The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has selected three Pitt professors among 83 academic inventors for the 2022 class of NAI Senior Members. They are:
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Antonio D’Amore, research assistant professor, surgery and bioengineering and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
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Cecelia Yates, associate professor, health promotion & development, School of Nursing
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Maliha Zahid, assistant professor, developmental biology
NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions who have demonstrated remarkable innovation producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization.
“I am thrilled that these Pitt innovators are being recognized for their extraordinary commitment to making an impact on the world through the commercialization of their discoveries,” said Evan Facher, vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship and director of the Innovation Institute. “The common thread for this year’s cohort of Pitt NAI Senior Member inductees is that not only are they passionate about bringing their own ideas to life, but they are also equally dedicated to cultivating the next generation of innovators through their mentorship activities.”
D’Amore is a pioneer in developing tissue-engineered heart valves, vascular grafts and cardiac patches.
Yates has already participated in the creation of three startup companies aimed at stopping and even reversing the progression of fibrosis.
Zahid launched a startup, Vivasc Therapeutics Inc., in 2019 and serves as chief scientific officer. The company is initially focused on the treatment of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.
Read more about their research on the Innovation Institute website.