Innovation & Research
Friday, July 19, 2019
Researchers Work to Bring Precision Medicine to Patient Prescriptions, Primary Care
With the advent of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, patients are showing up at doctors’ offices with big questions about their genes. Physicians, however, aren’t usually trained to answer them. Enter Mylynda Massart and others at Pitt.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Pitt Professor Helped Humanity Make ‘One Small Step,’ Keeps Space Research Going
As a postdoctoral researcher, Bruce Hapke helped NASA determine the consistency of the moon’s soil, which helped engineers create the proper boots, rovers and wheeled equipment for the Apollo 11 landing, which happened 50 years ago this Saturday. Hapke and others at Pitt have helped build on a legacy of space research.
Friday, July 5, 2019
Geneticist Explores Evolution’s Mysteries
Through his research as an evolutionary geneticist, Pitt’s Nathan Clark is exploring how and why genes and genomes have evolved over time.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Pittsburgh as a Human Performance City
Elite athletes and members of the military need to keep trucking in the most challenging of circumstances. Pitt scientists are looking to these super users of the human body in the search for ways to optimize human performance.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Program Supports and Encourages Breastfeeding, One Text at a Time
A text messaging program called MILK developed in the School of Nursing educates and encourages new parents who breastfeed. The lead researcher, Jill Demirci (NURS ’05, ’10G, ’12G), focuses on developing a variety of clinical and community-based interventions to help mothers meet their breastfeeding goals.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Pitt Researchers Perform University’s First In Utero Spina Bifida Surgery
Baby Emery Green Mullen, named after the lead surgeons who corrected a neural tube defect before her birth, is doing well as the first patient in Pitt history to receive in utero surgery for spina bifida.
Friday, May 31, 2019
A Smart Solution for Thermostat Wars
Powered by Pitt innovation pathways, HiberSense is a smart heating and cooling system that collects data on temperature, humidity, occupancy and air-quality and “learns” using predictive analytics to anticipate the desired temperature room by room.
Friday, May 24, 2019
Pleasant Smells Can Help Smokers Reduce Cigarette Craving, New Study Finds
In a study that expands on previous work, a team led by psychology’s Michael Sayette found reduced urges to smoke in response to pleasant smells, as well as a connection to memory.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
National, County Research Partnerships Use AI to Better Predict Opioid Overdose Risk
Walid Gellad, associate professor of medicine and health policy and director of Pitt’s Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing, is using machine-learning algorithms to predict who is at risk of opioid misuse and overdose.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Researchers Teach Adults to Read Using Pictures of Houses
In a recent study, led by chair of psychology Julie Fiez, researchers taught adults “HouseFont” — a hieroglyphic-like language based on photos of homes — then scanned the language-learning areas of participants’ brains. What they found adds to a growing body of knowledge on how adults process written languages.