Education

Eva Lai, PhD, made a site visit to the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 when she was building a national research program for regenerative medicine for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to address wounded warriors’ injuries. The program was the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) that resulted in over $200 million in research investments. AFIRM, a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary network working to develop advanced treatment options for our severely wounded servicemen and women, is ongoing. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Director William Wagner, PhD, is its Chief Science Officer in the collaborative AFIRM effort of the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the McGowan Institute. Read More

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

The experts at the UPMC Mercy Burn Center join the American Burn Association (ABA) in observing National Burn Awareness Week, Feb. 6-12. ABA’s theme this year is “Burning Issues in the Kitchen” as 47% of all home fires are caused by cooking mishaps. According to the American Red Cross, fires break out year-round, but the majority in the United States occur during winter — when conditions for battling them are likely to be at their worst. Read More

A new, multi-institutional MS-to-PhD program will help strengthen collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) campuses and expand access to graduate education in the growing fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, and neural engineering. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Douglas Weber, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering and neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University, is a co-principal investigator of this program along with Gelsy Torres-Oviedo, PhD, associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Read More

Elizabeth Wayne, PhD, is a McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member, a Biomedical Engineer at Carnegie Mellon University, a TED Fellow, and advocate for women in higher education. Dr. Wayne’s areas of expertise include biomedical engineering, cancer, gene delivery, nanomedicine, and STEM education. Read More

It’s good to walk every day. This form of exercise is a very effective way to enjoy our vitality. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Urszula Zdanowicz, MD, a surgeon/specialist in orthopedics and sports medicine at the Carolina Medical Center in Poland, explains why it is worth walking, how it affects our health, and whether it is necessary to prepare for it. Read More

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Pathology Research Seminar series will resume in September with the first seminar for the fall to be held Wednesday, September 15 @ noon. Read More

This year, 20 projects were selected for 2021 Seed Grant Program, and a project of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Rory Cooper, PhD, FISA and Paralyzed Veterans of America Professor and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology and Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, was one of the projects funded. Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member J. Peter Rubin, MD, FACS, Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, the UPMC Endowed Professor of Plastic Surgery, Director of UPMC Wound Healing Services, and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, was recently interviewed by Olga Villaverde, the host of Dr. Q&A of AllHealthTV.com.  Dr. Rubin answered many medical questions from Ms. Villaverde and viewers. Read More

The third Saturday in May marks National Armed Forces Day. Here are some In the News articles which detail the ways in which the research of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members supports members of the military community: Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Shawn Bengtson, RQAP-GLP, Director, Quality Assurance-Quality Systems Programs, with the assistance of Nika Hazen, Quality Systems Development Manager, played a key role in the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research’s (CVR’s) pursuit of improved COVID-19 medical countermeasures and therapeutic technologies. Read More

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine held its 2021 Scientific Retreat March 9, 10, and 11, 2021.  Due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Retreat was virtual with all programs presented via Zoom. Read More

In 2019, the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory formed a research partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Read More

Yoram Vodovotz, PhD, Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, and faculty member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Michael Parkinson, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Director of Health and Productivity, UPMC Health Plan & Workpartners, University of Pittsburgh, recently published a piece in The Conversation related to their work issued in the scientific journal Frontiers in Medicine.  The latter journal article is the recommendations from the Lifestyle Medicine Research Summit held in Pittsburgh which had the goal to review current status and define research priorities in the six core areas of lifestyle medicine: plant-predominant nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, addictive behaviors, and positive psychology/social connection.  The Conversation piece is republished below. Read More

With a passion for research, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member MaCalus Hogan, MD, MBA, is interested in musculoskeletal regenerative medicine with a focus on tendon, ligament, and cartilage bioengineering. He is currently directing the Foot and Ankle Injury Research Group and co-directs the Musculoskeletal Growth and Regeneration Lab. Read More

A physician-scientist is a holder of a degree in medicine and science who invests significant time and professional effort in scientific research and spends correspondingly less time in direct clinical practice compared to other physicians. Physician-scientists are often employed by academic or research institutions and may focus their clinical practices on very specialized patient populations, such as those with rare genetic diseases or rare cancers. Although they are a minority of both practicing physicians and active research scientists, physician-scientists are often cited as playing a critical role in translational medicine and clinical research, connecting biomedical research findings to health care applications.¹ Read More

The 7th Annual Regenerative Medicine Summer School was held virtually June 8-12, 2020, due to COVID-19.  The program is led by Bryan Brown, PhD, Director of Educational Outreach, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.  Dr. Brown is also Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. Read More

COVID-19 is highlighted in a newly updated board game, “You Make Me Sick,” to teach students about the immune system, infectious diseases, and good health practices. Read More

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: Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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

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. Read More

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. Read More