McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

September 16, 2009 – Dr. Robert Bowser is the Director of the ALS Research for the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and at the Center for ALS Research at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Director of the ALS Tissue Bank where he helps to create the largest such tissue repository in the country. Dr. Bowser discusses the state of neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS and Alzheimer’s, as well as the unique challenges they present to researchers.

August 27, 2009 – Major General Gale Pollock is the executive director of the Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, a division of the UPMC Eye Center. Major General Pollock is with Corporal Mike Jernigan, a medically retired marine who lost both eyes in Iraq. They discuss the BrainPort vision system, which is currently being used by Corporal Jernigan, as well as its future.

August 20, 2009 – Dr. Bryan Tillman is an assistant professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medicine Center as well as a practicing clinician. Dr. Tillman discusses the applications of tissue engineering to construct replacement vessels for patients with peripheral vascular disease.

July 24, 2009 – Mr. Patrick Cantini, Director of Scientific Collaborations at the McGowan Institute’s Center for Industry Relations, discusses the importance and the process of establishing partnerships between the McGowan Institute and commercial enterprises and how this aids the transition from the laboratory studies to medical practice.

July 16, 2009 – Robert Kormos, MD, Director of the Artificial Heart Program, and Co-Director of Heart Transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is with a former patient, Erika Haas. They discuss Erika’s experience with a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) and how it was used as a bridge to recovery.

May 26, 2009 – Drs. Simon Watkins and Donna Beer Stolz discuss the many resources available at the Center for Biologic Imaging and the work that is done there.  Dr. Watkins is the Founder and Director of the Center for Biologic Imaging at the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Stolz is the Assistant Director at the Center.

April 22, 2009 – Eric Beckman, PhD, is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and the co-founder of Cohera Medical, Inc.  Dr. Beckman discusses the technology that is being developed at Cohera Medical, Inc. as well as the difficulties faced when starting a small company.

March 31, 2009 - Peter Wearden, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery; Director Pediatric Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Support at the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and a faculty member at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.  Joining Dr. Wearden is Dr. Joel Gradowski and Cindy Gradowski, who together discuss their son’s recent cardiac treatment and recovery through the use of a ventricular assist device.

January 23, 2009 – Major General (ret.) Gale S. Pollock is the executive director of the nation’s first Center for Ocular Regeneration and Vision Restoration (CORVR), a division of the UPMC eye center.  Major General Pollock discusses her goals for CORVR as well as current studies being done to improve quality of life for those with eye injuries and blindness.

January 2, 2009 - Sanjeev G. Shroff, PhD,  is the Associate Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh; Professor and Gerald McGinnis Chair in Bioengineering; Professor of Medicine; and Senior Investigator, Magee-Women’s Research Institute.  Dr. Shroff shares highlights of his scientific studies on vascular stiffness and cardiovascular function as well as large-scale mathematical simulations of biological systems for research, education, and engineering design.

December 2, 2008 - Dr. David Whitcomb, Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, discusses research that is pioneering alternative diagnosis and treatment for disorders of the pancreas, liver, and the intestine. Dr. Whitcomb is also the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, as well as the founder and Director of the Center for Genomic Sciences.

November 20, 2008 - Dr. Vera Donnenberg is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Pittsburgh.  Dr. Donnenberg’s research focuses on the persistent problem in cancer treatment which is cancer recurrence after an apparently successful therapy.  Cancer recurrence is mediated by a dormant and protected cancer stem/progenitor like cell. Her lab is focused on approaches that can be translated into and understanding the biologic basis for treatment failure and identifying new immunological therapeutic targets.  She introduces the concept of a cancer vaccine to address these needs.

September 4, 2008 - Dr. Newell Washburn is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His primary research interests include wound healing and bone tissue engineering though the use of biomaterials.  Dr. Washburn discusses his current studies and shares his vision on the application of emerging technologies in these areas for clinical applications.

July 29, 2008 - Dr. Joel Schuman is the Eye and Ear Foundation Professor and Chairman of Department of Ophthalmology and the director of the UPMC Eye Center.  Dr. Schuman is considered to be one of the nation’s leading authorities on the treatment of glaucoma.  He discusses diagnostic imaging and describes a new initiative via the Center for Ocular Regeneration and Vision Restoration.