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21st McGowan Institute Scientific Retreat
March 7-8, 2022
University Club
123 University Pl
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

The 2022 McGowan Institute Scientific Retreat will in-person.

To register for the retreat, please click here.

Please note: Per University of Pittsburgh policy, masks are required at all times, except when actively eating or drinking.

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Pediatric Device Innovators Forum

A part of the 2022 McGowan Retreat will include the Pediatric Device Innovators Forum (virtual).  This event will be held on March 8th, 2022 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm ET (12:00pm – 1:30pm PT).

Participation in this event is free but requires a separate registration.  See the details here.

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Poster Session

Abstracts for the poster session are available here.

The poster session has four categories: Cellular and Gene Therapy; Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials, and Computation and Modeling; and Medical Devices. Each category has prizes of:

The poster session has four categories: Cellular and Gene Therapy; Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials; Computation and Modeling; and Medical Devices. The top posters in each category will receive monetary awards, which are generously provided by Pitt sciVelo.

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Schedule

To download a printable copy of the schedule, please click here.

Monday, March 7, 2022

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Ballroom A)

Breakfast

900-9:45AM (In Person-Ballroom B)

State of the Institute/Retreat Kickoff

William Wagner, PhD
Director, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Distinguished Professor, Departments of Surgery, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM (In Person-Ballroom B)

Challenges of Biomedical Innovations and Entrepreneurship

Session Chair:
Charles Sfeir, DDS, PhD
Director, Center for Craniofacial Regeneration
Chair, Department of Periodontics and Preventative Dentistry
Associate Dean, Research, School of Dental Medicine
Associate Professor, Periodontics and Preventative Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial
Sciences; Bioengineering

Speakers:
“The Challenges of Starting a Company: What I Wish I Knew Then”
Kacey Marra, PhD
Professor, Departments of Plastic Surgery; and Bioengineering

“From Bench to Bedside, the LyGenesis Experience”
Eric Lagasse, PharmD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

“Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Tissue Regeneration Consortium”
Charles Sfeir, DDS, PhD
Director, Center for Craniofacial Regeneration
Chair, Department of Periodontics and Preventative Dentistry
Associate Dean, Research, School of Dental Medicine
Associate Professor, Periodontics and Preventative Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences; and Bioengineering

“Fly on the Wall: Confessions of a Pitt Entrepreneur in Residence”
Tony Torres
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Innovation Institute
University of Pittsburgh

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Ballroom A)

Lunch

12:45 PM – 2:00 PM (In Person-Ballroom B)

Synthetic Biology Approaches to Regenerative Medicine

Session Chair:
Andrew Duncan, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

Speakers:
“Introduction”
Andrew Duncan, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

“Synthetic Morphogenesis: Build to Understand Human-based Multicellular Systems”
Mo Ebrahimkhani, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

“Synthetic Human Livers, PLRC Approach and Services”
Alex Soto-Gutierrez, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

Combined Q&A

CATER T32 Fellows Rapid Fire Talks:

“Understanding Kidney Disease and Therapies Utilizing Kidney Organoids”
Joseph Maggiore, BS
PhD candidate
Integrative Systems Biology Graduate Program
Medical Scientist Training Program

“Understanding and Engineering Hematopoiesis Using a Genetically Engineered Fetal Liver Niche”
Ryan LeGraw, BS
PhD candidate
Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program

“Generation of Innervated Tissue Chip to Study Joint Pain”
Meagan Makarcyzk, BS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

“Targeting Stroma-Mediated Drug Resistance in HER2+ Breast Cancer”
Matthew Poskus, BS, MS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

“Modeling Human Post-Implantation Embryogenesis via a Synthetic Circuit”
Joshua Hislop, BS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM (In Person-Ballroom B)

Regenerative Rehabilitation

Session Co-Chairs:
Allison Bean, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
and
Amrita Sahu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Speakers:
“Introduction”
Allison Bean, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

“Sub-Additive and Suppressive Effects of Physical Therapy on Cell Therapy in Stroke”
Mike Modo, PhD
Professor, Department of Radiology

“Exploring the Transcriptome and Connectome for the Study of Muscle-Brain Axis”
Amrita Sahu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Combined Q&A

BiRM Trainee Rapid Fire Talks:

“Cell Mechanics of Tissue Shaping and Extrusion”
Sommer Anjum, BS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

“Use of Computational Morphometry and Modeling to Assess the Impact of Aging and Prolapse Repair on Female Pelvic Anatomy”
Shaniel Bowen, MS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

“Assessing the Macrophage-Directed 
Remodeling Kinetics of a Peripheral 
Nerve Matrix Hydrogel”
Tyler Meder, BS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program

“Engineering Rotating Apical-Out Airway Organoid for Assessing Respiratory Cilia Motility”
Piyumi Wijesekara, BS
PhD candidate
Bioengineering Graduate Program
Carnegie Mellon University

3:30 PM – 5:30 PM (In Person-Ballroom A)

Poster Session
Hors d’oeuvres and Drink

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Ballroom A)

Breakfast

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM (In Person-Ballroom B)

Cardiovascular Bioengineering

Session Chair:
Rama Mukkamala, PhD
Professor, Bioengineering and Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Speakers:
“Predictive Analytics for Critical Care”
Michael Pinsky, MD
Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine; Cardiovascular Diseases; Clinical & Translational Science, Anesthesiology; and Bioengineering

“Hospital Cardiac Output Monitoring”
Rama Mukkamala, PhD
Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine; and Bioengineering

CBPT Rapid Fire Talks:

“Cuffless Blood Pressure”
Cederick Landry, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Department of Bioengineering

“Regenerative Treatments for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm”
Ande Marini, BS
PhD Candidate
Bioengineering Department

“Oxygenator for Premature Babies”
Katelin Omecinski, BS
PhD Candidate
Bioengineering Department

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM (In Person-Ballroom B)

Overview of the Center for Military Medicine Research – Strategic Partnerships & Funding Opportunities

Session Chair:
Ron Poropatich, MD
Director, Center for Military Medicine Research
Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine; Sports Medicine and Nutrition

Speakers:
“CMMR Overview, Partnerships (MIRM, SSoE, Trauma/Transfusion, DoD, VA), Omnibus IV Update, and Upcoming Meetings”
Ron Poropatich, MD
Director, Center for Military Medicine Research Professor, Departments of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine; Sports Medicine and Nutrition

“Building Partnerships to Achieve Innovations”
Eva Lai, PhD
Director for Partnerships and Innovations
Swanson School of Engineering

“Employing DoD SBIR/STTR Funding to Commercialize Your Tech”
Jan Berkow, MBA
Program Manager for Commercialization, Center for Military Medicine Research

“Overview of the Center for Military Medical Research Community Engagement”
Ann Gleeson, MS
Managing Director, Center for Military Medicine Research

“Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center (TTMRC)”
Philip Spinella, MD Associate Medical Director, Center for Military Medicine Research
Co-Director, Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center
Professor, Surgery and Critical Care Medicine

Discussion to Follow Presentations

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Ballroom A)

Lunch

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (Online)

* Requires Separate Registration Here: https://www.pdiforum.org/ *

Pediatric Device Trial Infrastructure: Clinical investigation of an implantable pediatric ventricular assist device – NHLBI PumpKIN (Pumps for Kids Infants and Neonates) Trial

Panel Members:
Harvey Borovetz, PhD (chair)
Distinguished Professor, Department of Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh

Ashley Magnavita, MPH, PMP
PumpKIN contact of record, www.clinicaltrials.gov
Clinical Trial Monitoring & Protocol Design
Director, Clinical Research Project Management, HealthCore

Kurt Dasse, PhD
Member, NIH Executive Committee for the PumpKIN Program
President, VADovations, Inc.

Tim Baldwin, PhD
Former Deputy Chief of Advanced Technologies & Surgery Branch, NHLBI Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Program Officer for PumpKIN
Senior Staff Fellow/Reviewer, Circulatory Support Devices Team, FDA

Richard Schaub, PhD
PumpKIN Site Support Center Preparedness & Bioengineering Pump Management
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
Sr. Director of Artificial Heart Program, UPMC
Sr. Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, Procirca

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Please watch this page for program updates 

Program Committee:
Bryan Brown – Chair
Andy Duncan
Lainey Becker
Rebecca Bauroth
Patrick Cantini
John Murphy
Stanley Stachelek

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