McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members recently cmireceived grants from the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) through its 2014 Round-1 Pilot Funding Program for Early Stage Medical Technology Research and Development.

CMI, a University Center housed in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering (SSOE), supports applied technology projects in the early stages of development with “kickstart” funding toward the goal of transitioning the research to clinical adoption. Proposals are evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, technical and clinical relevance, potential health care impact and significance, experience of the investigators, and potential in obtaining further financial investment to translate the particular solution to healthcare. Since 2011, CMI has awarded over $483,000 in funding to 29 research groups.

“This is our third year of pilot funding, and our leadership team could not be more excited with the breadth and depth of this round’s awardees,” said Alan D. Hirschman, PhD, CMI Executive Director. “This early-stage interdisciplinary research helps to develop highly specific biomedical technologies through a proven strategy of linking UPMC’s clinicians and surgeons with the Swanson School’s engineering faculty.”

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty projects are:

Contained Morcellation Device:  Award to design, build, and test an improved morcellation device for laparoscopic surgery, preventing the accidental release of cancerous tissue into the body.

Pamela Moalli, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Division of Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

Alan Rosenbaum, MD, Resident Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Magee-Womens Hospital

Jeffrey Vipperman, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, SSOE

Auxetic Structures for Urogynecological Implantations:  Award to design, build, and perform in vivo testing of a new class of surgical meshes for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse without the complications of currently marketed devices.

Steven D. Abramowitch, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering, SSOE

Pamela Moalli, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Division of Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

Fade to Clear High Visibility Sutures:  Award to develop and test a new suture which is highly visible during placement and becomes transparent during patient recovery, thereby improving aesthetic outcomes.

Peter Rubin, MD, Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, UPMC Endowed Professor of Plastic Surgery, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, Co-Director of the Adipose Stem Cell Center, and Founder and Director of the Center for Innovation in Restorative Medicine in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh

Eric Beckman, PhD, George M. Bevier Professor of Engineering and Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, University of Pittsburgh

PerioMag GBR Barrier Membrane:  Award to develop a resorbable barrier membrane for faster and lower cost guided bone regeneration (GBR) in periodontal applications.

Charles Sfeir, DDS, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology with secondary appointments within the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

Andrew Brown, BS, Graduate Student Researcher, Department of Bioengineering, SSOE

Steven Little, PhD, Chair, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and Associate Professor and CNG Faculty Fellow in the Departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Bioengineering, Immunology, and Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh

Surgically Implantable Prosthesis for Prevention of Tracheobronchial Distortion after Lobar Lung Resection:  Award to develop a prosthesis to prevent bronchial kinking after removal of one or more lobes of the lung. The device will prevent post-surgical complications that impact recovery and quality of life for lung cancer patients.

James Luketich, MD, Henry T. Bahnson Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Chief of the Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Director of the Heart, Lung and Esophageal Surgery Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

William Federspiel, PhD, William Kepler Whiteford Professor in the Department of Bioengineering with secondary appointments in Chemical Engineering and Critical Care Medicine and the Director of the Medical Devices Laboratory at the McGowan Institute

Arjun Pennathur, MD, Assistant Professor Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UPMC

Diane Strollo, MD, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UPMC

Valentino Bianco, DO, Research Fellow, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UPMC

Illustration:  Center for Medical Innovation.

Read more…

Pittsburgh Business Times