Wells Healthcare Competition: A Showcase of Innovation at Pitt

Judging 7 talented groups at the Wells Healthcare competition at Pitt last week was a great pleasure. Thank you, Priya Amin , for leading this event and to all fellow judges: Jeremy Kimmel , Parul Nisha, PhD , and Megan Kahn Shaw —big thanks to Michael Wells for supporting Pitt students for 13 years.

1st place: Organ Perfusion Flap

Shanae Butler , a PhD candidate in bioengineering at Pitt, won the 2023 Michael G. Wells Student Healthcare Competition securing $20,000. Her project, Organ Perfusion Flap, involves maintaining human skin viability for extended periods, with applications in disease modeling and drug discovery.

Below is a summary of my short interview with Shanae Butler:

A Journey of Growth:

Shanae described the event as transformative. She emphasized the intensive work and personal development involved and how the process led to a deeper understanding of their technology, transitioning it from lab-based research to clinical applicability, customer interest, and long-term sustainability.

" Wells competition was truly transformative... I can see my own personal development and the development of my Principal Investigator." - Shanae Butler

Supportive Environment: What surprised thesis the overwhelming support and investment in their success, not just in the product but as individuals.

The fact that no one wants to see you fail... everyone's really, really supportive and excited for you at the end."

Vision for the Future: When asked about their ultimate wish, the winner wanted to witness the project's peak success and its impact on clinical development.

"I want to see it at the height of its success, see how it changes the way that everyone interacts with clinical development."

Challenges and Aspirations: The following steps involve validating the model with a broader customer base to ensure more comprehensive application and influence in clinical decision-making. As it grows, the team aspires to maintain significant ownership and control over the company.

"The next step for us is to validate our technology has a broader application and has a potential for changing the direction of decisions."

Runner-Up: LimbSense

Gilgal Ansah's project,ct LimbSense focused on a system enabling amputees to feel sensations like pressure and touch from their prosthetic limbs as if coming from their missing limb.

Third Place: SimuClip:

Jatin Singh and Grant Kokenberger SimuClp, propose a biodegradable, bladed metal clip and delivery system for vasculature harvesting, aiming to improve patient outcomes by reducing vessel damage.

Honorable Mentions:

Aneurisk, Biocompatible Artificial Muscles, Delta Cuff, and 3D X-Ray were among the finalists, showcasing remarkable innovations in healthcare technology and AI applications.

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