Education

CATER students participated in many events at the annual McGowan Institute Scientific Retreat, which was held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia earlier this month. Here are some highlights from the two day event:

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its 2020 Scientific Retreat March 9-10, 2020.  The focus was on peer-to-peer networking, and the retreat provided many opportunities to explore collaborative endeavors with other researchers, participating guests, and external partners who are working to bring regenerative medicine technologies to clinical use.

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During a press briefing during the recent 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Rory Cooper, PhD, the FISA & Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Professor and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, and professor of Bioengineering, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, discussed how people with disabilities are shut off from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers and why inclusivity matters.

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With its theme of Inspiration and Innovation, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut, hosted a recent TEDx on October 28, 2019.

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The Wiegand Summer Internship provides an opportunity for a high school senior, who resides in Allegheny County and who graduated in the spring of 2019, to spend 5 weeks learning first-hand about regenerative medicine research and scientific investigations in general.

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Liz Szabo of Kaiser Health News recently reported in Time the controversary surrounding the hope vs. hype of stem cell treatments for the relief of arthritic conditions.  She notes the benefits of stem cells are hotly debated in the medical community, and federal regulators have warned the public to beware of clinics that peddle unapproved injections as a cure-all. Many doctors and ethicists say they fear the public is being misled about how well stem cells work—and whether the procedures save their money or waste it.

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The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) today launched its first-ever online Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) degree program to address the growing need for professionals who can use data to improve the quality of care.

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The 6th Annual McGowan Institute Regenerative Medicine Summer School (June 16-21, 2019) has just concluded with 19 students from universities across the U.S. being introduced to the science, as well as the clinical and commercial potential of regenerative medicine-based therapies through a combination of lectures and hands-on laboratory activities.

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National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.  This year, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Peter Wearden, MD, PhD, congenital cardiothoracic surgeon and Department Chair, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Services at the Nemours Children’s Health System, Orlando, Florida, served as a “Nurse For A Day” in Nemours Children’s Hospital Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

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As pioneers in the field of regenerative medicine, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty and staff are both obligated and delighted to contribute to the growth of the field by participating in the career development of young scientists.  McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Julie Phillippi, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, recently participated in a panel discussion for sophomore and junior girls from the Fox Chapel Area High School sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).  Students were encouraged to interact with Dr. Phillippi and other panel experts in an effort to expand their horizons while considering career options.

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Educational Outreach Program takes its researchers many places.  Recently, McKnight Elementary School Science in McCandless, PA, held a science night for its students and families.

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McGowan Institute faculty member J. Peter Rubin, MD, professor and chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Plastic Surgery, and William R. Wagner, PhD, professor and director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, shared their optimism and concerns over the substantial expansion of stem cell-based therapies in an Op Ed published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on March 10, 2019.

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine has racked up some impressive numbers in its 25-year existence. Researchers affiliated with the McGowan Institute have had 140 patents issued, filed more than 900 invention disclosures; had their technology licensed more than 170 times and have spun out nearly 30 companies from the University.

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Christopher Bettinger, PhD, associate professor of materials science and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and an affiliated faculty member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, spends much of his time thinking about how to improve the ways we take medicine.  Dr. Bettinger recently spoke with Benjamin Mikek of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for its occasional series, “Patented in Pittsburgh,” about his work on an oral, electrical method of drug delivery and the associated patent process.  Excerpts from that article follow.

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According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, buttocks augmentation procedures with fat grafting have increased 10 percent from 2016 to 2017.  As many as one in 3,000 people who undergo the procedure die, many from a fatal fat embolism. This surgery has the highest rate of death of all aesthetic procedures.

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LifeX™ celebrated the opening of its first headquarters, where it will provide expertise and working space to aid the growth of biotechnology companies.  McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Dietrich Stephan, PhD, professor and chairman of the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, is CEO and founder of LifeX which was launched in December 2017.  LifeX is a biotechnology commercialization platform that empowers scientist entrepreneurs to create and deliver new solutions to alleviate suffering and premature death across the globe. Founded by the University of Pittsburgh, LifeX’s initial cohort of companies will focus on unmet health needs related to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, obesity and diabetes and rare genetic diseases.

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This year’s Pittsburgh Life Sciences Week (April 16-20) brought together a diverse mix of life sciences groups, researchers, entrepreneurs, large corporations, and investors to connect and engage across the spectrum, from development in the lab to delivery in the marketplace, and to foster the integration of science and business that will accelerate innovation and translate research into commercial opportunities.

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In response to repeated calls for an integrated and coordinated emergency and trauma care system in the U.S., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists and UPMC physicians—including McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Derek Angus, MD, MPH, who is a co-author on the study—rose to the challenge and divided the nation into hundreds of referral regions that describe how patients access advanced care, in a way that respects geopolitical borders. Dr. Angus is Chair of the Department of Critical Care Medicine of both the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the UPMC Healthcare System. At the University, he holds the rank of Distinguished Professor and the Mitchell P. Fink Endowed Chair in Critical Care Medicine with secondary appointments in Medicine, Health Policy and Management, and Clinical and Translational Science and he directs the CRISMA (Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illnesses) Center. He also co-directs the UPMC ICU Service Center, responsible for the provision of ICU services across the 20-plus hospital system.

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After winning two Emmys and multiple other awards, John Pollock, PhD, a Duquesne University professor earned further recognition with his newly released educational app.

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Playing an adventure video game featuring a fictitious, young emergency physician treating severe trauma patients was better than text-based learning at priming real doctors to quickly recognize the patients who needed higher levels of care, according to a new trial led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Derek Angus, MD, Chair of the Department of Critical Care Medicine of both the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the UPMC Healthcare System and a Distinguished Professor and the Mitchell P. Fink Endowed Chair in Critical Care Medicine with secondary appointments in Medicine, Health Policy and Management, and Clinical and Translational Science, was a member of the study team.

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White blood cells are like the “assassins” of systems biology. Some destroy viruses by swallowing them whole, others lie ready to sound the alarm with inflammation, while “natural killer” white blood cells hose down infected cells with a toxin that causes immediate cell death. The human immune system is an intense, fast-paced game of cat and mouse on a cellular level, and thanks to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, now the game can take place on a cell phone.

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has renewed funding for the University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering’s Cardiovascular Bioengineering Training Program (CBTP). The program – which educates students who are interested in cardiovascular research and pursuing a PhD in bioengineering – will receive nearly $1.9 million over the next 5 years.

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its fourth annual Regenerative Medicine Summer School 2017 the week of June 4, 2017.  The Summer School week, endorsed by the Society for Biomaterials and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), was initiated and led by McGowan Institute faculty member Bryan Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor with the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh with a secondary appointment in Pitt’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Dr. Brown is also the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health Scholar (NIH K12), Magee Women’s Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.

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The Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research and Training (AR3T) is looking to support faculty who are developing novel technology projects that will enable cutting-edge investigations in Regenerative Rehabilitation research. The ideal proposal will lead to a research tool that will enable further Regenerative Rehabilitation investigations.

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Two team members from the laboratory of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine deputy director Stephen Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD, recently represented the McGowan Institute at an educational outreach activity held at McKnight Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District.  Michelle Scarritt, PhD, and Abby Stahl explained to students and their families how different human anatomy systems function.

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The upcoming 2017 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Elastin, Elastic Fibers & Microfibrils will provide a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other early-career scientists to present and exchange new unpublished data and cutting edge ideas on elastic matrix biology and applications. Presentations will be selected to reflect the diverse investigative directions and approaches in the field, from the molecular structure, function, and organization of elastic fiber components, to their mechanistic interactions with vasculature, skin, lung, and other elastic tissues, and their bio-engineering potential for cell repair and regeneration. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Marie Billaud, PhD, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and in the Thoracic Aortic Disease Research Lab of the McGowan Institute, is a co-organizer of this GRS being held July 29-30, 2017, at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME.

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Robert Kormos, MD, the Brack G. Hattler Professor of Cardiothoracic Transplantation, Professor Cardiothoracic Surgery, Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute, recently delivered the Provost’s Inaugural Lecture entitled “Will Engineering Conquer Biology? Lessons from 30 Years of Mechanical Support for the Failing Heart.”

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As reported by Casey Adams for Inside UPMC, 20 students from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NC A&T) who are enrolled in University of Pittsburgh’s distance learning class, “Artificial Organs,” recently made a 7-hour trek from their university to visit the Procirca Perfusion Simulation and Education Center at UPMC Shadyside.  The course is conducted by McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Harvey Borovetz, PhD, Distinguished Professor and former Chair (2002-2013) in the Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, the Robert L. Hardesty Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, a Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, a Professor – Clinical and Translational Science Institute, a University Honors College Faculty Fellow, and within the McGowan Institute, the Deputy Director of Artificial Organs and Medical Devices.

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its 2017 Scientific Retreat March 5-7, 2017. The retreat provided many opportunities to explore collaborative endeavors with other researchers, participating guests, and external partners who are working to bring regenerative medicine technologies to clinical use.  The 2017 Retreat program included technical and strategic planning sessions. The program was designed to facilitate insightful discussions and to identify opportunities for partnerships and new initiatives.

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Pediatric research is prospering in Pittsburgh through the unique, multi-institutional Pediatric Device Initiative (PDI). Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine have formed a partnership that combines the clinical strengths of one of the nation’s leading pediatric healthcare providers (CHP) and the research strengths of a global translational research and development enterprise (McGowan Institute).  Together this partnership aims to transform the status of the pediatric population that has been underserved by recent advances in treating tissue and organ failure.

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The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) Academy, now in its 9th year, will expand its summer medical research program for high school students to include additional research experiences for academy alumni currently attending college.  Three McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members will participate as mentors in the 2017 program:

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In celebration of his appointment, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Simon Watkins, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, will present his inaugural lecture on September 15, 2016, at 4:00 pm in Scaife Hall, Lecture Room 6.  The title of his presentation is “From Little Animals to Moving Molecules.”

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The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its third annual Regenerative Medicine Summer School 2016 the week of June 20, 2016.  The Summer School week, endorsed by the Society for Biomaterials and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), was initiated and led by McGowan Institute faculty member Bryan Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor with the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh with a secondary appointment in Pitt’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Dr. Brown is also the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health Scholar (NIH K12), Magee Women’s Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.

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With the goal of advancing regenerative medicine therapies, a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has received a 5-year, $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide training in biomechanical engineering principles and biology to students pursuing a doctoral degree in bioengineering.

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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine reports the creation of a new Multidisciplinary Liver Center under the leadership of Satdarshan (Paul) Singh Monga, MD, a McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member.  In combination with UPMC’s longstanding commitment to state-of-the-art clinical care for patients with an array of liver diseases, the School of Medicine is leading novel translational and basic research in many aspects of hepatic pathobiology.  Building on these existing strengths, the mission of the Liver Center will be to promote transdisciplinary research in Hepatology with a focus on liver development, growth, metabolism, injury, and repair with the expressed goal of improving the health of patients with liver disease. The Liver Center will provide a platform to enhance, enrich, and synergize scientific interactions and collaborations between various investigators in the field of liver pathobiology that are currently residing in diverse departments. The Liver Center will provide mentoring and career development opportunities, especially to early career investigators studying liver health and disease.

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McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Julie Phillippi, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health R56 “Bridge Award.”  The project is entitled “Engineered Neovascularization of Vasa Vasorum” and includes McGowan Institute faculty co-investigators Thomas Gleason, MD, associate professor of Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Vera Donnenberg, PhD, associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery in Pitt’s School of Medicine, Phil Campbell, PhD, research professor at the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (School of Engineering) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and Lee Weiss, PhD, research professor in the Robotics Institute at CMU.

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Adam McInnes, MD, was a 2014 participant in the inaugural McGowan Institute “Regenerative Medicine Summer School.” The Summer School week, endorsed by the Society for Biomaterials and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), was initiated and continues to be led by McGowan Institute faculty member Bryan Brown, PhD, Research Assistant Professor with the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh with a secondary appointment in Pitt’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences.

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CMU’s Biomedical Engineering Department to Create Heart Science Program

“This program also focuses on cardiovascular medicine,” Dr. Keith Cook said. “But it’s unique in that it focuses on the application of biomedical engineering to cardiovascular medicine.”

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Massive Weight Loss Surgery Highlighted

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Life After Weight Loss program is nationally and internationally recognized for its innovative body contouring surgical techniques following massive weight loss.  Headed by McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member J. Peter Rubin, MD, chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, UPMC Endowed Professor of Plastic Surgery, and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, who is one of the nation’s top doctors in the field and the author of a text book on the subject, the UPMC Life After Weight Loss team performs a wide range of body contouring surgeries.

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