Illinois and Mayo Clinic work together today.
As of April 30, 2026, Bushell retired from Illinois, but the work she helped build continues. Her retirement marks the conclusion of her direct role within the Alliance, while the partnerships she established continue to shape its future. Projects like MarginDx and the broader collaborations across Illinois and Mayo Clinic reflect the foundation and trust she established across both institutions.
Colleagues who worked closely with Bushell through the Alliance described a leader who shaped not only the work itself, but the culture and relationships that sustained it. Across Illinois and Mayo Clinic, they pointed to her ability to encourage bold ideas, build trust across disciplines, and invest deeply in the people around her.
“Colleen has been a passionate and visionary leader for the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance, helping to concretely build collaborations, push bold ideas forward, and make robust connections,” said Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance Program Manager and IHSI Director of Partnerships and Translation Deborah Miller. “Her effervescent personality and can-do attitude led to many trusted partnerships between the two institutions. Even more important, though, is her ability to make work fun (even the hard work!) and support all members of the team. Without her, the Alliance would not be the same as it is today.”
“Colleen brought kindness, generosity, and genuine care to every collaboration,” said Mat Wiepert, a retired collaborator from Mayo Clinic. “So much goodness came from working with her.”
“Colleen is a mentor who cares deeply for each of her colleagues and their personal and professional growth,” Jaromin said.
“Colleen’s energy and ability to work across diverse teams is remarkable,” Schook said. “She will be missed, but her legacy will continue to serve us.”
Bushell reflected on the Alliance, describing the partnership as a significant part of her career and emphasizing the possibilities ahead.
“The Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance has been the most rewarding aspect of my career over the last decade. Through the application of data analysis, computation, and information design, we have together made an impact on healthcare and have only touched the surface of what we can accomplish,” Bushell said. “This next phase of the Mayo-Illinois relationship stretches into new areas and tackles new challenges requiring broad collaboration.”
As one of the early architects of the Alliance, Bushell helped shape its direction and foster the collaborative culture that continues to drive its work today. She aligned researchers, clinicians, and technical teams, turning new ideas into lasting collaborations. Her warmth and wisdom remain embedded in the relationships and partnerships that continue between Illinois and Mayo Clinic. In her own words, the Alliance has only begun to realize its potential—leaving a strong foundation for what comes next.