Awards & More

Two University of Pittsburgh faculty members have received awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at early career investigators who demonstrate the potential for innovative research. Matthew D. Neal, an assistant professor of both surgery and critical care medicine in Pitt’s School of Medicine, was selected for a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award. He will explore the mechanisms of blood clotting. William R. Stauffer, an assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of Neurobiology and a member of Pitt’s Brain Institute, was awarded an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. His research focuses on how the brain processes rewards and how we make choices.

Timothy Billiar has received the Friendship Award, the highest recognition given by China to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress. Billiar is the George Vance Foster Professor and chair, Department of Surgery, Pitt School of Medicine, and the associate medical director, UPMC International. He was nominated by China’s Central South University in Changsha for his work in developing student and physician exchange programs as well as a program in research training for Chinese medical students at Pitt's School of Medicine.

Rebecca Bagley, Pitt vice chancellor for economic partnerships, has been appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The council makes recommendations for policies and programs aimed at helping U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce become more globally competitive.