The Pitt innovation and entrepreneurship community gathered to herald the accomplishments of Pitt innovators and regional businesses that are translating their ideas and innovations into marketable products and services that make a difference in people’s lives and drive economic growth.
The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted the Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship November 12, 2024, at the Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh University Center.
“This is the one day we set aside each year to pause briefly from the daily whirlwind of invention disclosure submissions, patent filings, pitch competitions, entrepreneurship education programs, mentorship and coaching consultations, license negotiations, industry outreach, and so much more – to reflect on the impact that Pitt innovators and regional business owners are making on our economy and the world at large,” said Evan Facher, Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Associate Dean for Commercial Translation at the Pitt School of Medicine.
In addition to recognizing all faculty and students who submitted an invention disclosure, were issued a U.S. patent or had their innovation licensed, there were seven special awards presented:
Marlin Mickle Outstanding Innovator Award
DANIEL BUYSSE
The Marlin Mickle Outstanding Innovator award is presented to a Pitt faculty member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to innovation throughout a distinguished career. Daniel Buysse is Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science and UPMC Endowed Chair in Sleep Medicine. Buysse’s research focuses on sleep assessment and patient-reported outcomes, evaluation and treatment of insomnia, and sleep in aging. Early in his career, while sleep research was in its infancy, his colleagues asked him to develop a questionnaire for the self-reporting of sleep quality to be used when exploring different interventions. His work produced what became known as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
The PSQI has become the gold standard for measuring sleep quality for academic studies and clinical studies conducted by pharmaceutical companies. The index has been translated into more than 50 languages. The paper outlining the PSQI has been cited more than 10,000 times on PubMed and 36,000 times on Google Scholar. In 2010, he worked with the Pitt Innovation Institute to trademark the index. Since then it has become one of the most licensed pieces of intellectual property in the University’s history. Buysse and his colleagues have developed several other sleep measurement tools that have been licensed. He has also created a behavioral treatment for insomnia. Buysse is widely recognized as a pioneer in his field and recently received the University of Oxford Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Academic Medal.
Emerging Innovator Award
YUAN LIU
The Emerging Innovator award is presented to an early-to-mid-career Pitt faculty member who has demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to innovation commercialization. Yuan Liu is assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and has an appointment to the University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute. Her lab is interested in small molecule therapeutic development targeting ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation in age-related diseases. Protein degradation is a natural process for cells to break down unwanted proteins into small peptides and amino acids for recycling to make new proteins. This process is implicated in many disease conditions. Liu works to develop therapeutics to change the protein degradation process and modulate the course of a specific disease state. In 2023, she was one of four faculty members from the Aging Institute to receive grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation with her project focused on late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
She is a cofounder of Generian Pharmaceuticals Inc., launched by UPMC Enterprises in 2020. In 2022, Generian formed a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Mitobridge, a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., for the discovery and development of novel small molecules for therapeutic targets for diseases that have limited treatment options.
Student Innovator of the Year
ADI MITTAL
Adi Mittal is a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine with a strong interest in medical research. Working in the lab of Robert Friedlander, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, he has helped advance a protein-based blood panel of seven cytokines that can accurately predict the rupture risk of aneurysms. Mittal became immersed in the Pitt innovation ecosystem to drive this innovation toward the market. He initially explored the potential of the technology in the NSF I-Corps program offered through the Innovation Institute. After participating in the 2021 Michael G. Wells Student Health Care Competition, but not placing, he applied for the Randall Family Big Idea Competition, operated by the Big Idea Center for student innovation. His team took a $15,000 second-place prize before enrolling in the Big Idea Center’s accelerator program, designed to “stress test” the market opportunity of an idea and help refine the solution. He followed that by joining the Big Idea Center’s Forge founders’ program and the LifeX accelerator program preparing for the launch of his startup, Astria Biosciences. Mittal reapplied for the Wells Competition in 2022, and this time won the $20,000 top prize. Last year he won first place in the Collegiate Inventors Competition in Washington D.C., and Astria was awarded a $275,000 Small Business Innovation Research Award (SBIR).
Earlier in 2024 he participated in the Rice Business Plan Competition, the most prestigious competition in the nation for student startups for a different innovation, a medical device that combines retraction and suction functions to help surgeons declutter operating rooms.
Startup of the Year
SURFACE DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Surface Design Solutions emerged from the research of Tevis Jacobs, William Kepler Whiteford Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Science in the Swanson School of Engineering. Jacobs’ lab focuses on surfaces and how to make them perform better, whether that is to be more or less slip-resistant, more bio-compatible, or less bio-compatible. Surface Design has developed a machine-learning platform, optimized with thousands of prior surface analyses, that delivers robust, physics-informed analysis of surface conditions for any production environment. Using existing data from the customer’s manufacturing environment, its patented algorithms build predictive models that pinpoint performance indicators and inform production efficiency, delivering its analysis in seconds, not weeks that traditional trial-and-error testing requires. The platform is broadly applicable to a wide range of industries from powdered metal industrial components to flooring to medical devices.
Luke Thimons was a PhD student in Jacobs’ lab who took a job with industry after completing his studies. After the formation of Surface Design, Jacobs approached him to join the company, which he accepted almost instantly. He is now director of customer success where he is the company’s interface with its initial customers to help them implement the platform and bring learning back to the company for refining the user experience.
James “Chip” Hanlon Volunteer Mentor of the Year
BILL GAUSSA
At a ceremony earlier this fall, the James “Chip” Hanlon Volunteer Mentor of the Year Award was presented to Bill Gaussa. The award is presented in memory of Chip Hanlon, one of the original entrepreneurs in residence at the launch of the Innovation Institute in 2013. Gaussa has mentored numerous Pitt innovation teams through multiple programs and pitch competitions. He has helped them discover the underlying value proposition for their innovations for potential customers, and from there how to develop a compelling pitch to potential investors or partners. In his earlier role as head of innovation and product management at Philips, Gaussa partnered with the Innovation Institute to host the Philips Innovation Challenge. This pitch competition focused on Pitt’s strengths in research and athletics to advance research innovation in human performance.
Business of the Year
TURNER DAIRY FARM
Turner Dairy Farm, a fourth-generation family business founded by Charlie Turner in 1930, has been a key player in Western Pennsylvania’s dairy industry for more than 90 years. Focused on delivering “perfect products” with “perfect service” and “treating people right,” Turner’s has won more than 100 awards for taste and quality in national competitions since 1998.
The company works exclusively with 30+ family-owned dairy farms within 70 miles of its facility, ensuring fresh, high-quality products while supporting sustainable practices. This local sourcing not only enhances product quality but also bolsters the regional economy. Turner’s commitment to the community, its partnerships, and quality products have solidified Turner’s status as an indelible Pittsburgh brand.
For more than 25 years, Turner Dairy Farms has been closely connected with the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, beginning in its early days when it was known as the Family Enterprise Center. This partnership has helped the company grow and innovate, with multiple family members and employees completing the IEE’s Entrepreneurial Fellows Class program.
Small Business of the Year
TERRAGREEN
TerraGreen, LLC, founded by owner Judy Foster, is a certified woman-owned business specializing in sustainable landscape solutions for residential, commercial, and public spaces in the Pittsburgh region. With more than 40 years of industry experience, TerraGreen is committed to creating beautiful, eco-friendly outdoor environments that promote healthy living.
TerraGreen collaborates closely with clients to develop cohesive strategies that combine the beauty of nature with an understanding of the interactions between the sun, water, soil, native plants and buildings. TerraGreen is dedicated to sustainable practices and has developed lasting relationships with a network of professionals who share the same commitment to the principles of responsible resource management.
TerraGreen’s growth has been supported by the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center, which has provided business guidance to help the company enhance its digital presence and grow its business. This partnership continues to help TerraGreen expand while staying true to its eco-friendly mission.