Health & Biotechnology Research
Engineering a Healthier Future
CMU scientists study the genes, cells, tissues, organs and neural systems that shape human health. Engineers build new materials and instruments. Together, they turn fundamental insights into new tissues, diagnostics, devices and technologies that make healthcare more precise and less burdensome for patients and providers.
Working with federal agencies, health systems and industry, they strengthen the nation’s biomedical research enterprise, expand U.S. leadership in biotechnology and open new paths to better health.
AI for Health
Across Carnegie Mellon, researchers are using AI to interpret biological and health data, guide experiments and help clinicians make better-informed decisions.
At the Center for AI-Driven Biomedical Research, for example, researchers build computational models, reusable datasets and automated research workflows. All of these innovative tools accelerate biomedical research and enable more precise approaches to preventing and treating disease. Current projects apply AI to gene-therapy delivery, cellular engineering and the study of how genes and environmental conditions shape biological behavior.
Unlocking Rare Disease Research
Rare diseases affect more than 400 million people worldwide, yet about 95% of these diseases don’t have approved treatments. To change that, CMU co-founded Rare Ventures, a partnership that brings together leaders in medicine, biotechnology and AI to speed treatment development.
Computational Biology & Biomedical Data
CMU researchers create sophisticated models of genes, cells and tissues. They also develop the algorithms and computing infrastructure that researchers need to extract knowledge from complex biomedical data. In doing so, they deepen our understanding of health and disease — speeding progress toward more advanced diagnostics and treatments.
For example, the Brain Image Library, a national public data repository hosted at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, enables researchers to analyze, visualize, share and interact with large brain-imaging datasets.
By expanding access to this research data, the library — supported by the National Institutes of Health — promotes the reproducibility of research and facilitates new insights into the brain and neurological diseases.
Coding New Tools for Biologists
Databases at the National Center for Biotechnology Innovations (NCBI) hold millions of files of bacterial genome records. CMU graduate Katherine Wang is creating bioinformatics tools to help researchers analyze this data and accelerate breakthroughs in the fight against bacterial diseases.
Regenerative Medicine & Biofabrication
CMU researchers engineer materials, cells and manufacturing processes to build and repair living tissues. They use biomedical optics, computer vision and computation to see deeper into tissue and monitor physiological processes. These techniques are advanced, but the goals are simple: earlier detection, less invasive tests and procedures, and expanded access to care.
Professor of Chemistry Stefanie Sydlik’s lab is developing smart biomaterials that can regenerate bone for people with severe bone injuries and rid the body of harmful substances, including overdoses of antidepressants and over-the-counter painkillers.
Other teams have received multiyear grants from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for biotech projects that aim to solve society’s most challenging health problems. Some of these projects are being commercialized through startups like Raydiant Oximetry, which is improving fetal monitoring for safer childbirth; and FluidForm Bio, which is bioprinting living cells and tissues to advance treatment of Type 1 diabetes and other conditions.
Bioprinting Livers to Reduce Transplant Need
A team led by Professor of Biomedical Engineering Adam Feinberg and supported by ARPA-H is creating a functional, 3D-bioprinted liver for patients with acute liver failure. It’s designed to support regeneration of the patient’s liver, reducing the need for full organ transplants.
Public Health & Healthcare Delivery
Carnegie Mellon researchers are leaders in public health and healthcare delivery, developing new methods for preventing disease and getting people the right care at the right time.
For example, researchers at CMU founded the Delphi Group to develop the theory and practice of epidemic detection, tracking and forecasting — and promote their use in decision-making. Designated a 5-year National Center for Innovation by the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (2023-2028), the group now spans three universities and maintains a repository of real-time, geographically detailed epidemic indicators, with 3 million records being added daily.
Applying AI to Healthcare Delivery
Zachary Lipton, the Raj Reddy Associate Professor of Machine Learning, co-founded the successful startup Abridge. Abridge pioneered ambient listening in healthcare, leveraging the audio of doctor-patient conversations and health record context to automate the administrative work that burns doctors out.
Health & Biotechnology Departments, Institutes & Centers
Departments, institutes and centers connect interdisciplinary expertise to advance health and biotechnology research across computation, engineering, biology, neuroscience and human-centered technology.
AI-Driven Biomedical Research Center
AI4BIO combines artificial intelligence, automated experimentation and biological research to model living systems and accelerate progress in areas including gene therapy and cellular engineering.
Biological Sciences Department
The Department of Biological Sciences investigates living systems across scales, with strengths in cell and developmental biology, genetics, genomics, bioimaging, microbiology and molecular biology.
Biomedical Engineering Department
The Department of Biomedical Engineering advances biomaterials, tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, medical devices, robotics, neural engineering and computational medicine.
Cellular Systems Mechanics and Engineering Center
The Center for the Mechanics and Engineering of Cellular Systems examines how cells generate and respond to mechanical signals, with applications in cancer, aging, tissue engineering and biological machines.
Center for Advanced Biological Imaging Solutions
The Center for Advanced Biological Imaging Solutions provides advanced microscopy and flow-cytometry capabilities for studying cells, tissues and biological processes.
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition connects CMU’s strengths in cognitive and computational neuroscience with the University of Pittsburgh’s expertise in basic and clinical neuroscience.
Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology
The Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology unites CMU and University of Pittsburgh researchers working across the chemistry, biology and physics of DNA, RNA and peptide nucleic acids.
Neuroscience Institute
The Neuroscience Institute brings together researchers who study the brain and behavior through biology, computation, engineering, psychology and statistics.
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a joint center of CMU and the University of Pittsburgh, provides advanced computing, data and networking infrastructure to researchers nationwide.
Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department
The Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department creates computational methods for understanding biological systems and advancing genomics, precision medicine and AI-enabled biomedical research.
Robotics Institute
The Robotics Institute applies robotics, computer vision and artificial intelligence to assistive technology, rehabilitation, health monitoring and human-machine interaction.
Collaboration Multiplies Impact in Health & Biotechnology
CMU works with federal agencies, health systems, research institutions and companies to take on challenges that no single organization can solve alone.
One example of this collaborative ethos is Rare Ventures, a venture philanthropy platform with up to $25 million in funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The platform brings together leaders in medicine, biotechnology and AI to speed the development of treatments for rare diseases.
Other partners in health and biotechnology research include the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, UPMC, Mayo Clinic and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These collaborations connect CMU’s technical strengths with clinical expertise, advanced infrastructure, manufacturing and commercialization.