Innovation & Research

Friday, May 3, 2019
Historian Bridges Gap in Understanding Neglected Tropical Diseases
Mari Webel will continue her work that melds history and public health as Pitt’s first-ever Andrew W. Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellow.

Friday, April 26, 2019
New Pitt Supercomputer to Launch Into Space
A novel supercomputer developed by a University of Pittsburgh team is set to journey to the International Space Station, continuing a NASA partnership meant to improve Earth and space science.

Monday, April 8, 2019
Compounding Privileges in White, Affluent Neighborhoods Drive Urban Inequality
In her most recent paper, Pitt sociologist Junia Howell explores an understudied driver of inequity: the hoarding of educational resources and opportunity in middle- and upper-middle class neighborhoods.

Friday, April 5, 2019
For Those Too Tired to Brush
For people traveling, in the military, without access to water — or just too exhausted to get out of bed — skipping the toothbrush for a day is sometimes inevitable. Pitt undergrads Lauren Yocum and Emily Siegel's winning pitch for a biodegradable chewing gum that kills bacteria and removes and prevents plaque could bridge the gap.

Friday, March 29, 2019
Keeping an Eye on AI: Pitt Engineer Examines the Future of Intelligent Machines
Engineering researcher Ervin Sejdic studies the rapidly evolving technology and potential applications of artificial intelligence in machines, whether in health sciences or self-driving vehicles.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019
New Program Combats Opioid Crisis, Promotes Better Back Pain Management
Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences designed the Primary Spine Practitioner Certification Program to bring together two groups that are often at odds — physical therapists and chiropractors — to help patients with spinal problems.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019
A New Wrinkle on Vascular Implants
An undergraduate research project in the Swanson School of Engineering sent alumnus Joe Pugar (’17) in a new career direction, as CEO of startup company Aruga Technologies.

Friday, March 1, 2019
‘You Are Fantastic! Pick Ugly Produce!’
In a series of studies, Jillian Hmurovic, a doctoral candidate at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, and colleagues found that boosting consumer self-esteem increased how much people were willing to pay for oddly shaped produce.

Friday, February 15, 2019
Social Work Researcher Makes Connection Between Pet Ownership and Wellness
A team led by Pitt’s Mary Beth Rauktis surveyed area food banks and found that patrons with pets had fewer food security issues than those without, though some pet owners also cut down on their own meals to feed their furry friends.

Friday, February 8, 2019
Researcher Probes How Viruses Hack Cells
Pitt virologist Terence Dermody thinks of cells like little factories. He and a team of doctoral students are working to decode how viruses can disrupt the assembly line.