
WVU, Pitt, and CMU Lead Regional Consortium Selected as NSF Semifinalist for Transformative Energy Initiative
A regional innovation consortium led by West Virginia University (WVU), the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and United States Research Impact Alliance (USRIA), has been selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines $160M funding opportunity aimed at driving economic transformation through technological innovation.

NSF Grant to Improve Nanomanufacturing
While nanoscale manufacturing is essential for many emerging devices, the process can be unpredictable and difficult to simulate and predict. Researchers Mostafa Bedewy, in the Swanson School of Engineering, and Ahmed Aziz Ezzat, at Rutgers University, are seeking to advance understanding of how machine learning can improve the manufacturing of high-density carbon nanotubes using nanoparticle seeds as a catalyst.
$6.4M NIH Grant for Complementary and Integrative Health Research
The University of Pittsburgh received a $6.4M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a virtual research resource center that is designed to train, support and mentor complementary and integrative health researchers from other institutions across the United States.
Utilizing AI to Transform Health Care
A new initiative from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Vizzhy Inc., a global leader in artificial intelligence, aims to transform and revolutionize health care by leveraging AI technology to scale disease management and reduce costs.
$10 Million Investment from Leidos to Accelerate AI Tools in Health Care
The University of Pittsburgh and the technology company Leidos announced a $10 million partnership to advance Pitt’s Computational Pathology and AI Center of Excellence (CPACE). This partnership merges academic excellence and technological innovation, acting as a catalyst to expand Pitt’s impact in applying AI to health care—both regionally and beyond.
Pitt and CMU Team Selected for $80M Initiative to Study Sensorimotor Interactions
The newly launched Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE) will unite leading scientists across neuroscience and machine learning to discover how the brain performs sensorimotor interactions. Among the six interdisciplinary teams selected for this 10-year initiative are Aaron Batista, Swanson School of Engineering and Xaq Pitkow, Carnegie Mellon University Neuroscience Institute.
Study Reveals How the Brain Interprets Changes in Voice Pitch
In a first-of-its kind study between the University of Pittsburgh, Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researchers reveal how the Heschl’s gyrus region of the brain, known for early auditory processing, plays a far greater role in interpreting speech than previously understood.
Improving Railway Safety through AI Simulation
A Pitt team used the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center’s flagship Bridges-2 supercomputer to simulate how the increase and decrease of rail temperatures affect the vibration of the rail itself.
Building a Better Teacher: IDEA Lab is Modernizing Medical Education
Marie K. Norman, founder and director of Pitt’s Innovative Design for Education and Assessment (IDEA) Lab, believes anyone can become a better teacher. Her work moves Pitt into the forefront of cutting-edge ways to design engaging instruction for learners at all levels.
New Device for Treating Fetal Hydrocephalus Funded
A multidisciplinary team led by Stephen Emery, School of Medicine, and Youngjae Chun, Swanson School of Engineering, received $2.3M from the National Institutes of Health to fast-track the development of a device for treating fetal hydrocephalus, an accumulation of excess cerebral spinal fluid that can lead to physical disabilities or death.
Creating a Biodegradable Nerve Stimulator to Treat Chronic Pain
Three Pitt researchers teamed up to launch Vanish Therapeutics Inc., bringing a biodegradable nerve stimulator that treats chronic pain to market. Trent Emerick, School of Medicine and Swanson School of Engineering, teamed up with Swanson researchers Xinyan (Tracy) Cui and Kevin Woeppel to create a chronic pain solution that lasts longer than a nerve block, but has fewer risks and side effects than a permanent implant.
Pitt Researchers Discuss Risks of “Mirror Bacteria”
Vaughn Cooper and Tim Hand, School of Medicine, are part of a global team of researchers that published new findings in the journal Science on potential risks from the development of mirror bacteria—synthetic organisms in which all molecules have reversed chirality (i.e. are “mirrored”).
The Return of Benjamin Lay
The concept of ”history from below” is an attempt to create historical narratives built on common people’s lived experiences rather than events driven by generals, rulers, and famous names—particularly telling stories through perspective of marginalized people.

Pitt Faculty Featured in Highly Cited Researchers List
Twenty-four Pitt faculty members have been named Highly Cited Researchers™, an increase from 23 last year. The University of Pittsburgh ranks among the Top 50 global organizations by total awards received in 2024. This highlights the quality and expertise of the researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
