Department of Plastic Surgery

Two women stand in a lab, looking down at equipment and smiling
Pitt bioengineer Kacey Marra is creating new ways to help heal nerve injuries. A speech by Christopher Reeve inspired her into the field.
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.
Lauren Kokai (left) and Kacey Marra (right) in a lab
Current treatments for long segments of nerve damage only restore about 40-60% of motor function. Pitt researchers developed the nerve guide, and their studies showed that it restored about 80% of fine motor control.