Welcome to the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

It is with heartfelt pleasure that I welcome you to the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Our story began in 1987, when William G. McGowan received a life-saving heart transplant at UPMC. Deeply moved by the care he received from Dr. Bartley Griffith and his team, Mr. McGowan and his wife Sue Gin established the McGowan Center for Artificial Organ Development in 1992. Their visionary gift laid the foundation for pioneering advances in artificial heart and lung technologies. In 2001, the Center evolved into the McGowan Institute—the first dedicated institute for regenerative medicine in the United States.

Guided by exceptional leadership, the Institute has grown into a national and global force. Alan J. Russell, PhD, served as our founding director, followed by William R. Wagner, PhD, who expanded our work in biomaterials and cardiovascular engineering. In 2023, I was honored to assume the role of Director, continuing our mission to restore tissue and organ function with emphasis on in vivo tissue reprogramming supported by our signature Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT) technology.

Today, the McGowan Institute is embracing bold new frontiers. We are proud to host the NIH-sponsored Diabetic Foot Consortium, and the Pitt-McGowan Wound Care Consortium, which spans twenty clinical sites across Pennsylvania and Maryland—building a robust infrastructure for industry partnerships and product testing. In 2024, we launched the Center for Space Biomedicine, led by Dr. Afshin Beheshti, to explore the challenges and opportunities of human health in space. We are also advancing the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence in healthcare, under the leadership of cardiologist Dr. Deep DeMazumdar, to revolutionize diagnostics, treatment planning, and personalized medicine.

At the heart of our success is our people. Attracting and retaining world-class talent has always been the backbone of the McGowan Institute and the region’s growing biotechnology industry. We actively recruit the best and brightest minds—locally, nationally, and globally—to drive discovery, accelerate commercialization, and build a vibrant scientific and entrepreneurial workforce in Pittsburgh. This commitment ensures that regenerative medicine continues to flourish, new companies emerge, and new jobs are created, while research institutions remain both contributors to and beneficiaries of the evolving marketplace.

We warmly invite academic institutions, government agencies, and industry partners from around the world to join us in developing transformative programs. Together, we can shape the future of health—where innovation becomes impact, and science serves humanity.

Chandan Sen, PhD, FNAI
Director, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine