Translational Research Outcomes at Pitt
In 2013, the Program joined forces with Babs Carryer’s
Benchtop2Bedside Class on translational research and commercialization, open to
faculty investigators as well as law, business, health sciences, and
engineering students. This led to an explosion of interest in the Program. An
incredible 15 projects participated in the class, treading the path from
scientific discovery to commercial success, culminating in a pitch to the
Oversight Committee. Many learned hard lessons about reimbursement limitations,
legal issues, and biomedical business models along the way, and became better
innovators as a result. The Committee chose to fully fund the two “seed”
projects from last year, Theragel and MatriDisc, and two new projects, listed
below.
2013 Funded Projects
MatriDisc: Scaffold for temporomandibular joint regeneration
Theragel: Hydrogel coating to reduce implant infections
Skinject: Drug delivery patch for skin cancer
FootStim: Neuromodulation therapy for overactive bladder
