With over 200 in attendance, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its 2022 Scientific Retreat on March 7-8, 2022.

The participation and contributions of the guests and external collaborators – along with McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty and trainees – provided for insightful topics for discussion.  The program chair was Bryan Brown, PhD, associate professor Department of Bioengineering with secondary appointments in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Program Highlights

The Director’s State of the Institute Address/Retreat Kickoff was presented by McGowan Institute Director William Wagner, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Bioengineering, and Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

The sessions addressed:

  • Challenges of Biomedical Innovations and Entrepreneurship
  • Synthetic Biology Approaches to Regenerative Medicine
  • Regenerative Rehabilitation
  • Cardiovascular Bioengineering
  • Center for Military Medicine Research – Strategic Partnerships & Funding Opportunities
  • Pediatric Device Trial Infrastructure: Clinical investigation of an implantable pediatric ventricular assist device–NHLBI PumpKIN (Pumps for Kids Infants & Neonates) Trial

Poster Session

The poster session was effective in introducing the focus of the Retreat and interests of the faculty and the guests.  McGowan Institute faculty member Andrew Duncan, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, and his committee organized the session and judged the posters. The winners of the poster session were:

*CELL AND GENE THERAPY*

Poster of Distinction
Raphael Crum
Immunomodulatory matrix-bound nanovesicles mitigate acute and chronic pristane-induced rheumatoid arthritis
Mentor: Stephen Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Reiley Cotter
Role of microcalcifications in breast cancer bone mimicry
Mentor: Shilpa Sant, PhD
Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Hannah Yankello
The impact of placental hypoxia on monocyte recruitment
Mentor: Elizabeth Wayne, PhD
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

*COMPUTATION AND MODELING*

Poster of Distinction
Shaniel Bowen
Geometric characteristics of the pelvic floor muscles associated with anatomic recurrence after prolapse repair
Mentor: Steven Abramowitch, PhD
Dept. of Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Sommer Anjum
Using a cell-based model to investigate cellular mechanics during convergent extension and apoptotic cell extrusion in epithelial tissues
Mentor: Lance Davidson, PhD
Dept. of Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh

*MEDICAL DEVICES*

Poster of Distinction
Tyler Meder
Assessing the macrophage-directed remodeling kinetics of a peripheral nerve matrix hydrogel
Mentor: Bryan Brown, PhD
Dept. of Bioengineering, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Fuat Baris Bengur
Isolated support with an extracorporeal perfusion system deters ischemia-related metabolic derangement of a rat fasciocutaneous free flap
Mentor: Mario Solari, MD
Dept. of Plastic Surgery
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Liyang Wang
Real-time nitric oxide monitoring for wound healing with flexible and multiplexed electrode array
Mentor: Tzahi Cohen-Karni, PhD
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

*TISSUE ENGINEERING*

Poster of Distinction
Kai Wang
Engineering 3D skeletal muscle constructs to model age-related regenerative defects and responses to intervention
Mentor: Fabrisia Ambrosio, PhD, MPT
Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Piyumi Wijesekara
Engineering rotating apical-out airway organoids for assessing respiratory cilia motility
Mentor: Xi Ren, PhD
Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

Merit Poster Award
Dorota Jazwinska
Study of ovarian cancer clearance dynamics utilizing a novel tumor-mesothelial assay
Mentor: Ioannis Zervantonakis, PhD
Dept. of Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh

Merit Poster Award
Michelle Drewry
Scaffold-free conduits formed from dental pulp stem cell sheets provide neurotrophic and directional support for regenerating axons
Mentor: Fatima Syed-Picard, PhD
Dept. of Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh

All poster session awards were sponsored by sciVelo.  Poster of Distinction Award ($200) and Merit Poster Awards ($100). Congratulations to all!

See the full Retreat Program here.

A special thank you is extended to the retreat committee (Bryan Brown-Chair, Patrick Cantini, Andy Duncan, Rebecca Bauroth, Lainey Becker, Katy Wharton, Jamelle Price, John Murphy, and Stanley Stachelek) and to all who made this year’s Retreat a success!

Photo Credit:  Jamelle Price.