Innovation & Research

A woman in glasses and a black top holds a ear-shaped device to her head
It’s only fair that the Pitt Innovation Challenge would itself need to innovate. Find out which projects won this year’s competition—which awarded nearly $500,000—and how participants adjusted to a virtual event.
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If you missed yesterday’s panel discussion on rolling out a vaccine for COVID-19, watch the recording here, or read highlights from a wide-ranging discussion.
A man in a light blue shirt leaning against a reflective surface
Pitt’s Jonas Salk Chair for Vaccine Research explains why we need multiple candidate vaccines, what’s special about SARS-CoV-2 and why he’s hopeful about the future.
A man in a white shirt
When Jonas Salk and his Pitt team, supported by March of Dimes, tackled the polio pandemic, they came up with creative ways to make and distribute the vaccine. Dr. Rahul Gupta of March of Dimes explains why that sort of approach is needed to eradicate COVID-19 today.
A man in a gray-brown jacket and a light collared shirt and dark tie
At Pitt, the MiGEL Lab and its robot liquid handler play a major role in processing surveillance testing samples. Learn how samples are pooled, tested and sequenced to help in the battle against COVID-19.
A man in a dark shirt with headphones in, on a video chat
Peter Salk was 11 years old when a University of Pittsburgh team led by his father, the late Jonas Salk, created the inactivated poliovirus vaccine. Today, at 76, he’s back in the spotlight as researchers around the world race to develop new vaccines to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
A person walks alone on a sidewalk in foggy weather beneath street lamps
As Americans continue to social distance, conditions such as seasonal affective disorder could make winter especially hard, says psychology’s Kathryn Roecklein. Read about her work and her tips for taking care of yourself.
A black and white photo of a surgery
“Burden of Genius,” a documentary that came to life in Carl Kurlander’s classroom, will receive the Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Award tonight.
A man in a blue jacket and white dress shirt
In addition to his research on policy and wheelchair access, Mark Schmeler recently joined the City-County Task Force on Disability to study unconscious bias toward people with disabilities.
A small dog on a table, and a healthcare professional holding an oxygen mask to its face
With the help of an influential professor, Blake Dubé’s (ENGR ’17) portable oxygen company won several innovation competitions at Pitt and has now spun into a new market: helping pets.