Protecting Their Health
Many health sciences researchers are working to support the health and well-being of the people who serve our country—those on active duty as well as veterans. We’re developing wheelchairs and prosthetics that keep disabled veterans on the move. We’re ensuring that those injured in battle have the fastest possible access to evidence-based emergency care in the field. We’re developing a hydrogel to protect against infection from blast injuries.
Keeping Injured Veterans on the Move
Pitt's Human Engineering Research Laboratories, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, received up to $41.5 million to develop a next-generation wheelchair and assistive robotic arm system.
Battlefield or Farmer’s Field
Whether in a warzone or rural areas, emergency medicine providers are using drones and robotic dogs to help injured people in hard-to-reach areas as quickly as possible.
Related Stories
Aging & Lifespan, Alzheimers, Chronic Disease, Dementia, Military, Neuro & Cognitive Science, News, Research
Pitt and Veterans Health Administration Researchers Awarded $3 Million to Expand Alzheimer’s Disease Study
The additional award will allow the team to expand their research from 18 months to three years and help more veterans get faster answers about receiving new therapies that have been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Military, News
In an Institution Developed for Men, Pitt Researcher Expands Health Care Access for Women Veterans
Join us for the next lecture of the 2026 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Research Seminar Series on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. Deirdre Quinn, assistant professor of medicine, School of Medicine, will discuss her research that focuses on reproductive health for women veterans, and how her work led to a program that has improved access to contraceptive care.
Inflammation, Immunity and Infection, Military, News, Research
Pink and Powerful: A Hydrogel That Heals and Protects
When asked to explain how his bone-healing hydrogel works, Juan Taboas, associate professor of oral and craniofacial sciences, School of Dental Medicine, and associate professor of biomedical engineering, Swanson School of Engineering,…
Military, Regenerative Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine
Ronald Strang's Muscle Memories
Research participant Ronald Strang, reconstructive surgeon J. Peter Rubin and regenerative medicine researcher Stephen Badylak reunited recently at Pitt’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine to share some “muscle memories.”
Accolades and Awards, Military
University of Pittsburgh to Lead Team Up to $41.5 Million Project to Create Robotic Wheelchair
The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) at the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, received up to $41.5 million from ARPA-H to develop RAMMP—a next-generation wheelchair and assistive robotic arm system designed to enhance mobility, safety and independence for people with disabilities. Led by Rory Cooper and Jorge Candiotti, the project will integrate robotics, AI and digital twin technology to create smarter, more adaptive devices. RAMMP emphasizes user-centered design, aims to reduce wheelchair-related injuries, and will foster new manufacturing and workforce opportunities in Pennsylvania, with collaboration from leading universities and tech partners nationwide.
Impact, Military, News, Research, School of Medicine
Serving Those Who Served: Partnerships in Veteran Health
For many veterans, service doesn’t end when they leave the military. Pitt’s Department of Medicine faculty and staff embody this ethos.
Military, News, Research
Pitt Event Hosts AI, Defense and Critical Care Experts to Discuss the Future of Medical Autonomous Care
The Department of Critical Care Medicine hosted the Medical Autonomous Care State of the Science meeting in September 2025, bringing together more than 220 experts from government, industry and academia to explore how AI, robotics and autonomous technologies can improve medical care in remote, dangerous or resource-limited environments.
Military, News
Military Honors Pitt Researchers for Work on Cold-Stored Platelets in Trauma
Pitt researchers on the Linking Investigations in Trauma and Emergency Services (LITES) Network team received an award for outstanding research at the 2025 Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida., on Aug. 4.
Military, News, Research, School of Medicine
Will the Field Care of the Future Be Delivered by Robotic Dogs?
Team Chiron, made up of researchers from Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University, has developed a system using drones and robotic dogs to improve emergency responders’ ability to triage patients in the field in a three-year challenge through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Military, News, Partnerships, Regenerative Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, Research, School of Medicine
Healing What Won't Heal
With military funding support, Pitt researchers are developing a new class of wound dressings and regenerative technologies to fight stubborn infections, help hard-to-heal wounds recover and explore unexpected avenues to regeneration.
Aging & Lifespan, Impact, Military, News, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Improving Digital Literacy for Home-Bound Older Veterans
Julie Faieta, assistant professor of rehabilitation science and technology, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, is working with the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System to improve telehealth access for older, home-bound veterans by developing the VVC Match assessment tool.
Explore Our Schools
Dental Medicine
We’re training the next generation of dentists to reach out and go where they’re needed to provide essential oral health. As we do, our faculty are leading the evolution of dentistry and revolutionizing what’s possible.
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
With 30+ programs in emergency medicine, nutrition, sports science and more, we’re taking radical new approaches to health and rehabilitation to help patients live their fullest lives.
Medicine
From fundamental science to precision medicine breakthroughs, our faculty are leaders in their fields. Here at the School of Medicine, we don’t just say we want to radically improve health care. We roll up our sleeves and reach out to our colleagues down the hall, throughout campus and across industries to actually do it.
Nursing
Think of what a nurse can be. Now think bigger. Our nurses redefine how care is delivered, measured and improved. That's just one reason our programs are consistently among the highest ranked in the nation.
Pharmacy
We prepare pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists who hit the ground running, ready to improve the health and well-being of the world around us.
Public Health
The road to good health can be complex in this interconnected world. At Pitt Public Health, we protect what matters most: the health of people, communities and the environments we share. We collaborate to prevent disease, extend healthy lives and prepare for future health challenges.