university of pittsburgh center for medical innovation

CMI VISIONThe vision of the CMI is to establish an internationally recognized center for developing innovative medical technologies, educating students, and facilitating commercialization.

CMI MISSIONThe mission of CMI has three essential components:

■ Research: To provide an organizational structure to link engineering faculty, clinicians, and students at the University of Pittsburgh, and to fund early-stage development of innovative biomedical technologies.

■ Education: To educate the next generation of innovators in the design, development, and commercialization of medical technologies through classroom and hands-on experiences in cooperation with the schools of Engineering, Health Sciences, Business, and Law.

■ Development: To facilitate the translation of innovative biomedical technologies into marketable products, services, and business ventures in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute, Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI), and the Coulter Translational Research Partnership.

Structure

The CMI promotes collaborations among University of Pittsburgh clinicians and engineers which are likely to result in improvements to healthcare. A multi-disciplinary CMI leadership team is in place to manage the process. Seed money will be available to clinician-engineer teams whose collaborative project proposals are successfully reviewed and approved by CMI.

Educational Program

CMI will offer, through the Swanson School’s Department of Bioengineering, two options for a Professional Masters degree, and a new graduate Certificate in Medical Product Innovation. Additionally, engineering graduate students may participate in courses and innovation projects as part of their dissertation work. Medical students will be able to satisfy School of Medicine research requirements through participation in CMI sponsored projects. Courses in innovation and entrepreneurship already offered through the Swanson School of Engineering, the Katz School of Business, and the School of Law will be available to all students interested in medical innovation. Multi-disciplinary student teams (including graduate students in engineering and business, as well as law and medicine) will work with engineering faculty, clinicians, and industry advisors to develop innovative medical technologies through the prototype stage.

Visit us at engineering.pitt.edu/cmi continued on other side > > >

University of Pittsburgh Center for Medical InnovationBenedum Hall | 3700 O’Hara Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15261

412-624-1177 cmi@pitt.edu

The Center for Medical Innovation at the Swanson School of Engineering is a collaboration among the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the Innovation Institute, and the Coulter Translational Research Partnership II (CTRP). CMI was established in 2011 to promote the application and development of innovative biomedical technologies to clinical problems; to educate the next generation of innovators in cooperation with the schools of Engineering, Health Sciences, Business, and Law; and to facilitate the translation of innovative biomedical technologies into marketable products and services. Over 50 early-stage projects have been supported by CMI with a total investment of over $900,000 since inception.

University of Pittsburgh Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) DirectorsALAN D. HIRSCHMAN, PhDExecutive Director, CMIProfessor of Bioengineering Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

RAKIE CHAM, PhDAssociate Director, CMIAssociate Professor, Department of Bioengineering Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

TRACY (XINYAN) CUI, PhDAssociate Director, CMI Research ProgramsAssociate Professor and Bicentennial Alumni Faculty Fellow Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh

KILICHAN GURLEYIK, DSCAssociate Director, Educational Programs, CMIVisiting Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

JANICE L. PANZA, PhDAssociate Director, Business Development, CMITechnology Licensing Manager University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute

JOHN PATZER II, PhDEngineering Program Director, CMIAssociate Professor, Departments of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering and Surgery Artificial Liver & Education in Medical Device Design Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

PAUL J. PETROVICH, CPAAssociate Director, Technology Protection and Assessment, CMIAssistant Director, Technology Commercialization University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute

TATUM V. TARIN, MDAssociate Director, Clinical Affairs, CMIAssistant Professor, Urology School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

DONALD TAYLOR, PhD, MBAAssociate Director, Entrepreneurship, CMIAdjunct Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

CHRISTOPHER M. UBINGERAssociate Director, Industry Relations, CMIAssociate Director, Corporate Relations University of Pittsburgh

JONATHAN P. VANDE GEEST, PhDAssociate Director, CMISoft Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory (STBL) Professor, Department of Bioengineering Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

DAVID A. VORP, PhDAssociate Dean for Research, Swanson School of EngineeringWilliam Kepler Whiteford Professor Professor of Bioengineering, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Surgery Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

RepresentativesSUSAN K. COHEN, PhDSchool of Business Representative, CMIAssociate Professor of Business Administration Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh

MAX FEDOR, MBACoulter Program Representative, CMIDirector, Coulter TPII Program University of Pittsburgh

ROBERT KORMOS, MDClinical Representative, CMIDirector, UPMC Artificial Heart Program Co-Director, UPMC Heart Transplantation Program Associate Director, Residency program for the UPMC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Medical Director, Vital Engineering

JOHN S. MAIER, MD, PhD School of Medicine Representative, CMIDirector of Research and Development Department of Family Medicine, UPMC

BRIAN VIDICBusiness Representative, CMIExecutive Director, Office of Research Operations and Business Engagement

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

2016 ROUND-2 PILOT FUNDING | AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

The University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) awarded grants totaling $77,500 to four research groups through its 2016 Round-2 Pilot Funding Program for Early Stage Medical Technology Research and Development. The latest funding proposals include a new technology for treatment of diabetes, a medical device for treating patients requiring emergent intubation, an innovative method for bone regeneration, and a novel approach for implementing vascular bypass grafts.

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.

2016 ROUND-2 CMI PILOT FUNDING AWARDEES

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

PREVIOUSLY AWARDED PILOT FUNDING

2016 PILOT FUNDING AWARDS

Round-1AWARD 1 – Electro-targeted Vascular

Access: A Novel Way to Quickly and Accurately Place Peripheral and Central Venous Catheters

AWARD 2 – VASFAS (Ventriculo-Amniotic Shunt for Fetal Aqueductal Stenosis)

AWARD 3 – I-HITS: Individualized Hand Improvement and Tracking System After Stroke

AWARD 4 – Minimally Invasive Delivery of Therapeutic Cells to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

AWARD 5 – Reducing Alloimmunization and Sickle Crisis in SCD Patients Using a Novel Method of Replacing HbS with Donor Hb in Patient’s RBCs

AWARD 6 – A Motorized Flexible Arm Retractor for Open Abdominal Surgery

2015 PILOT FUNDING AWARDS

Round-2AWARD 1 – Self-Cleaning Smart

Antibacterial Surfaces

AWARD 2 – Esophocclude: Temporary Occlusion of the Esophagus in Patients Requiring Emergent Intubation

AWARD 3 – Controlled Release, Gel-based Ear Drops for Treatment of Otitis Media

AWARD 4 – RegenMatrix: Collagen-mimetic Bioactive Hydrogels for Bone Regeneration

The information printed in this document was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing and is subject to change at any time at the University’s sole discretion.

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. 02/2017

Details of this program and other CMI related information can be found at engineering.pitt.edu/cmi

“This is our fifth 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 and students.”

AWARD 1George Gittes, MDDepartment of Surgery University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Kathryn Whitehead, PhDDepartment of Chemical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University (Secondary appointment at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine)

FOR: Intrapancreatic Lipid Nanoparticles to Treat Diabetes

Award for development and testing of use of lipid nanoparticle technology for the treatment of diabetes.

AWARD 2Philip Carullo, MD Resident, PGY-1 Department of Anesthesiology University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

Youngjae Chun, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering Department of Bioengineering (Secondary) University of Pittsburgh

FOR: The Esophocclude: Medical Device for temporary occlusion of the esophagus in patients requiring emergent intubation

Continuation award for further refinement of the Esophocclude Medical Device using human cadaver testing to simulate emergency intubation.

AWARD 3Shilpa Sant, PhDAssistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Bioengineering University of Pittsburgh

Akhil Patel, MSGraduate Student, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Pittsburgh

Yadong Wang, PhDProfessor, Department of Bioengineering University of Pittsburgh

Sachin Velankar, PhDAssociate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering University of Pittsburgh

Charles Sfeir, DDS, PhDAssociate Professor, Department of Oral Biology University of Pittsburgh

FOR: RegenMatrix: Collagen-mimetic Bioactive Hydrogels for Bone Regeneration

Continuation award for fully automating the hydrogel fabrication process, for animal studies and for fine-tuning related innovations.

AWARD 4Sachin Velankar, PhDDepartment of Chemical Engineering University of Pittsburgh

Luka Pocivavsek MD PhDDepartment of Surgery University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Edith Tzeng, MDDepartment of Surgery University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Robert Kormos, MDDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

FOR: TopoGraft 2.0: Anti-platelet surfaces for bypass grafts and artificial hearts using topo-graphic surface actuation

Continuation award for in-vivo validating of results and developing a new approach for topographic actuation of the inner lumen of synthetic bypass grafts.