Research Fueling the Eds Meds Economy
The following is a sampling of the many cutting-edge technology and research programs and facilities at Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, and UPMC.
Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation,
Education and Research (WISER)
Part of the University of Pittsburgh, WISER is one of the world’s largest and most advanced health care simulation centers. Using life-like, computerized mannequins that "breathe, bleed, cough and cry," the center trains more than 3,500 health care professionals annually at all career and training levels. With a focus on improving patient safety at UPMC, WISER helps participants to learn specific procedures such as placement of intravenous lines, and the decision-making skills needed in challenging medical scenarios.
Biomedical Science Tower 3 (BST3)
The University of Pittsburgh’s Biomedical Science Tower 3 (BST3) is evidence of the region’s growing biotech industry. Built in 2005, the $205.5 million state-of-the-art research facility houses some 50 laboratories and approximately 500 scientists, graduate students, and technicians engaged in such fields as molecular genetics, cellular biology, and biochemistry. Their research will result in new advanced medical therapies that are destined to help patients for years to come.
Center for Global Health
The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Global Health provides a unifying framework for global health research and scholarship at Pitt. Its mission is to effectively address health issues that affect populations around the world.
Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute
Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute is a leader in autonomous mobile robots, computer vision, human-robot interaction, locomotion and real-world applications of robotic technology in mining, agriculture and manufacturing. One of the largest robotics education and research organizations in the world, the institute has an annual research budget of more than $55 million. The institute's more than 300 faculty, staff, and students are working on more than 100 projects.
Entertainment Technology Center
At Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, students draw on every bit of their imaginations as they develop interactive video games, robots, and virtual worlds. Co-founded by Don Marinelli and the late Randy Pausch, who became famous for a life-affirming online lecture and book titled The Last Lecture, the ETC tour showcases the dreams brought to life by artists and technologists. While there, walk into a world that includes chats with a Ben Franklin simulation and Quasi, an animatronic robot, or linger on a starship’s deck and meet some of tomorrow’s innovators who want to entertain, inform, and inspire.
Pitt Green Research
The University of Pittsburgh is a leader of Pittsburgh’s transition from one of the world’s most heavily industrialized cities to a model of green, post-industrial adaptation. Pitt researchers investigate and apply more sustainable methods for powering and building societies. Ongoing projects range from developing local, small-scale hydroelectric power to constructing buildings from bamboo. The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation is Pitt’s center for designing applications for sustainable communities and lifestyles.
Center for Energy
Researchers in Pitt’s Center for Energy are answering the call for more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly energy solutions.
Quality of Life Technology Center
The mission of the Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Center is to create intelligent systems that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live independently. This partnership of Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh was designated by the National Science Foundation in 2006 as one of its prestigious Engineering Research Centers and given the charter to conduct transformative research, commercialize disruptive products, and educate people of all ages and ability about the needs for and applications of technology in everyday life.
The Intelligent Workplace
Carnegie Mellon researchers are tackling the problems of making the world a more sustainable place on a variety of fronts, searching for ways to reduce pollution, generate cleaner energy, build greener buildings, and drive more fuel-efficient cars. An example of those efforts is the Intelligent Workplace, an office of the future.