Advanced Manufacturing and Magnetic Materials Laboratory (AMA³)

www.chmieluslab.org

The Advanced Manufacturing and Magnetic Materials Laboratory (AMA³) of Dr. Markus Chmielus focuses on additive manufacturing, processing, alloy development, thin films deposition and single crystal growth of high performance metals for structural, high-temperature and biomedical applications as well as functional magnetic materials including magnetic shape-memory and magnetocaloric alloys. The laboratory is not only using all additive manufacturing methods available in the ANSYS-PITT Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory but also develops new methods to a manufacture alloys with distinct properties and functionality.

Major experiments that are performed in the AMA³ laboratory include thin film deposition and in-situ characterization (stress and microstructure) of metals with a customized AJA ultra-high vacuum magnetron sputter deposition system, processing furnaces, non-destructive (e.g. micro-computed tomography, density measurements), mechanical testing overall length scales (e.g. tensile and fatigue testing, hardness testing, shear-punch testing, indentation), microstructural characterization (e.g. optical and electron microscopy, orientation mapping, porosity and phase determination), characterization of magneto-mechanical, magnetocaloric, thermo-magnetic and magnetic properties and synchrotron and neutron diffraction experiments at large user facilities.

Applied Nanomaterials and Surface Science Laboratory

Di Gao, PhD 

This lab is directed by Dr. Di Gao and focuses on the synthesis, assembly, and characterization of novel nanostructures, as well as the integration of these nanostructures into functional devices and systems for biomedical, environmental, and sustainable engineering applications. Current research topics include superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces, surface engineering for water-oil separation and water treatment processes, next generation solar cells, and nanotechnology-enabled biosensors, bioseperation and biomedical devices.

Anthony Deardo, PhD 
Phone:   412-624-9737
Email: deardo@pitt.edu 

The Basic Metals Processing Research Laboratory (BAMPRL) focuses on metallurgical research of interest to the basic metals industry, especially steels. The objectives of BAMPRL are to compensate for the reduction of in-house research & development by industry that has occurred in the past two decades. BAMPRL develops and implements the latest product and processing technology for producers, fabricators, and end-users. It also helps educate the future leaders in the metals industry by offering undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.  Anthony J. DeArdo, William Kepler Whiteford Professor, is director of BAMPRL.

Anne Robertson, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9775
Email: rbertson@pitt.edu 

The Bio Tissues and Complex Fluids Laboratory, directed by Anne Robertson, PhD, is devoted to the characterization and experimental study of complex materials. Much of the work in this laboratory focuses on understanding and quantifying the link between material behavior and structure in soft biological tissues such as the walls of arteries- in both health and disease. We use experimental, theoretical and computational tools for these investigations.  For example, we have used multiphoton microscopy coupled with mechanical testing to image the gradual recruitment of collagen fibers in the artery wall during mechanical loading.  This coupled approach enabled us to clarify the role of collagen fibers in determining the nonlinear mechanical properties of the artery wall.  We then used this data to develop structurally motivated constitutive models of the artery wall that can be used in computational studies of the damage caused during medical treatments such as balloon angioplasty.

Jack Patzer, PhD
patzer@pitt.edu

This laboratory is under the direction of Jack Patzer, PhD and focuses on research related to the application of BioThemodynamics and BioTransport Phenomena (principles of heat, momentum, and mass transport) to understanding the properties of physiological systems, medical devices, and bioreactor engineering. Current investigations involve the application bound solute dialysis (BSD) as a detoxification approach to support patients with liver failure, use of ischemia protective polymers (IPP) to mitigate ischemia/reperfusion injury in organ harvest and transplant, and wound perfusion/skin regeneration for patients with severe burns. Major equipment includes a Sun workstation for finite element analysis of fluid dynamics, spectrophotometers for colorimetric composition analysis, plate reader for colorimetric composition analysis, blood-gas analyzer, table-top refrigerated centrifuge, cell incubators, and Prisma dialysis machines. Other equipment includes multiple roller pumps, gas mass flow controllers, oscilloscope, electrochemistry controllers and analyzers.

This lab is directed by Dr. Youngjae Chun and its objective is to design, manufacture, and test medical devices for treating vascular diseases. Primary research focuses on improving device performance and developing more diverse biomedical applications for treating vascular diseases with a focus on novel materials and manufacturing concepts. This lab also focuses on developing novel artificial biomaterials such as fully biocompatible hybrid/composite materials made of metals, polymers, and bio-species. Facilities include in-vitro pulsatile flow circuits with vascular disease models, cell-tissue culture capabilities, and florescent microscopy with imaging system.  Current research is focused on the development of a nove in-vitro test apparatus for characterizing flow alterations and monitoring local blood pressure distributions with the placement of endovascular devices.  

Yadong Wang, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-7196  
Email: yaw20@pitt.edu  

This laboratory, under the direction of Yadong Wang, PhD, works at the interface of chemistry, materials, and medicine. The research focus is on creating biomaterials that present controlled chemical, physical, and mechanical signals to the biological systems. The ultimate goal is to direct how human bodies will interact with these materials in a therapeutic environment. The laboratory actively engages in collaborative efforts to explore the applications of these materials in cardiovascular tissue engineering, nerve regeneration, and controlled release of therapeutics. The major equipment of the laboratory includes essential tools for chemical synthesis (inert atmosphere box, GPC, microwave synthesis station) and cell biology (plate reader, microscope, RT PCR).
Current Frank cluster hardware

• 200, 8-core Intel Nehalem, 12GB-48GB RAM
• 45, 12-core Intel Westmere, 12GB-48GB RAM
• 23, 48-core AMD Magny-cours, 48GB-256GB RAM
• Total of 3244 CPU cores
• 16 NVIDIA C2050 general purpose GPU cards
• Low-latency Infiniband interconnect (most nodes)

Bryan Brown, PhD
brownb@upmc.edu

The Brown Laboratory is a newly established space housed within the BSP2 of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.  The focus of the laboratory is on the role of the host immune response to implantable biomaterials.  The phenotype and function of host innate immune cells is of particular interest, and has been shown to be a predictor of the success of biomaterials based strategies for tissue reconstruction.  The Brown Laboratory also participates in new biomaterials development and identification of biomaterials for clinical applications.  The Brown Laboratory is equipped for both in vitro cell culture and assessment of samples from in vivo experimentation.

Sanjeev Shroff 
Profile 

This laboratory is under the direction of Sanjeev Shroff, PhD and focuses on research related to cardiovascular mechano-energetics and structure-function relationships.  This research utilizes a variety of biophysical, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and imaging techniques. The facility has: 1) setups for biophysical measurements at isolated heart, isolated muscle, and single cell levels (mechanics and intracellular calcium transients), 2) a cell-culture room (incubator, laminar flow hood, centrifuge, microscope), and 3) a wet lab which has equipment necessary to do protein biochemistry and molecular biology research.

Partha Roy, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-7867
Email: par19@pitt.edu  

This research laboratory is under the direction of Partha Roy, PhD, and offers graduate and undergraduate students the ability to participate in research related to molecular mechanisms of cell migration with emphasis in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. This research utilizes a variety of cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, imaging and in vivo techniques. The facility has: 1) a cell culture room that is equipped with tissue culture incubators, laminar flow hood, centrifuge and a microscope, 2) a wet lab which has equipment necessary to do protein biochemistry and molecular biology research, and 3) a microscopy room that houses an IX-71 Olympus research grade inverted microscope and live-cell  image acquisition system.

Guofeng Wang, PhD

Phone: 412-624-3325
Email:guw8@pitt.edu

The Computational Materials Science Lab, directed by Guofeng Wang, PhD, focuses on developing and applying multiscale computational methods for the acceleration, achievement, and amplification of scientific discoveries in material science. The employed multiscale computational methods include electronic structure calculation, atomistic dynamic modeling, and finite element analysis. Current research projects in the lab include (a) developing novel electro-catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, (b) simulating surface segregation phenomena in various alloy systems, (c) modeling mechanical deformation process in nanomaterials, (d) investigating material failure mechanisms in rechargeable Li-ion battery, and (e) studying the structure/property relation of polymer materials. In the current laboratory, there are eight Dell Precision quad-core workstations for code development and software evaluation. Moreover, the lab can access the high performance computing clusters managed by the Center for Simulation & Modeling at the University of Pittsburgh. 

The Computational Optimization Laboratory contains state-of-the-art computing facilities including several optimization software packages. The laboratory is used for applied research thrusts as well as course instruction. Techniques employed include linear and mixed-integer programming, network flows, nonlinear programming, stochastic programming, Markov decision processes, and heuristic optimization. The applications include medical decision making, facility layout, energy modeling, supply chain management and scheduling. The goals of this laboratory include applying optimization techniques to industrial problems, developing new algorithms for solving specially-structured problems, and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Spandan Maiti, PhD

Email:spm54@pitt.edu

Primary research interest of the Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory, led by Spandan Maiti, is predictive modeling and simulation of fracture and failure of complex materials. We study the evolution and ultimate failure of these materials operating in a multi-physics milieu. A general objective of our research is to provide quantitative descriptions of the relationship between the measurable features of the microstructure of materials systems and their macroscopic failure response. We employ a full suite of experimentally validated theoretical and numerical tools to achieve this feat. We develop advanced theoretical techniques, numerical algorithms, and novel computational frameworks to conduct large-scale modeling and simulation of materials response. The emphasis of our research is on the investigation and prediction of physical aspects of materials behavior, for which we often need to develop novel numerical techniques. Our lab is well equipped with state of the art hardware and software facilities, and is located at the Biotech Center of the University of Pittsburgh. Currently our research activities span two application areas: A) Biomechanical behavior of native tissues and biodevices and B) Electro-chemo-mechanical response of advanced energy storage materials. Our effort is directed to unlock fundamental mechanisms responsible for damage, tear, and ultimate failure of these complex materials subjected to not only normal, but also altered multi-physics operating environment.

Peyman Givi, PhD

Phone: 412-624-9605
Email: pgivi@pitt.edu

The primary objective of the Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, under the direction of Peyman Givi, PhD, is to conduct theoretical research in fluid mechanics, combustion, heat and mass transfer, applied mathematics, and numerical methods. The emphasis of current research in this laboratory is on "understanding physics" rather than "developing numerical algorithms."

Several areas of current investigations are turbulent mixing, chemically reacting flows, high-speed combustion and propulsion, transition and turbulence, nano-scale heat transfer, magnetohydrodynamics, and plasma physics. The numerical methodologies in use consist of spectral methods (collocation, Galerkin), variety of finite difference, finite volume and finite element schemes, Lagrangian methods, and many hybrid methods such as spectral-finite element and spectral-finite difference schemes. The laboratory is equipped with high-speed mini-supercomputers, graphic systems, and state-of-the-art hardware and software for "flow visualization." Most computations require the use of off-site supercomputers (mostly parallel platforms), for which high-speed links are available.

Bopaya Bidanda, PhD

bidanda@pitt.edu

The Computer Laboratory for Innovation and Productivity (CLIP) is a state-of-the-art laboratory that provides IE students access to state-of-the-art industrial engineering software. It allows them to work on projects and enable them to succeed and excel when they join the global workforce. In addition to general University and School software, the lab offers Computer Aided Design, Database, and Productivity Analysis software to students. The Lab mirrors the Holzman Learning Center and allows students to work off-hours on homework and projects.

Ching-Chung Li, PhD

Phone: 412-624-9679
Email:ccl@pitt.edu

The Laboratory for Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, headed by Chin-Chung Li, PhD, supports research in computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning, and image processing. Current research interests include computer-aided classification of prostate cancer cell images, wavelet-based image super-resolution, and applications of diffusion wavelet to multi-resolution information processing. The laboratory is equipped with PC-based image processing and pattern recognition workstations with associated cameras.

Director: Heng Huang

heng.huang@pitt.edu,

The research interests and activities of Data Science Lab lie in the general areas of data science and machine learning with applications in neuroinformatics, smart and connected health, bioinformatics, and precision medicine. The past decade has witnessed a surge of revolutionary breakthroughs in high technology, accompanied with an avalanche of various types of large-scale data, including the social media data from

daily life, the multi-sensory data from assisted living systems, and the imaging genomic and connectome data from human brain. At the same time, data science is facing a great challenge: tons of data, but only flakes of knowledge. The research in the lab highlights the effective mining of current big data for interesting and significant knowledge discovery, and combines rigorous theoretical analysis and emerging application studies with contributing to both academic research and potential commercialized products.

Greg Reed, PhD

Phone: 412-383-9862
Email:gfr3@pitt.edu

The Electric Power Systems Laboratory is part of the Electric Power Initiative's research group within the Swanson School of Engineering's Center for Energy at the University of Pittsburgh. Developed in collaboration with Eaton Corporation through the Pitt-Eaton partnership in electric power systems engineering, this new state-of-the-art facility will be commissioned in 2013 and will is located on the 8 ^th floor of Benedum Engineering Hall on the university's main campus. The lab is complementary and synergistic with Eaton's Power Systems Experience Center (PSEC) in nearby Warrendale, PA. The new Electric Power Systems Lab at Pitt is a multi-use facility for both research and educational activities. The research aspects provide opportunities for faculty and graduate students to perform advanced work in the areas of smart grid and micro-grid technologies and systems, renewable energy systems and integration, controls and communications, automation and relaying, power electronics devices and systems, distribution engineering, power quality, energy management, energy storage, and other emerging power technology areas. The educational components are in conjunction with new course developments in electric power engineering focused on these same emerging areas, utilizing the equipment and technologies of the laboratory. The lab is fully integrated with a new solar energy installation on the roof of Benedum hall, which was completed in fall 2012, and that will be expanded to include micro-wind turbines and natural gas generation - thus, creating a micro-grid environment for the lab, allowing a range of configurations to be incorporated for various research programs. The lab has the capability for alternating current (AC) supply at 480-V, 200-A and a total power capacity of approximately 50 kVA; and for incorporation of low voltage direct current (DC) supply, enabling hybrid AC/DC system configurations and testing.

Combining Experiments and Field measurements with High-resolution Numerical Modeling

This laboratory is used by the Earth Processes and Environmental Flows (EPEF) group to conduct environmental and geophysical research experiments (e.g. fluid flow, sediment transport, morphodynamic) for both subaerial and submarine environments. The EFM Lab has several hydraulic flumes with recirculation systems for water and sediment. The EFM Lab has a state-of-the-art set of acoustic and laser instruments for laboratory and field measurements. The EFM Lab was built and is maintained by EPEF group members and CEE staff.

Jorge D. Abad

Assistant Professor
EFM Director
jabad@pitt.edu
Phone: (412) 624-4399
Fax: (412) 624-0135
Office: 731 Benedum

Helen Li, PhD
Yiran Chen, PhD

Emails:
hal66@pitt.edu
yic52@pitt.edu

The Evolutionary Intelligence Laboratory in Electrical and Computer Engineering and under the direction of Prof. Yiran Chen and Prof. Hai (Helen) Li is a research laboratory the focus of which includes: nano-electronic devices, emerging and bio-inspired computing architecture, storage system and sensing technology, display technology and human-machine interaction, security theory of nano-devices, and embedded and mobile systems. The lab possesses 1) the testing equipment of semiconductor chip/circuits and mobile systems, such as probe station, power meters, power supplies, signal generator, spectrum analyzer, pattern generators, color composition analyze, etc.; 2) multiple Dell PowerEdge server, Convey Hybrid Core computing system, and tens workstations; 3) Android based smart phone testing platform; and 3) the complete state-of-the-art software for VLSI circuit and FPGA designs.

Kevin Chen, PhD
pec9@pitt.edu

The Fiber Optics and Sensor Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Kevin Chen, PhD, engages in interdisciplinary research in fiber optics and sensor applications for structural health monitoring, energy, and bio-medical research. In FOSL, research and development works are often carried out collaboratively with leading scientists and engineers across the globe and across industries. Our research partners include Naval Research Laboratory (US), University of Sydney (Australia), Institute of Photonics Technology (Jena, Germany), University of Toronto (Canada), Corning Inc. (US), Siemens North America, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Lakeshore Cryogenics Inc., etc. In FOSL, both passive fiber Bragg grating sensors and distributed feedback fiber lasers are produced in houses using a 248-nm KrF excimer laser using the phase mask technique. Sophisticate fiber sensor interrogation techniques have been developed for both point and distributed sensing from DC to 300-kHz acoustic frequency for structural health monitoring, power generation system managements, biomedical sensing, and etc. FOSL possess unique capabilities on high-temperature fiber sensors rated for above 800 ^o C operation. Working with our collaborators, FOSL researchers have wide access of air-hole microstructural fibers for sensing applications. FOSL is equipped with multiple optical spectrum analyzer, fusion splicers, high-resolution tunable lasers, broadband sources (to cover from 980 nm to 2000 nm). FOSL has board capabilities and expertise in fiber grating sensors and distributed fiber sensing using both Rayleigh and Brillioun scattering schemes. Working with industrial partners, our sensing expertise includes fiber sensing at both cryogenic and high temperature environments for space, energy, and environmental monitoring.

William Federspiel, PhD
federpielwj@upmc.edu

The Flow Visualization Laboratory occupies ~342 square feet and is under the direction of Dr. William Federspiel. It is well equipped with optical instruments, imaging systems, and apparatus for performing advanced flow visualization (qualitative and quantitative flow measurement, multiscale flow visualization) by using particle image velocimetry (PIV).

Gas Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory

Minking Chyu, PhD
Phone: 412-624-9784
Email:mkchyu@pitt.edu

Directed by Minking Chyu, the Gas Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory is equipped with advanced flow and heat transfer measurement facilities directed toward obtaining fundamental understanding and design strategies of airfoil cooling in advanced gas turbine engines.

Major experimental systems available include a particle imaging velocimetry, a computer-automated liquid crystal thermographic system, a UV-induced phosphor fluorescent thermometric imaging system, and a sublimation-based heat-mass analogous system. Specific projects currently under way include optimal endwall cooling, shaped-hole film cooling, innovative turbulator heat transfer enhancement, advanced concepts in trailing edge cooling, and instrumentation developments for unsteady thermal and pressure sensing.

Luis Vallejo, PhD
vallejo@civ.pitt.edu

The Geotechnical Engineering laboratory, under the direction of Luis Vallejo, PhD, is computer controlled. This includes static triaxial and direct shear apparatuses for both soils and rocks, a ring shear apparatus, a gyratory compactor, a dynamic triaxial apparatus, consolidometers, constant and variable head permeameters, a resonant column apparatus, an ultrasonic velocity testing apparatus, and a shaking table. In addition the laboratory houses standard equipment for Atterberg Limits determination, and grain size analysis.

HiPerSimLab High Performance Simulation Laboratory for Energy & Environment

www.hipersimlab.org

Directed by Inanc Senocak, the research vision is to contribute toward the creation of a sustainable energy economy by providing innovative computational solutions to engineering problems that arise at the intersection of energy and environment. We work toward this vision by developing high performance computing solutions that transcend traditional disciplines. In our research, we integrate fundamentals of thermal and fluid sciences with computational mathematics and supercomputing. We routinely use parallel rendering and data analysis tools to elucidate the fundamental processes underlying the physical problem and improve our computational models.

Rory Cooper, PhD

Phone: 412-383-6590
Email:rcooper@pitt.edu

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) is a joint effort between the University of Pittsburgh, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and UPMC Health System. HERL occupies approximately 40,000 square feet of laboratory and office space in the Bakery Square office and research complex in Pittsburgh's East End. Under the direction of Rory Cooper, PhD, HERL's Founder and Director, and Michael Boninger, MD, HERL's Medical Director and Director of the University of Pittsburgh's Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury (UPCM-SCI), HERL is dedicated to wheelchair and mobility research, specifically by improving the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation. The laboratory, which was designated as a VA Center of Excellence for Wheelchair and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering (WARE), also studies such topics as athletics in rehabilitation, assistive housing and living spaces, the efficiency and effect of wheelchair transfers, clinician training, and force and vibration on a wheelchair user's "ride comfort." Besides its general research and office space, HERL houses a wheelchair-testing laboratory, a fully equipped machine shop, an ultrasound laboratory, and a robotics laboratory. HERL is partners with the Quality of Life Technology Center, funded by the National Science Foundation, and hosts various educational programs such as the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Experiential Learning for Veterans in Assistive Technology and Engineering (ELeVATE), and the Fabrication of Assistive Technology (FATe) Program for Wounded Warriors.

Joel Haight, PhD, PE

Phone: 412-624-9839
Email:jhaight@pitt.edu

The Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Laboratory is a team-based teaching and research laboratory for undergraduate and graduate students. The laboratory focuses on cognitive, ergonomic, and environmental aspects of human factors, and their influence on productivity and quality. The lab has a wide array of hardware and software to include Ergomaster for conducting ergonomic studies, Quest Canary Vapor Cloud Dispersion software for teaching energy isolation, as well as the University of Michigan 3 D strength prediction and energy expenditure prediction software, Minitab, SPSS and NVivo7 for data analysis.

 

Immunity, Pathology, and Engineering Lab

 

Directed by Jason Shoemaker, PhD

 

Understanding the control processes involved in immunity, i.e. systems immunology, is key to future immunomodulatory therapies. The immune system is charged with protecting our bodies from damaging changes. It is highly versatile; able to detect external threats (e.g. pathogens) and dangerous internal changes in our body (e.g. DNA damage or cancers). Once a threat is detected, the immune system carefully orchestrates a response so as to clear the threat while minimizing collateral damage. It is in maintaining this balance that engineering approaches can advance understanding in human health.

 

Immunity is an incredibly dynamic process that occurs at the molecular, cellular, tissue and whole body level. Importantly, differing immune responses between healthy responding and poorly responding patients has demonstrated that the dynamics of the immune response is a key factor in patient outcomes. Using mathematical models and simulations, we can integrate knowledge of the various elements of the immune system to increase our understanding of immunity and health. These models ultimately enable new therapies which apply engineering knowledge of optmization and feedback control to promote improved patient outcomes, patient-specific treatment and immune optimization.

 

Bopaya Bidanda, PhD
bidanda@pitt.edu

Industrial Engineering's Design Studios, provides students with computer facilities that are available 24 hours a day with computers and printers and with full Internet and e-mail access. The lab provides high-speed PC hardware and provides general University and School software and includes specialized Industrial Engineering software. The laboratory and its equipment are available to senior students participating in research projects and graduate students participating in research projects in the areas of computational intelligence and operations research.

Instrumentation and Controls Laboratory

Daniel G. Cole

Phone: 412-624-3069

Email: dgcole@pitt.edu

This mechanical engineering laboratory is dedicated to the study of cyber-physical systems. The lab's research lies at the intersection of real-time estimation and control, high-performance computing, and Bayesian and probabilistic estimation methods. Our focus is on the application of these techniques to industrial control systems, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), and cybersecurity. We investigate state of the art control systems from the physical systems to analog-to-digital conversion and industrial controllers all the way to the cloud. The 800 sq. ft. facility includes modern simulation platforms and networked controllers on which to implement and test new schemes. Past and current applications include nuclear instrumentation and control, control of small modular reactors, fault-tolerant systems, and cybersecurity.

William McGahey

Phone: 412-624-9697
Email:wem@pitt.edu

This laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, directed by Alex Jones, PhD, provides the hardware and software necessary for students to design and build digital circuits. It is used in two undergraduate laboratory courses where students are provided with an understanding of the three-way relationship between the mathematical abstraction of logic as expressed in Boolean algebra, schematics and simulations using CAD tools, and the physical realization of these circuits in hardware. The facility contains 24 networked high-performance workstations, complete with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and related equipment used to design, breadboard, and test digital circuits. In addition, the laboratory contains complete support for both Altera and Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Array system development. Finally, a full complement of software, including the Mentor Graphics Design Tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio, is available which allows students to simulate their designs and develop new hardware and software systems. This laboratory was created through a generous gift from John A. Jurenko, a Pitt alumnus and friend of the University.

https://engineering.pitt.edu/jjma

Our research is devoted to the computational study of correlated systems, mostly relying on exact simulations and tensor network algorithms. We address two main scenarios: many-body quantum systems, and turbulent flows.

Quantum Systems of Many Interacting Particles

Correlations in many-body quantum systems lead to spectacular states of matter such as insulating phases, magnetic order, and superconductivity. We rely on simple yet rich models, and on powerful tensor network algorithms, to analyze these states in and out of equilibrium. 

Quantum Mechanics for Fluid Dynamics

We develop tensor network and quantum computing algorithms to simulate partial differential equations, with focus on fluid dynamics. Advantages over standard numerical methods are assessed. This work opens the door for performing computational fluid dynamics on quantum hardware.

Alexis Kwasinski, PhD
akwasins@pitt.edu

Research at the e-LEAdERS lab focuses on expanding the knowledge of critical infrastructures resilience characteristics and on developing technologies for improved resilience of energy delivery infrastructures, such as electric power grids, and of energy dependent infrastructures, such as information and communication technologies (ICT) networks. Main thrusts related with this research involves the development of resilience models and metrics for critical infrastructures and the analysis of dependencies and interdependencies among critical infrastructures and community services. In a practical context, research activities include conducting damage assessments after relevant natural or man-made disasters in order to document critical infrastructure performance. Examples of damage assessments conducted in the past include hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Ike, Isaac (2012) and Sandy, the Bastrop fire in 2011, the earthquake and tsunami that affected Chile in 2010 and Japan in 2011, and the earthquakes that affected Christchurch, New Zealand in February 2011 and Napa, California in 2014. Data collected during these damage assessments are used not only to validate models and support critical infrastructures energy resilience characterization but also as drivers for the development of new technologies for enhanced resilience. Examples of such technologies include the study of microgrids as the basis for cyber-physical power systems designed for achieving highly resilient power supply of critical loads, such as communication networks.

Hong-Koo Kim, PhD

kim@engr.pitt.edu

In the Laser and Opto-Electronics Laboratories, directed by Hong-Koo Kim, PhD, facilities exist for research in nonlinear optics, materials, and devices. As part of the Department of Electrical Engineering, these laboratories emphasize facilities for maskmaking, lithography, dry-etching, evaporation and sputtering of metals or insulators, diffusion alloying, and wire-bonding are available. The structural and electrical characteristics of fabricated material and devices are evaluated using state-of-the-art test equipment. Semiconductor devices can be characterized at low temperatures in a continuous flow cryostat, capable of reaching temperatures as low as 5 degrees Kelvin. These laboratories contain argon, Nd:YAG (frequency doubled and tripled), carbon dioxide and Ti:sapphire lasers.

 

Dr. Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. leads the Magnetic, Electronic, and Photonic Materials and Device Laboratory with an emphasis on developing an improved understanding of the interconnection between functional material properties, electronic band structure, and nano/microstructure as well as the optimal integration with emerging device platforms.  Dr. Ohodnicki brings a broad array of experience to his research including academic, industrial, and government laboratory research and development positions in areas spanning multi-layered thin film optical coatings for concentrating solar power (CSP) and energy efficient window applications, magnetic materials for large-scale inductive components (transformers, inductors, motors), and optical / electronic materials for harsh environment optical and wireless sensing.  He also has a strong interest in the development of new intellectual property and commercialization of ideas developed through university and government laboratory research.

An early focus of the MEMPDL is targeting exploration of novel processing methods for emerging high frequency magnetic materials using applied electromagnetic fields spanning the frequency range from DC to optical.  Successful pursuit of this research with scientific and technical rigor also requires a detailed understanding of the interplay between electromagnetic fields and emerging material systems under investigation, and so the characterization of material electromagnetic properties over a wide frequency range is also a core capability of the laboratory.  Novel photonic and electronic thin film materials are also of interest, including emerging materials with complex electronic band structures such as correlated electron and multi-phase nanocomposite-based systems.  Integration of novel functional materials with device platforms is also a core pursuit of the laboratory with applications including optical fiber-based sensors, passive wireless sensors, and inductive components for a wide range of power applications.  In all research endeavors, fundamental scientific questions that are pursued and explained have a clear linkage with real-world application needs now or in the future.

The MEMPDL was just recently started in February of 2020 and is currently in the process of being equipped with a range of instrumentation including: (1) furnaces and ovens for high temperature thermal processing with controlled heating profiles, (2) electromagnetic field assisted thermal processing, (3) high frequency impedance and vector network analyzers with magnetic and dielectric property test fixtures as well as a probe station, (4) automated sensor testing systems, and (5) portable electronic and optical measurement instrumentation.  A strong interest exists in tying these capabilities and research endeavors with fundamental and even first principle theoretical calculations to both inform and improve future theoretical modeling efforts as well as to pursue initiatives such as computational design of materials and processing approaches.  The laboratory also has an interest in applied electromagnetic modeling methods and techniques to understand the requirements for optimal integration of emerging functional materials systems with device level applications.

Key Publications:

Soft magnetic materials in high-frequency, high-power conversion applications, AM Leary, PR Ohodnicki, ME McHenry, JOM 64 (7), 772-781 (2012).

Plasmonic nanocomposite thin film enabled fiber optic sensors for simultaneous gas and temperature sensing at extreme temperatures, PR Ohodnicki, MP Buric, TD Brown, C Matranga, C Wang, J Baltrus, et al., Nanoscale 5 (19), 9030-9039 (2013).

SAW Sensors for Chemical Vapors and Gases, J Devkota, PR Ohodnicki, DW Greve, Sensors 17 (4), 801 (2017).

Composition dependence of field induced anisotropy in ferromagnetic and amorphous and nanocrystalline ribbons, PR Ohodnicki, J Long, DE Laughlin, ME McHenry, V Keylin, J Huth

Journal of Applied Physics 104 (11), 113909 (2008).

Metal amorphous nanocomposite (MANC) alloy cores with spatially tuned permeability for advanced power magnetics applications, K Byerly, PR Ohodnicki, SR Moon, AM Leary, V Keylin, ME McHenry, et al., JOM 70 (6), 879-891(2018).

Contact the academic Director of the MMCL, Professor Jörg Wiezorek (e-mail: Wiezorek@pitt.edu, tel.: 412 624 0122) if you are interested or have question regarding MMCL use and offerings. 

 

www.engineering.pitt.edu/MMCL/

MATERIALS MICRO-CHARACTERIZATION LABORATORY (MMCL)

The MMCL is located on the 5th floor of Benedum Engineering Hall and part of the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department. The laboratory provides instrumentation and personnel expertise for the complete microstructural characterization and analysis of materials and locally resolved micro- and nano-mechanical measurements. As part of the MMCL the Fischione Instruments Electron Microscopy Sample Preparation Center of Excellence (Fischione Lab) offers a suite of specialized state-of-the-art instruments for the artifact-free preparation of high-quality samples and for anti-contamination solutions for quantitative and highest resolution electron microscopy experiments. Major characterization equipment resources housed in the MMCL include a versatile X-ray diffractometer (XRD) platform, two scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and two transmission electron microscopes (TEM), a multi-mode scanning probe microscope (SPM), a nano-mechanical testing system, a micro-hardness tester and light-optical microscopes (LOM) for metallographic investigations and measurements. 

For X-ray diffraction investigations the multipurpose diffractometer platform, Empyrean from PANalytical, offers non-destructive, cutting-edge characterization solutions for solids, fluids, thin films or nanomaterials. The system provides detailed information on elemental and/or phase constitution, crystallographic texture, crystalline quality, lattice strains and/or nanoparticle size distributions and shape, which can be acquired with either Cu-K-alpha or Cr-K-alpha X-ray beams. Computers for on-line and off-line processing and analysis of diffraction data are also available in this laboratory. 

In the SEM laboratory two separate a SEM platforms are available for studies of surface topography and morphology, elemental composition and crystal orientation analyses. The JEOL JSM 6610-LV with Oxford EDS and EBSD is a tungsten-cathode equipped analytical SEM that accepts large samples (diameter ≤8”) and can operate in a low-vacuum (Environmental) mode. The FEI Apreo Hi-Vac is equipped with a field-emission gun (FEG) and optimized for high-through-put integrated back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) based orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) and energy-dispersive-spectroscopy (EDS) studies for crystal orientation and phase mapping (Team Pegasus Hikari Super Octane 25, Edax). The FEI Apreo FEGSEM is equipped with an Everhart-Thornley secondary electron (SE) detector, two additional in-lens SE detectors for separation of high and low energy SE signals and a segmented back-scatter electron (BSE) detector offering atomic number sensitive contrast formation. This state-of-the-art analytical high-resolution FEGSEM is capable of imaging with 1nm (1.3nm) at 15kV (1kV) without beam deceleration and 1nm at 1kV with beam deceleration. The two SEM instruments permit elemental mapping by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for elements of heavier than Boron (Z>6). 

The TEM Laboratory offers access to a high-resolution analytical  transmission electron microscopes operating optimally at 200kV. The FEI Tecnai G² F20 S-Twin TMP microscope is a true multi-purpose computer controlled analytical high-resolution FEG TEM. It offers an information limit of 0.11nm and a lateral spatial resolution at Scherzer defocus of 0.24nm for high resolution atomic lattice imaging (HREM) in combination with a specimen tilt range of ≤±35Ëš and capable of forming intense electron probes as small as ≈0.4nm in diameter. The FEI Tecnai G² F20 S-Twin is equipped with a bottom-mounted 2kx2k CCD camera, and EDS detector for elemental analysis and a precession electron diffraction assisted automated crystal orientation mapping  (NanoMegas Topspin / Astar) for 1nm lateral spatial resolution OIM for quantitative studies of texture, crystallite size, strain and phase fractions in the TEM specimens. It is used for routine high-resolution lattice imaging and permits analysis and characterization of the detailed microstructural and micro-chemical changes in materials by diffraction (selected area, convergent beam and nano-beam diffraction) and EDS with 0.4nm diameter probe size electron beams. This facilitates the study of material interfaces, observing microstructural defects, dislocations, precipitates, and quantifying elemental composition and elemental segregation at the nanometer scale. Apart from standard single-tilt and double-tilt low-background analytical specimen holders, numerous specialized sample holders in-situ studies of materials responses to external thermal, mechanical and thermo-mechanical stimuli.  

In the SPM lab the DI Dimension 3100 SPM has recently been upgraded with new control electronics and software. It permits atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) investigations in a single platform. This multi-modal surface morphology and property characterization instrument accepts samples up to eight inches in diameter for SPM analyses in air or fluids and automated stepping can be used to scan multiple areas of the sample without operator intervention. The Nano-mechanical test system is a Hysitron TI900 Triboindenter which allows nano-Newton level resolution depth-resolved measurements of hardness and elastic modulus Both normal (hardness) and lateral (friction) force loading configurations are available to provide a sub-micron scale testing arena with real-time data collection and nanometer resolution in-situ SPM imaging. 

The Fischione Lab, a private-public partnership between Fischione Instruments and the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science of the University of Pittsburgh offers access to world-class expertise and a complete suite of state-of-the-art equipment used for high-fidelity and effective electron microscopy sample preparation. Specific instrumentation includes the Fischione Model 1010 Ion-Mill, Model 1040 NanoMill, Model 1050 TEM Mill, Model 1060 SEM Mill, Model 1070 NanoClean Plasma-Cleaner, Model 200 Dimple Grinder, Model 170 Ultrasonic Disk Cutter, Model 110 Twin-Jet Electroplisher, a Allied HighTech Products TechCut4 low speed saw and Multiprep8 automated precision sample preparation system.  After consultation with MMCL staff direct support from Fischione Instruments application scientists and engineers facilitates solution of standard and unique, unconventional electron microscopy sample preparation challenges. 

Contact the academic Director of the MMCL, Professor Jörg Wiezorek (e-mail: Wiezorek@pitt.edu, tel.: 412 624 0122) if you are interested or have question regarding MMCL use and offerings.

 

The SEM Laboratory

The SEM laboratory is part of the MMCL. Its two separate a SEM platforms provide capabilities for studies of surface topography and morphology, elemental composition and crystal orientation analyses. The JEOL JSM 6610-LV with Oxford EDS and EBSD is a tungsten-cathode equipped analytical SEM that accepts large samples (diameter ≤8”) and can operate in a low-vacuum (Environmental) mode. The FEI Apreo Hi-Vac is equipped with a field-emission gun (FEG) and optimized for high-through-put integrated back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) based orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) and energy-dispersive-spectroscopy (EDS) studies for crystal orientation and phase mapping (Team Pegasus Hikari Super Octane 25, Edax). The FEI Apreo FEGSEM is equipped with an Everhart-Thornley secondary electron (SE) detector, two additional in-lens SE detectors for separation of high and low energy SE signals and a segmented back-scatter electron (BSE) detector offering atomic number sensitive contrast formation. This state-of-the-art analytical high-resolution FEGSEM is capable of imaging with 1nm (1.3nm) at 15kV (1kV) without beam deceleration and 1nm at 1kV with beam deceleration. The two SEM instruments permit elemental mapping by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for elements of heavier than Boron (Z>6).

 

The TEM Laboratory

The TEM laboratory is part of the MMCL. It offers access to a 200kV TEM platform system, the FEI Tecnai G² F20 S-Twin TMP microscope. This instrument is a true multi-purpose computer controlled analytical high-resolution FEG TEM. It offers an information limit of 0.11nm and a lateral spatial resolution at Scherzer defocus of 0.24nm for high resolution atomic lattice imaging (HREM) in combination with a specimen tilt range of ≤±35Ëš and capable of forming intense electron probes as small as ≈0.4nm in diameter. The FEI Tecnai G² F20 S-Twin is equipped with a bottom-mounted 2kx2k CCD camera, and EDS detector for elemental analysis and a precession electron diffraction assisted automated crystal orientation mapping  (NanoMegas Topspin / Astar) for 1nm lateral spatial resolution OIM for quantitative studies of texture, crystallite size, strain and phase fractions in the TEM specimens. It is used for routine high-resolution lattice imaging and permits analysis and characterization of the detailed microstructural and micro-chemical changes in materials by diffraction (selected area, convergent beam and nano-beam diffraction) and EDS with 0.4nm diameter probe size electron beams. This facilitates the study of material interfaces, observing microstructural defects, dislocations, precipitates, and quantifying elemental composition and elemental segregation at the nanometer scale. Apart from standard single-tilt and double-tilt low-background analytical specimen holders, numerous specialized sample holders for specimen stimulation by thermal, mechanical and thermo-mechanical loading are available to support increasing interest and needs for in-situ studies.

 

The SPM Laboratory

The SPM laboratory is part of the MMCL. Its DI Dimension 3100 SPM has recently been upgraded with new control electronics and software and permits atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) investigations in a single platform. This multi-modal surface morphology and property characterization instrument accepts samples up to eight inches in diameter for SPM analyses in air or fluids and automated stepping can be used to scan multiple areas of the sample without operator intervention. The Nano-mechanical test system is a Hysitron TI900 Triboindenter which allows nano-Newton level resolution depth-resolved measurements of hardness and elastic modulus Both normal (hardness) and lateral (friction) force loading configurations are available to provide a sub-micron scale testing arena with real-time data collection and nanometer resolution in-situ SPM imaging.

 

The Fischione Laboratory for EM Sample Preparation

As part of the MMCL, the Fischione Lab, a private-public partnership between Fischione Instruments and the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science of the University of Pittsburgh offers access to world-class expertise and a complete suite of state-of-the-art equipment used for high-fidelity and effective electron microscopy sample preparation. Specific instrumentation includes the Fischione Model 1010 Ion-Mill, Model 1040 NanoMill, Model 1050 TEM Mill, Model 1060 SEM Mill, Model 1070 NanoClean Plasma-Cleaner, Model 200 Dimple Grinder, Model 170 Ultrasonic Disk Cutter, Model 110 Twin-Jet Electroplisher, a Allied HighTech Products TechCut4 low speed saw and Multiprep8 automated precision sample preparation system.  After consultation with MMCL staff direct support from Fischione Instruments application scientists and engineers facilitates solution of standard and unique, unconventional electron microscopy sample preparation challenges.

 

Calixto Isaac Garcia, PhD

Phone: 412-624-9731
Email:cigarcia@pitt.edu

This facility directed by C. Isaac Garcia, PhD, includes two hydraulic MTS machines. One has a high temperature capability for hot deformation simulation and the other is an MTS 880, 20,000-pound frame with hydraulic grips and temperature capability up to 1000ËšC. Two screw-driven machines are available, a 50,000-pound Instron TT and a 10,000-pound ATS tabletop tester (this machine has fixtures for loading in tension, compression and bending). The facility also includes several hardness testers, including one Brinell, two Rockwell, one Rockwell Superficial, and one Vickers, plus a new Leco M-400 G microhardness tester. Two impact tested are available-one with 100 foot-per-pound and the other with 265 foot-per-pound capacity. An ultrasonic elastic modulus tester is also available.

Lisa Weiland, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9031  
Email:  lweiland@engr.pitt.edu  

The Mechanics of Active Materials Laboratory focuses on the experiment- and physics-based constitutive modeling of smart materials, with a strong secondary emphasis on applications. A smart (or active) material is any material that can transform energy from one domain to another, akin to how man-made motors transform electrical energy into mechanical work. Dr. Lisa Weiland is the director of this laboratory, in which active materials such ferroelectric ceramics, electroactive and photoactive polymers, and nastic materials are considered both experimentally and computationally. Experimental studies focus on developing characterization methods for novel materials for which there are no established procedures. Computational studies generally focus on nano length scale active response as a means to anticipate macro length scale response. The goal of research is to understand the multi-scale physics responsible for the 'smart' behavior observed in these materials in order to expand viable engineering applications which range from shape morphing structures and bio-sensors to a range of adaptive structures concepts appropriate to sustainability challenges.

MechMorpho Lab - Mechanics of Morphogenesis (BST3)

MechMorpho Lab seeks to understand how tissues and organs are shaped in the embryo and how principles of self-assembly can be applied to engineer tissues, run by Director Lance Davidson, PhD. The experimental and theoretical approaches are multiscale, ranging from super-resolution imaging and simulation of intracellular effectors to mesoscale analysis of bulk movements and biomechanics. Such multiscale analysis is uncovering feedback circuits that make tissue assembly more robust even as biological structures become more complex. This research uses a number of techniques ranging from classical embryology to cell and molecular biology to cell and tissue biomechanics. The laboratory is equipped with a range of imaging tools from stereo-dissecting microscopes to laser scanning confocal microscopes. The group develops custom cell biological protocols and biophysical and biomechanical devices such as microaspirators, uniaxial unconstrained compression devises, and microstretchers to characterize the mechanical properties of small extremely soft biomaterials and to investigate the roles of mechanics during embryogenesis. Ongoing collaborations across a range of disciplines is seeking to extend systems biology approaches to investigate both chemical and mechanical processes driving development and to apply this knowledge to forward-engineer the patterning and shaping of novel 3D tissue structures.

William Federspiel, PhD
federspielwj@upmc.edu

The Medical Devices Laboratory, under the direction of William Federspiel, PhD, occupies approximately 2300 sq ft and provides space for the development and testing of hollow fiber membrane-based cardiovascular devices related to mass transfer including several artificial lungs projects (acute, implantable, and extracorporeal), extracorporeal hemofiltration and hemoadsorption devices, and biohybrid artificial alveolar capillary modules. Expertise exists in handling and assembling membrane fiber components and devices, and functional testing of oxygenators, artificial lungs, polymer hollow fiber membrane or porous bead modules and other cardiovascular devices requiring perfusion loop testing in aqueous solution or blood. Additionally, the lab is equipped with necessary equipment for chemical modification of polymer samples and subsequent incorporation of biomolecules through covalent coupling. The lab includes over 200 linear feet of wet-lab bench space with nine desks and two chemical fume hoods.  One area is equipped with a drainage sink and wall-mounted stand for performance testing with fluid circuits, including blood circuits.  Two additional sink areas are available at the end of bench space, each with de-ionized water hook ups.  Central air and central vacuum are provided to each bench.

William Federspiel, PhD
federspielwj@pitt.edu

The Medical Devices Laboratory, under the direction of William Federspiel, PhD, occupies approximately 2300 sq ft and provides space for the development and testing of hollow fiber membrane-based cardiovascular devices related to mass transfer including several artificial lungs projects (acute, implantable, and extracorporeal), extracorporeal hemofiltration and hemoadsorption devices, and biohybrid artificial alveolar capillary modules. Expertise exists in handling and assembling membrane fiber components and devices, and functional testing of oxygenators, artificial lungs, polymer hollow fiber membrane or porous bead modules and other cardiovascular devices requiring perfusion loop testing in aqueous solution or blood. Additionally, the lab is equipped with necessary equipment for chemical modification of polymer samples and subsequent incorporation of biomolecules through covalent coupling. The lab includes over 200 linear feet of wet-lab bench space with nine desks and two chemical fume hoods.  One area is equipped with a drainage sink and wall-mounted stand for performance testing with fluid circuits, including blood circuits.  Two additional sink areas are available at the end of bench space, each with de-ionized water hook ups.  Central air and central vacuum are provided to each bench.

Calixto Isaac Garcia, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9731
Email: cigarcia@pitt.edu 

This laboratory, directed by C. Isaac Garcia, PhD, includes a cold rolling mill and various muffle and recirculating air furnaces for heat treatment of metals and alloys. Metal melting and casting facilities include air, inert atmosphere, and vacuum facilities. A special arc melting unit also provides a facility for preparing buttons and rapidly solidified ribbons.

Scott Mao, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9602
Email:  sxm2@pitt.edu  

This mechanical engineering laboratory is a modern facility with cutting-edge technology for the study of micromechanics and physics of micrometer and nanometer scaled structures and materials. Directed by Scott X. Mao, PhD, the laboratory contains atomic force microscopes and a nano-indentation testing facility, which provide a capability of measuring load vs. displacement at scales of 10-9 Newton versus nanometer, nano-scaled adhesion, and micro-mechanical behavior for advanced materials including semiconductors and biosystems.

William Stanchina, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-7629
Email:   wes25@pitt.edu

The ECE Dept. houses measurement and modeling capabilities for physical characterization of micro- and nano-scale electronic devices and for derivation of equivalent circuit models for novel devices. DC characterization instrumentation includes a Keithley 4200 Semiconductor Characterization System (4200 SCS) and RF instrumentation includes an Anritsu 37397D Vector Network Analyzer which can make s-parameter measurements on the device under test (DUT) between 40 MHz and 67 GHz. Measurement can be made on fabricated wafers or bare die using a Cascade Microtech M-150 manual probe station. Additionally Agilent IC-CAP integrated software is available to enable computer based control of instrumentation, computation of extracted parameters, and extraction of equivalent circuit models. Tanner L-Edit Prof software is utilized for designing photolithographic mask sets for novel device fabrication and it's also utilized for SPICE integrated circuit design and performance assessment using the derived equivalent circuit models.

Gelsy Torres, PhD

Our work focuses on identifying factors modulating the motor adaptation of human locomotion and balance control, considering both the plasticity of the brain and the role of biomechanics in movement. To this end, we combine computational tools and psychophysical experiments in humans with and without cortical lesions to investigate: 1) the adaptation of muscle coordination, 2) the functional consequences of changes in muscle activity, and 3) the generalization of newly-acquired motor patterns across different situations. The overreaching goal of our studies is to understand how to stimulate learning mechanisms available to patients with brain lesions to improve their gait during 'real life' situations.

We are a group based in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh focusing on Nano-Electronics and Devices. The NEDL group was founded in 2005 under the PI, Professor Minhee Yun. We focus on:

• The synthesis of nanostructure materials
• The detection of chemical and biomolecules by using electrical signals such as resistance and current changes
• The fabrication of nanodevices for environmental and biomedical applications
• Development of electronics devices based on nanomaterials
• Development of microfabrication techniques (MEMS, NEMS) for electric devices

The NEDL equips with the cutting edge fabrication and characterization instruments for the nanoelectronic devices. It also hosts delicate control and measurement systems for accurate bio/chem molecule sensing and carbon-based nanomaterial (Graphene and Carbon nanotubes) fabrication.

Nanoionics and Electronics Lab

Susan Fullerton, PhD

Phone: 412-624-2079

fullerton@pitt.edu

www.fullertonlab.pitt.edu

Next-generation electronics

The vision of the Nanoionics and Electronics Lab is to translate the use of ions as a tool for exploring transport in new materials to an active device component that makes possible new electronic and photonic devices with functionalities that cannot be achieved using conventional materials.

Beyond batteries: Reinventing the role of ions in electronics and smart materials

The interplay between ions and electrons governs processes as common as the biochemistry essential for life and the performance of devices as ubiquitous as batteries. The energy that powers our smart phones and laptops is stored by ions, yet when we peer past the battery and examine the device-scale electronics, ions are nowhere to be found. This is a missed opportunity because the coupling between ions and electrons/holes in unconventional electronic materials - such as two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors - has is uncovering exciting new properties of these ultra-thin materials (e.g., spin-polarization, superconductivity and others). While many groups use ions as a tool to uncover new properties of 2D semiconductors, we ions as an active device component to impart completely new device functionalities.

For example, we have invented a monolayer-thick ion-conductor that introduces bistability for application as a flash memory (Liang et al., Nano Letters2019, 29, 12); we are custom-synthesizing electrolytes to induce strain in 2D materials (Xu et al., ACS AMI2019, 11, 35879); and we are using ions to make the next-generation of smart materials (Chao et al., Adv. Func. Materials2019 1907950). Please visit www.fullertonlab.pitt.edu and check out our recent publications.

Susan Fullerton is an Assistant Professor and Bicentennial Board of Visitors Faculty Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Penn State in 2009. Prior to joining Pitt, she was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame from 2009 - 2015. Fullertons work has been recognized by an NSF CAREER award, a Marion Milligan Mason award for women in the chemical sciences from AAAS, a Ralph E. Powe Jr. Faculty Award from ORAU, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry, and the 2018 James Pommersheim Award for Excellence in Teaching in Chemical Engineering at Pitt.

NanoProduct Lab

The NanoProduct Lab, also known as the Bedewy Research Group, at the University of Pittsburgh was established by Dr. Mostafa Bedewy in fall 2016. The group focuses on fundamental experimental research at the interface between nanoscience, biotechnology, and manufacturing engineering. We make basic scientific discoveries and applied technological developments in the broad area of advanced manufacturing at multiple length scales, aiming at creating novel solutions that impact major societal challenges in areas related to energy, healthcare, and the environment. Facilitates include a rapid thermal processor for chemical vapor deposition (RTP-CVD), tube furnace for pyrolysis, chemical fumes hood, and other wet chemistry apparatuses. More info at http://nanoproductlab.org/

Hong Koo Kim, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9673  
Email:  hkk@pitt.edu 

Facilities exist for research in developing new device structures and device physics that are based on optical and electronic phenomena occurring in nanoscale structured materials. A broad spectrum of instruments are available for synthesis, fabrication, and characterization, including bottom up (self-assembly) and top-down processes of nanostructured materials and their integration at all length scales (from nano to wafer scale). Plasmonic phenomena occurring in nano-optic structures are of particular interest, since many novel properties derived from the phenomena can be incorporated into an on-chip configuration for nanosystems-on-a-chip that offer multifunctionality across heterogeneous domains (optical, electrical, chemical, biological, etc). The facilities include wafer cleaning and chemical etching; deep-UV contact mask aligner (Karl Suss MJB 3); plasma etching (Unaxis ICP-RIE 790); surface profilometer (Alpha-Step 200); thermal oxidation, annealing, diffusion, pyrolysis, or alloying processes; optical microscope; wire saw and polishing/lapping machine; UV holographic lithography; anodic oxidation and electrodeposition processes; physical vapor deposition (RF magnetron sputtering and thermal evaporation); semiconductor parameter analyzer (Hewlett Packard 4145B); electrochemical doping profiler (Bio-Rad PN4300); capacitance-voltage measurement (Keithley); deep level transient spectroscopy (Bio-Rad DL4600); probe-station (Karl Suss PM 3); LN2 cryostat; a broad spectrum of optical apparatus for spectroscopy and imaging in the UV-visible-IR and (200-1750 nm); plasmonic optical trapping; scanning-probe-based near-to-far-field optical characterization setup.

Zhi-Hong Mao, PhD

Phone: 412-624-9674
Email: maozh@engr.pitt.edu 

The Networked Control Laboratory (NCL) works on (i) control in large-scale and networked dynamic systems including electric power systems, transportation systems, and neural systems, (ii) human performance and human-machine interaction in networked control systems, and (iii) neural control and learning principles. Currently, the lab is equipped with workstations, CyberGlove (a data glove for capturing hand movement), GWS Mini Dragonfly (a remotely controlled, electronically powered helicopter), Polhemus' Fastrack (a 3 dimensional motion-tracking device), and Delsys EMG machine.

X. Tracy Cui, PhD

Website: http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/cui/

Our primary research focus is on the interactions between neural tissue and smart biomaterials. Two fields of research require the fundamental understanding of these interactions, neural interface technology and neural tissue engineering. We provide a center of research activities focused on biomaterials and biosensor research in central nervous system and peripheral nervous system for the next generation neural prosthesis, diagnostics and therapy. We have a multidisciplinary team of researchers with expertise from chemistry, material science, to neurobiology, neurophysiology and imaging.  Together we strive for rapid scientific discovery and therapeutic advancement. Research projects are in the areas of 1) Neural Implant Biocompatibility; 2) Control of Embryonic and Neural Stem Cell Growth and Differentiation; 3) In vitro Neuronal Network Model; 4) Smart Drug Delivery; 5) Implantable Biosensors for Detection of Neurochemicals and Cytokines.

Steve Levitan, PhD
levitan@pitt.edu

The Optical Computing Systems Laboratory, directed by Steve Levitan, PhD, supports joint research with Computer Science in guided wave optical computing, communications, and storage. Equipment consists of two high speed sampling oscilloscopes: a Tek 11402 3GHz digitizing scope and a Tek CSA803 50GHz Communications Signal Analyzer, as well as a Tek 1240 Logic Analyzer, assorted bench equipment: supplies, function generators, etc. and facilities for PCB design and prototyping of opto-electronic sub-systems.

Patrick Smolinski, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9788  
Email:  patsmol@pitt.edu 

The Orthopaedic Engineering Laboratory, directed by Patrick Smolinski, PhD, is collaboration between the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. This lab performs computational simulation and experimental evaluation of surgical procedures, injury modeling and assessment of biomechanical functions. Other activities included the medical device development, tissues engineering, characterization of tissue properties and quantitative anatomical description. The goal of this lab is the advancement of orthopaedic medicine through the application of engineering analysis.

Julie Vanderbossche, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9879
Email:  jmv7@pitt.edu 

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Pavement Mechanics and Materials Laboratory has developed into an all-encompassing laboratory equipped to perform a full range of tasks including the casting, curing and testing of everything from concrete specimens to full-scale pavements.  The 2700 ft ² facility features the latest equipment in both destructive and non-destructive testing of portland cement concrete.  Housed within the lab are two environmentally controlled rooms.  The 1007 ft ³ room can be adjusted to replicate a wide range of environmental conditions for curing portland cement concrete test specimens while the 630 ft ³ room is maintained at a constant temperature and humidity for determining the drying-shrinkage properties of concrete in accordance with ASTM-157.  The laboratory is equipped with everything needed for measuring basic aggregate properties such as the gradation, absorption capacity and specific gravity, as well as, more detailed characterizations such as determining wear resistance using the Los Angeles abrasion machine or running a micro-deval test.  A 5.5 ft ²  concrete mixer and all other necessary tools for casting concrete specimens are available along with equipment for measuring the properties of fresh concrete.  A ball mill is available for cement production as well as a jaw crusher for establishing aggregate gradations.  The laboratory is equipped to test the more basic properties of hardened concrete, such as, strength, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio along with the more elaborate testing equipment needed for measuring such things as the dynamic modulus, thermal coefficient or fracture toughness of concrete.  Some of the sample preparation equipment available in the laboratory includes a concrete saw, core machine and a fume hood for sulfur capping.  The laboratory houses a Baldwin compression machine that can be used to apply loads up to 200,000 lbs as well as a 400,000 lb Test Mark compression machine.  A multitude of tests can also be performed using the 7-channel MTS TestStar Controller.  The controller can be used for performing dynamic testing using a closed-loop servo hydraulic test machine.  This system can be fed by either a 10 gpm or 60 gpm hydraulic pump.  The lab also houses an accelerated vehicle simulation loading frame for testing full-scale pavement sections. A family of Campbell Scientific data loggers and accompanying multiplexer and interface hardware is also available as well as a couple of high frequency data acquisitions systems.

Kevin Chen, PhD
pec9@pitt.edu

Researchers in PIRL under the direction of Kevin Chen, PhD, engage in interdisciplinary research in optics science, nanomanufacturing, and applied photonics. PIRL has strong capabilities in laser instrument developments and also superiorly equipped with state-of-the-art commercial laser systems.

Photonics Instrumentation Developments: PIRL researchers have strong capabilities on developing highly sophisticate laser instruments with unique characteristics not available in commercial markets. Some examples include:

Fiber Lasers : our group have developed a number of high-power (1-50 nJ), femtosecond (30-200 fs) fiber lasers for 1.0- (Yb), 1.5- (Er), and 1.9-mm (Tm) doped fiber lasers capable of both soliton and dissipative soliton outputs.

Femtosecond Solid State Lasers : Our group have developed (and currently equipped) with ultra-short pulse (< 10 fs) Tunable, Ti-Sapphire laser with high output power.

Portable Solid State Lasers : Our group possesses unique capability on developing powerful ultra-compact solid state lasers for homeland security, medicine, and remote sensing applications. We have capability on developing compact YAG laser with >10 mJ and <1 ns pulse output with weight less than 1000 gram.

PIRL scientists also developed a number of cutting-edge sensing instruments. The instrumentation development is supported by state-of-the-art of simulation and CAD tools including COMSOL, OPTIWAVE, ZEMAX, SOLIDWORK, ANSYS, ALLEGRO, and CANDENCE.  We developed customer software to for nonlinear fiber optics for high-power fiber laser design. 

Scientific and engineering research in PIRL is also supported by state-of-the-art of commercial equipment. These include:

High-power coherent ultrafast laser system for research on optics science and laser manufacturing from nano-scale to macro-scale.

Sophisticate adaptive optical laser pulse and laser beam shaping tool for parallel laser processing and precise laser matter interaction control at femtosecond time-scale and nano-meter spatial scale.

Multi-axis high-precision motion control systems with better than 0.1-mm bi-directional repeatability (10-nm resolution) over 2 feet travel distance along all axes.

Fully automatic guided wave photonic measurement capability and lightwave chip bonding capability.

Deep UV excimer laser systems (>1-J/pulse) at both 193-nm and 248-nm for laser processing.

Multiple high-power YAG laser (sub-ns) with frequency double and triple output for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, mid-IR generation, and spectroscopy studies.

Continuous wave Ti-sapphire laser system tunable from 700 nm to 1000 nm with 1-W output power.

800-W VCSEL pump lasers with fast switching time.

>500-W diode pump lasers for fiber laser development

18-W single frequency diode pump laser (Coherent Verdi-18)

Sophisticate spectroscopy equipment including multiple spectrometers for UV, visible, near-IR, and mid-IR measurement (200-nm to 10-mm). Si ICCD camera and InGaAs CCD camera are available for weak signal and IR imaging applications.

Customer-developed time-domain measurement for sub-fs pulse measurement at 1-mm, 1.5-mm, 1.9-mm, and 2.8-mm.

Together with world-leading medical experts from UPMC, PIRL research engages in endoscopic therapies and diagnostics research to determine cancer margins, to develop minimal invasive cardiovascular surgical procedures, and to improve outcome of kidney disease treatment.

PIRL has unique expertise on development and applications of radioactive micro-sources , which can be widely used for biomedical and homeland security applications.

Physical Metallurgy and Materials Design Laboratory

http://www.pitt.edu/~weixiong

Wei Xiong
Assistant Professor, Ph.D. & D.Eng.
Physical Metallurgy & Materials Design Laboratory
Dept of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
University of Pittsburgh

Email: weixiong@pitt.edu

Address:
606 Benedum Hall
3700 OHara Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Office phone: (412) 383-8092
Dept Fax: (412) 624-4846

Directed by Wei Xiong, PhD, the physical metallurgy and materials design (PMMD) lab performs research on different kinds of advanced materials, targeting high performance of materials in various engineering applications. The design fundamental tool is an integration of atomistic modeling, CALPHAD materials thermodynamics and diffusion kinetics, which are indispensable for microstructure optimization. The multidisciplinary research combines efforts on physical metallurgy, applied mechanics, quantum mechanics, hierarchy of materials microstructure characterization, and thermodynamic behavior analysis.

The PMMD lab has close collaborations with many national labs and industrial companies, such as Thermo-Calc Software Inc, NIST, Caterpillar, GM, QuesTek, Quad City Manufacturing Lab, and Argonne National Lab.

Our current research are but not limited to: (1) thermodynamic and kinetic investigation of strengthening in engineering alloy design (2) materials and processing design for advanced manufacturing (3) modern computational thermodynamics for hard and soft matters (4) high throughput experimental methods and materials design genomic database development.

Students and researchers with interests on materials and manufacturing design are highly welcome to join the PMMD lab. We try our best to transfer fundamental research to useful engineering technology.

Rehab Neural Engineering Laboratory (RNEL) http://www.rnel.pitt.edu/

Director: Doug Weber

Contact: dougweber@pitt.edu

Mission statement:

To improve the quality of life of individuals with neurological impairments by advancing the scientific understanding of motor and somatosensory systems to engineer new rehabilitation therapies and technologies.

This laboratory, located in the Magee Womens Research Institute, is under the direction of Doug Weber, PhD.  RNEL scientists and trainees work at the intersection of neuroscience and engineering, exploring neural coding and feedback control in sensorimotor systems and developing neurotechnologies for restoring sensory and motor functions. Researchers use a variety of advanced techniques for studying biomechanics and neurophysiology of reaching, grasping and locomotion, including 3D motion analysis, electromyography, multichannel neural recording and stimulation, human magnetoencephalography (MEG), and human electrocorticography (ECoG). Active projects include development of motor and sensory neural interfaces for controlling and sensing prosthetic limbs, and functional neuroimaging and neurofeedback therapy in people with spinal cord injury. RNEL research focuses intently on human rehabilitation applications and the breadth of research projects provides a rich training environment for students interested in rehabilitation science and engineering.

This laboratory, directed by Gelsy Torres-Oviedo, offers graduate and undergraduate students the infrastructure to investigate human motor learning mechanisms during balance and locomotor behaviors. The space for this facility is 700 square footage with a state-of-the-art 14-camera motion analysis system for recording three-dimensional body kinematic data in real time. The laboratory is also equipped with an instrumented split-belt treadmill and 2 force plates flushed with the ground, allowing kinetic recordings from each foot while human subjects from all ages walk on the treadmill or over ground. The facility also has a system for electromyographic recordings and instrumentation to digitize up to 64 analogue signals.

The Shiwarski Tissue Engineering Lab within the Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh is located within the recently renovated main floor (12th) of the Vascular Medicine Institute within the Biomedical Science Tower. The focus of the lab is to create an open and inclusive environment that encourages technical innovation and promotes the application of engineering principles to answer biological questions for clinical translation by integrating vascular mechanobiology with cell biology, microscopy, biomechanics, and tissue engineering. A specific question we are trying to address is how high blood pressure alters the structure and function of small diameter blood vessels. By integrating advanced 3D bioprinting, regenerative medicine, and microfluidics we develop novel experimental platforms to investigate relationships between engineered 3D tissue structure, extracellular matrix composition, biomechanical forces, and altered receptor signaling that drives vascular tissue maturation and hypertensive disease pathology. Additionally, the Shiwarski Lab prioritizes developing open-source scientific hardware and software for tissue engineering and cell biology to drive innovation and biomedical translation via reducing cost and improving device functionality. Project topics in the lab include engineering 3D model systems to study: thrombosis and hemostasis, congenital cardiac disease, cancer migration, kidney physiology, portal vein hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, aortic aneurism, GPCR receptor trafficking, and the cell biology of molecular condensates and phase separation. 

PI: Amin Rahimian, rahimian@pitt.edu

At the Sociotechnical Systems Research lab, we target questions that help society navigate the age of data. On the one hand, the landscape for scientific research is itself changing: The combined force of high-end data analytics and high-performance computing opens new ways for scientific discovery; more and more data from various sources and in novel forms are available to facilitate scientific inquiries. On the other hand, to overcome the trust barriers and embrace the increasing role of data and algorithms in our lives, we need a scientific understanding of the algorithmic, data-driven and platform-based economies that algorithms enable. The lab’s research into large-scale sociotechnical systems should help society in this transition by deepening an understanding of the emerging, data-enabled infrastructure within their societal context. On the methodological side, we face a variety of challenges such as calibration and down-scaling of massive models with costly data for granular predictions, optimizing and locally targeting large-scale interventions, and making inferences about local interactions and micro mechanisms from observation of meso-scale behaviors and macro trends. With ongoing support from DOD and HHS, we focus our efforts on pressing societal problems and issues of national concern, ranging from interventions to improve education, health and welfare among vulnerable populations, human-machine teaming in mission critical applications, the opioid epidemic, and COVID-19 pandemic to misinformation and malign influence campaigns.

Soft Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory 

stb-lab.com/

This laboratory is under the direction of Jonathan P. Vande Geest, PhD and focuses on studying the structure function relationships of soft tissues in human health and disease. Undergraduate and graduate students in the Soft Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory (STBL) are offered opportunities to participate in research that successfully integrates state of the art tools in cell mechanobiology, continuum mechanics, computational simulation, and bioimaging. The STBL is composed of a cell culture room equipped with the necessary equipment for cell and tissue culture, including several novel bioreactors for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering research. The STBL also consists of a main wet laboratory equipped with devices for advanced biomechanical and microstructural tissue characterization, computational simulation, biochemistry, molecular biology, histological processing, and medical device functional assessment. The STBL also has access to and manages an advanced intravital microscope for quantifying the growth and remodeling of soft tissues using nonlinear optical microscopy.

Jeffery Vipperman, PhD  

Phone: 412-624-1643  
Email:  jsv@pitt.edu 

This mechanical engineering laboratory is dedicated to development, modeling, and experimental characterization of active systems at the micro (MEMS) and macro scales. The diverse range of projects typically blend the related fields of acoustics, noise control, hearing loss prevention, vibrations, structural-acoustic interaction, controls, and analog/digital signal processing. A 1,000 ft2 laboratory equipped with state of the art equipment is complemented with an ancillary 250m3 anechoic chamber facility. Past and current applications include biological modeling and control, analysis of novel composite structures, development of automated classification systems, and hearing loss prevention.

The primary mission of the Stochastic Modeling, Analysis and Control (SMAC) Laboratory is to support research that addresses the modeling, analysis and control of engineering and service systems that have inherently stochastic elements.  Research in the Lab emphasizes analytical and computer-based modeling of such systems (e.g., maintenance, production, telecommunications, inventory, transportation and healthcare), and their optimization by exploiting applied probability, stochastic processes and discrete stochastic optimal control techniques.  This collaborative Laboratory's aim is to gain valuable insights into solutions to complex decision-making problems in uncertain environments.  The SMAC Lab is primarily funded through grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other governmental agencies.  Current research thrusts include the performance evaluation of large-scale sensor networks; degradation-based reliability modeling and evaluation; data-driven, adaptive maintenance planning models; spare parts inventory modeling and control; multi-server retrial queueing systems; medical decision making applications; healthcare operations; and satellite constellation maintenance modeling and optimization.

Ravi Shankar Meenakshisundaram, PhD
ravishm@pitt.edu

This lab is directed by Dr. Ravi Shankar and its objective is to characterize, control and exploit physical phenomena that are operative at the nanometer length-scale to engineer material systems with unprecedented properties. To this end, we focus on understanding the fundamental mechanics of deformation at the nano-scale, elucidation of kinetics of atomic transport in nanostructured domains and characterization of phase-transformations in nanomaterials. Facilities include sample preparation capabilities for electron microscopy and micromechanical characterization, microhardness and tensile testing and capabilities for the creation of ultra-fine grained multi-phase materials. Current research is focused on the elucidation of microstructure evolution and behavior of multi-phase materials subjected to severe thermo-mechanical deformation and investigations of development of environmentally benign machining processes.

Surfaces and Small-Scale Structures Laboratory

https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/jacobslab/

Directed by Tevis Jacobs, the focus of our research is to reveal the physical processes governing the mechanics of surfaces and interfaces. Contacting surfaces are of critical importance in advanced applications, including advanced manufacturing schemes, micro-/nano-electromechanical systems, and scanning probe microscopy applications. The function of such applications depends on the ability to precisely predict and control contact parameters such as contact area, contact stiffness, adhesion, and electrical and thermal transport.

Our group uses novel combinations of in situ electron microscopy, multi-scale mechanical testing, and scanning probe microscopy to interrogate the mechanics, tribology, and functional properties of contacts. On the small scale, we can achieve Angstrom-scale spatial resolution and nanonewton force resolution, to interrogate atomic-scale processes. On the large-scale, we use micro- and macro-scale testing of larger contacts that contain multi-scale surface roughness. This enables us to scale-up these nanoscale insights to describe functional properties of larger-scale surfaces.

Our goal is to develop quantitative, fundamental, and predictive understanding of contact behavior, which will enable tailored surface properties for advanced technologies.

Synthetic Biology and Biomimetics Laboratory

Director: Warren C. Ruder, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, SSoE, Pitt

Center for Bioengineering
300 Technology Dr
CNBIO 335 and 336-337
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

The Synthetic Biology and Biomimetics laboratory is under the direction of Warren C Ruder, PhD. The Synthetic Biology and Biomimetics laboratory consists of 1,274 sq. ft. and was extensively renovated in 2017 to produce a facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for advanced research in synthetic biology, lab-on-a-chip systems, microfluidics, and bio-robotics. Capabilities and equipment of the laboratory include: multi-day, live-cell epifluorescent microscopy, micro-fabrication, PCR, electrophoresis, micro-instrumentation design and fabrication, 3D-printing, mobile robotics, and computer vision. The lab offers postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate research opportunities in fields ranging from cell-free medical diagnostics to cellular interface engineering. By drawing from expertise in synthetic gene networks, cell physiology and biomechanics, microfluidics, and hybrid biomaterials, the lab strives to investigate fundamental biological questions while developing medically pertinent technologies. The laboratory is composed a biological safety level-2 cell-culture and imaging room that contains two live-cell epiflourescent microscopes, a biological safety cabinet, a CO2 incubator for cell and tissue culturing, and an inverted culture microscope. Additionally, the laboratory contains a molecular cloning and prototyping room equipped with a multi-mode microplate reader, a biological safety cabinet, multiple benchtop incubators, a spin-coater, a plasma cleaner, gel-electrophoresis equipment, two gradient PCR machines, and a variety of electronic and robotic prototyping equipment. By coupling these instruments with ample computing resources, the Engineered Living Systems and Synthetic Biology Lab aims to foster cross-disciplinary research and discovery.

Andrew Bunger, PhD

Phone: 412-624-9875 C: 412-290-6345

Email: bunger@pitt.edu

Improving Effectiveness and Sustainability of Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing has been the most important method for stimulating production of oil and gas for more than 60 years. With its critical role in the growth of shale gas/oil, hydraulic fracturing has now come to the forefront of conversations about energy and the environment as well as intensified research efforts aimed at ensuring it is done in a manner that is both effective for its purpose and sustainable for communities and the environment.

The effectiveness and sustainability of hydraulic fracturing operations go hand in hand. When the methods of hydraulic fracturing are optimal, the surface impacts and environmental risks are minimized. Similarly, poor practice that fails to minimize environmental and community impacts jeopardizes the benefits that can be achieved from responsible production of gas and oil emerging sources such as shale reservoirs.

Dr. Bunger's research aims at achieving optimality of hydraulic fracturing processes by predicting and controlling the types of growth patterns that will be generated when high pressure fluid injection is used to break reservoir rocks. Dr. Bunger uses analytical, numerical, and experimental methods to understand fundamental physical processes with an emphasis on contrasting network versus localized growth, growth that is contained to the reservoir versus growth out of zone, and practices that minimize versus exacerbate risk to well integrity and hence to groundwater resources due to the potential for contaminant migration along poorly completed or damaged wells. Dr. Bunger's additional and complimentary research interests include the mechanics of hydraulic fractures, coupled fluid-shale interaction, and the emplacement dynamics of magma-driven dykes and sills.

Experience and Facilities

Dr. Bunger has 15 years of experience in experimental, analytical, and computational investigation of hydraulic fracturing, rock mechanics, and site testing including in situ stress measurement. The University of Pittsburgh Hydraulic Fracturing Laboratory supports research into hydraulic fracture propagation. It includes: 1) a true-triaxial cell, including hydraulic pump and pressure control, capable of applying up to 20 MPa of stress independently in each of 3 direction to specimens measuring up to 300 mm on a side, 2) multi-axis video monitoring that is enabled by viewing ports in the loading platens of the triaxial cell, backlight sources built into the loading platens, and digital video cameras 3) a syringe pump used for injecting fluid for hydraulic fracturing, 4) combined acoustic emission detection and ultrasound tomography system.

Calixto Isaac Garcia, PhD
cigarcia@pitt.edu

The department has thermograyimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis capabilities. DTA 7, differential thermal analyzer and a Theta high speed dilatometer are housed in the MEMS department. This lab is under the direction of C. Isaac Garcia, PhD.

Minking Chyu, PhD  

Phone: 412-624-9784
Email:  mkchyu@pitt.edu  

The Thermal Science and Imaging Laboratory directed by Minking Chyu, PhD, is equipped with advanced flow and heat transfer measurement facilities directed toward obtaining fundamental understanding and design strategies for advanced thermal control systems. Major equipment includes a subsonic wind tunnel, a particle imaging velocimetry, a computer-automated liquid crystal thermographic system, a UV-induced phosphor fluorescent thermometric imaging system, and a sublimation-based heat-mass analogous system. Specific projects currently underway include optimal endwall cooling, shaped-hole film cooling, and innovative turbulator heat transfer enhancement, advanced concepts in trailing edge cooling, and instrumentation developments for unsteady thermal and pressure sensing.

This research group, headed by Dr. Youngjae Chun, is a collaboration between the Departments of Industrial Engineering and Bioengineering. Current research interests include artificial biomaterials, composites, endovascular devices, diagnostic vascular implants, and micro-bio-systems, as well as fundamental device-associated biocompatibility and development of experimental techniques. Specifically, the work in the area of:

• Designing and Manufacturing Medical Devices for Treating Vascular Diseases
• Development of Artificial Biomaterials and Bio-hybrid Composites
• Micro Fabrication and Nanoscale Characterization
• Studies on Hemocompatible Surface Modification of Biomaterials
• In-vitro tests: Device functionality, Hemocompatibility, Inflammatory Response
• Investigation on Hemodynamics using MEMS transducer arrays
• In-vivo Animal Testing and Post-mortem Examination

Engineering cell-cell interactions in cancer

We employ a quantitative approach that integrates microfluidics, systems biology modeling, and in vivo experiments to investigate the role of the tumor microenvironment on breast and ovarian cancer growth, metastasis and drug resistance. 

Ioannis (Yannis) Zervantonakis, Principal Investigator

Our laboratory strives to understand and seek solutions to pathologies of tubular tissue and organs, such as blood vessels, urethra, colon, esophagus, etc., by applying our strengths in computational and experimental biomechanics, image analysis, cellular and molecular biology, and tissue engineering at an accelerated pace. Our laboratory represents successful collaborations within the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, as well as outside collaborations.

William Clark, PhD 

Phone: 412-624-9794
Email: wclark@pitt.edu 

The Vibration and Control Laboratory, under the direction of William W. Clark, PhD, is devoted to the study of smart structures and microsystems. The primary focus is on the use of smart materials in a variety of applications, including structural vibration control, microelectromechanical systems (including sensors, actuators, resonators, and filters), and energy harvesting. The laboratory is well equipped for experimental and analytical research. Equipment includes computers and data acquisition hardware for simulation and real-time control of dynamic electromechanical systems; a variety of modern transducers and instrumentation for sensing, actuation, and measurement such as dynamic signal analyzers, shakers, high voltage power supplies, and amplifiers, and a variety of basic instrumentation and sensors; and a work center for constructing electronics and test rigs, with emphasis on piezoelectric systems.

George Stetten, MD, PhD

Phone: 412-624-7762

Email: stetten@pitt.edu

Website: www.vialab.org

The Visualization and Image Analysis (VIA) Laboratory, directed by George Stetten, MD. PhD, is based at the University of Pittsburgh in Benedum 434/435. We are developing new methods of displaying and analyzing images, primarily for medical applications. We have introduced a new device called the Sonic Flashlight^TM , for guiding invasive medical procedures, and are currently developing similar technology using optical coherence tomography to guide eye surgery. We have introduced FingerSight^TM to allow visually impaired individuals to sense the visual world with their fingertips, and ProbeSight to give ultrasound transducers the ability to incorporate visual information from the surface of the patient. Finally, we are developing a new type of surgical tool, the Hand Held Force Magnifier, that provides a magnified sense of forces at the tip of the tool for microsurgery.

Kent A. Harries, Ph.D., FACI, P.Eng. 

Phone: 412-624-9873
Email: kharries@pitt.edu 

The Watkins-Haggart Structural Engineering Laboratory is the facility at the heart of the experimental structural engineering research efforts at the University of Pittsburgh. This unique facility is located in the sub-basement of Benedum Hall on the main campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland. The Lab is a 4000 ft ²  (370 m ² ) high-bay testing facility with a massive reaction floor. The high-bay testing area is serviced by a 10 ton radio controlled bridge crane and other heavy material handling equipment. As a compliment to the reaction floor, the Lab also has an extremely versatile self-contained reaction frame and the following major equipment:

200 kip (900 kN) servo-hydraulic universal testing machine (UTM) with 15 ft (4.5 m) opening (customized MTS)

200 kip (900 kN) hydraulic UTM with 6 ft (2 m) opening (Baldwin)

124 kip (550 kN) servo-hydraulic material test frame (Satec)

20 kip (90 kN) servo-hydraulic fatigue rated UTM (MTS)

500 kip (2220 kN) hydraulic concrete cylinder frame (Gilson)

300 kip (1300 kN) reconfigurable test frame

50 kip (220) kN fatigue test capacity (MTS)

225 kip (1000 kN)  in situ  field testing capacity (Enerpac)

The laboratory maintains a number of computer controlled data acquisition systems that allow for the automated reading and recording of over 130 discrete channels of instrumentation. The lab has full-scale nondestructive evaluation equipment and field-testing equipment suitable for a variety of  in situ  test programs. Since 2004, the laboratory has specialized in conducting large scale fatigue testing at load ranges up to 50,000 pounds (220 kN). To date, fatigue tests totaling over 120 million load cycles have been conducted. The largest tests conducted by the Watkins-Haggart lab team where the 2006 tests of a pair of 90 foot long (28 m), 70 ton long prestressed girders recovered from the collapsed Lake View Drive Bridge.  The lab has also conducted extensive research for PennDOT, NCHRP and various other public and private agencies.