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Innovating in a PInCh

It’s only fair that the Pitt Innovation Challenge would itself need to innovate. Find out which projects won this year’s competition—which awarded nearly $500,000—and how participants adjusted to a

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Plastic Surgery
  • Department of Pediatrics
  • Department of Family Medicine
  • Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Q&A: Paul Duprex on the Promise of a COVID-19 Vaccine

Pitt’s Jonas Salk Chair for Vaccine Research explains why we need multiple candidate vaccines, what’s special about SARS-CoV-2 and why he’s hopeful about the future.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Center for Vaccine Research
  • Covid-19
  • School of Medicine

Q&A: March of Dimes Expert on a COVID-19 Vaccine Going Global

When Jonas Salk and his Pitt team, supported by March of Dimes, tackled the polio pandemic, they came up with creative ways to make and distribute the vaccine. Dr. Rahul Gupta of March of Dimes

  • Innovation and Research
  • Covid-19
  • Center for Vaccine Research

Where Does Your Swab Go After Surveillance Testing?

At Pitt, the MiGEL Lab and its robot liquid handler play a major role in processing surveillance testing samples. Learn how samples are pooled, tested and sequenced to help in the battle against COVID

  • Innovation and Research
  • Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Department of Pathology
  • Department of Medicine
  • Department of Bioengineering
  • Covid-19
Panther statue silhouette with sunlight shining in background

Q&A: Peter Salk on the Lessons Learned from Vaccine Development History

Peter Salk was 11 years old when a University of Pittsburgh team led by his father, the late Jonas Salk, created the inactivated poliovirus vaccine. Today, at 76, he’s back in the spotlight as

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
  • Covid-19

Winter Could Be ‘Double-Whammy’ for Mood Disorders

As Americans continue to social distance, conditions such as seasonal affective disorder could make winter especially hard, says psychology’s Kathryn Roecklein. Read about her work and her tips for

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Psychiatry
  • Covid-19

Documentary on Thomas Starzl Honored by Organ Donation Organization

“Burden of Genius,” a documentary that came to life in Carl Kurlander’s classroom, will receive the Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Award tonight.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Film and Media Studies

Pitt Professor Takes on Policy Challenges for People with Disabilities

In addition to his research on policy and wheelchair access, Mark Schmeler recently joined the City-County Task Force on Disability to study unconscious bias toward people with disabilities.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology

Pitt Alum, Entrepreneur Makes Tails Wag

With the help of an influential professor, Blake Dubé’s (ENGR ’17) portable oxygen company won several innovation competitions at Pitt and has now spun into a new market: helping pets.

  • Innovation Institute
  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Study Solves an HIV Mystery

In some patients with HIV who take medication, the virus still shows up in their blood. A study led by John Mellors has found “repliclones”—large clones of HIV-infected cells that produce infectious

  • Innovation and Research
  • Division of Infectious Diseases

Student Project Looks at Face Covering and Physical Distance Compliance on Campus

A team of undergraduate students and faculty members is using techniques from engineering to provide a picture of how well students are complying with safety standards on the Pittsburgh campus.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Department of Industrial Engineering

Pitt Launches Local Site of National Trial for COVID-19 Outpatient Treatments

A team led by Madhu Choudhary has joined a national trial testing therapies to keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital. Funded through Operation Warp Speed, it is one of a handful of new trials at

  • Innovation and Research
  • Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Covid-19

A Model Solution

On World Heart Day, learn about how radiology’s Darshit Thakrar creates 3D models of children’s hearts and other organs to help surgeons better picture their procedures.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Radiology

Model Shows How COVID-19 Could Lead to Runaway Inflammation

A new study co-led by Ivet Bahar uses computational modeling to address a mystery first raised in March: Why do some people with COVID-19 develop severe inflammation?

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Computational and Systems Biology
  • Covid-19

Pitt Collaborates with Pharma Company on Eye Treatments

Debasish Sinha will work with Astellas Pharma Inc. in a new research collaboration to address dry age-related macular degeneration—a common cause of vision loss.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Ophthalmology
  • Department of Developmental Biology
  • Department of Cell Biology

Study: Therapy Leads to Fewer Hospital Readmissions for Pneumonia Patients

New Pitt research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that occupational and physical therapy after hospitalization for pneumonia is associated with a decreased risk

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Physical Therapy

Watch: Researchers Take Filmmaking to the Health Sciences

Sara Baumann (GSPH ’19) and Jessica Burke have created a new form of public health research called Collaborative Filmmaking. The six-step process engages its participants to create a detailed

  • Innovation and Research
  • Innovation Institute
  • Global

Pitt ranked No. 1 for small business support

The University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center has been chosen by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the national SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award winner of 2020.

  • Community Impact
  • Innovation and Research
  • Small Business Development Center

Student Research Could Make Solar Energy More Efficient

Sooraj Sharma (ENGR ’20) and a team of Pitt students created a type of self-cleaning glass that allows more solar energy to reach the power-generating portion of solar panels.

  • Innovation and Research

Drug Supply Drop Likely Behind 2018 Overdose Death Downturn

Pitt Public Health scientists found that a drop in the supply of carfentanil, a potent drug, was likely the reason behind 2018's decrease in overdose deaths, rather than U.S. efforts to curb them.

  • Innovation and Research
  • Department of Health Policy and Management