Pitt bioengineer Kacey Marra is creating new ways to help heal nerve injuries. A speech by Christopher Reeve inspired her into the field.

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.

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.