The University of Pittsburgh is a national and global leader in life sciences research. Its 2023 research expenditures reached $1.16 billion, with a substantial portion devoted to the life sciences. It earned $675M in NIH grants in 2022, ranking third in the nation.

The Pittsburgh region offers the perfect ecosystem for life sciences innovation and commercialization. It counts 5,800+ life science and healthcare establishments that include a mix of large, established medtech manufacturers as well as start-ups and early-stage growth companies.   

Pitt is also a global leader in its ability to translate this research into inventions (Pitt is top 20 inventive Universities worldwide 2023, according to the National Academy of Inventors) and into start-ups and licenses that bring these innovations to patients: 150 licensing and option agreements including 13 start-ups.

Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh

Pitt’s Department of Bioengineering (Pitt BioE) consistently ranks in the top departments nationwide: 6th ranked public, top 25 all US schools (US News & World Report, 2023-2024 Edition, America’s Best Graduate Schools). Successful collaboration and translation is institutionally embedded in the Department’s culture since its inception 25 years ago, and also practiced by its faculty through their research initiatives.

"These deep working and collaborative relationships are utilized by Pitt BioE students for internships, career coaching, co-op experiences, and employment, and provide a fertile ground for potentially becoming a co-founder of your own start-up."

-Program Director Pratap Khanwilkar, PhD

Center for Medical Innovation

Pitt BioE is the focal point of developing and translating Pitt’s know-how into useful therapies and diagnostics. Since 2011, department-led university-wide programs have sponsored 81 ($5000-$25,000 support/project) concepts that have promoted engineering-clinician collaboration through the Center for Medical Innovation (CMI). Even though early-stage, CMI-supported projects has led to 9 start-ups and 4 licenses to established companies.

These companies are:

• Aneurisk
  • Allows artificial intelligence to be coupled with CT scans and other patient data to improve the prognosis and management of abdominal aortic aneurysms. 
• Respair
  • A Pittsburgh-based medical device company that uilds innovative airway products to support clinicians and patients in critical care environments. 
• Biocarpet
  • A filly biodegradable electrospun sheet that will treat peripheral artery disease.
• Popsole
  • Dedicated to finding innovative solutions to hasten healing, limit foot pain and promote comfortable mobility for all.
• VitalDent
• Aruga
  • Vascular graft and shunt designs engineered to mimic native arteries and prevent thombrosis. 
• Fibrokine Peptides
• Thermaquil
  • Drug-free nerve block devices.
• Occuderm
• Interaction
• GrekTek
  • A revolutionary wearable system to detect, monitor, and manage heart conditions like atrial fibrillation. 
• Atlas
• Hearing for Health

Coulter@Pitt

Also, 39 later-stage projects ($100,000 -$250,000 support per project) through the Coulter Translational Research Partnership II Program (2011-2022) initiated by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation (Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program recipients), with Coulter@Pitt’s translational outcomes as being best in its cohort of universities, and its courseware adapted by the National Institute of Health for some of its Small Business Innovation Research Grant and other funding mechanisms applicants.

Being later-stage and focused on significant de-risking over the course of Coulter@Pitt support, over 40% of Coulter@Pitt projects have gone on to experience a commercialization event (startup formation, license, or option):

• Attracted over 260 applications primarily covering medical devices, drug delivery systems, health IT and diagnostics
• Funded 39 projects and 76 principal investigators with $3.5 million in direct grant support.
• Enabled formation of 10 licensed startups that have attracted $21 million in funding to the new companies.
• Enabled 5 licenses and 2 additional options to companies/accelerators.
• Directly and indirectly impacted 130+ students and 38 departments across Pitt.

Coulter@Pitt start-ups (some were supported in earlier-stage by CMI) are:

• Atlas MedTech (also supported earlier by CMI), Founder/CEO Joe Marcanio
• ThreadRite IV, founder Niall Sweeney
• PerioMag GBR
• Neurogel, Founder/CEO Lorenzo Soletti
• Koutif Therapeutics
  • Aims to develop therapuetic compounds that inhibit the inflammatory cascade in a unique manner.
• Lumis
  • Aims to disrupt traditional clinical and healthcare training experienceby making it more immersive, accessible, and efficient. 
• Neurospur
• SkinJect
  • The device comprises a dissolvable microneedle array (MNA) to deliver a drug directly into the top layer of skin. The drug will kill non-melanoma skin cancer by causing an immune systerm reaction to combat the disease. 
• FormaBone
• NanoVision Diagnostics

Opportunities for MS-MPE Students

For MS-MPE students to looking to get involved, innovation and entrepreneurship competitions and award programs abound, and our students have always had significant participation and often come out as winners. Instances include the PINCH competition (Pitt INnovation Challenge) led by Pitt’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Big Idea Center, which supports student innovation and entrepreneurship.

These programs select, mentor, and facilitate working relationships between bioengineers, clinicians, and industry. As a result of these translational efforts, Pitt BioE has deep relationships world-class advisors from domains such as venture capital, angel investors, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, marketing, clinical trials, reimbursement, and entrepreneurship.