University of Pittsburgh to Host CASE Media Fellowship On Bioengineering

PITTSBURGH—Science and medical journalists from across the country will be invited to apply for a two-day fellowship offering a crash course in bioengineering, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering March 4-5, 2004.

The fellowship, Cellular Body Building and Human Spelunking: Bioengineering Breakthroughs at Pitt, is sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE selected Pitt—ranked first in the nation in National Institutes of Health bioengineering research grants with 13 since 2001—to host one of the 20 fellowship programs it has selected to provide journalists with access to cutting-edge research in their beats.

Up to 10 media members will be accepted into the program, and applications are due Jan. 16. To apply, log on to www.engr.pitt.edu/mediafellowship, or contact Kate Ledger at 412-624-2640 or kledger@engr.pitt.edu.

Fellows will explore advances in tissue and organ engineering and learn about new medical devices such as artificial hearts, lungs, and the sonic flashlight. Fellows also will tour five research centers and labs at Pitt—the Musculoskeletal Research Center, the Human Movement and Balance Laboratory, the Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine (MIRM), and the Human Engineering Research Laboratories—along with the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) facilities.

Pitt will provide room and board for fellows, but the fellows or their employers will be responsible for transportation to and from Pitt and for wages or other compensation during the fellowship.

The fellowship is being offered in conjunction with Pitt's School of Medicine, the Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and MIRM, as well as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and PTEI.

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11/13/03/tmw