Across the University of Pittsburgh, women faculty, students, alumni, and regional small business owners are showing what is Possible at Pitt, by breaking new paths as innovators and entrepreneurs. For Women Entrepreneurship Week we are highlighting just a few of these women whose passion and ingenuity have resulted in new companies and new initiatives for making positive change at Pitt and in the world.
Yuan Liu
Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine
Co-founder of Generian Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Yuan Liu is interested in small molecule therapeutic development targeting protein degradation in age-related diseases. Protein degradation is a natural process for cells to break down unwanted proteins into small peptides and amino acids for recycling to make new proteins. This process is implicated in many disease conditions. Dr. Liu's lab works to develop therapeutics to change the degradation process and modulate the course of a specific disease state. In 2023, she was one of four faculty members from the University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute to receive grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation for her project on late-stage Alzheimer’s Disease.
She is a co-founder of Generian Pharmaceuticals Inc., launched by UPMC Enterprises in 2020. In 2022, Generian formed a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Mitobridge, a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., to discover and develop novel small molecules for therapeutic targets for diseases with limited treatment options.
To recognize her commitment to innovation commercialization, Dr. Liu has been selected to receive the Emerging Innovator Award presented by the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, at its Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship on November 12, 2024.
SSOE Chemical Engineering PhD Candidate
Founder of FlowCellutions
FlowCellutions unlocks energy storage future through diagnostics tools for grid-scale batteries, opening a $45B market. Its first-of-its-kind sensor platform enables more accurate and reliable data collection than currently on the market. FlowCellutions' diagnostics software enables battery manufacturers to continually monitor and predict crucial state-of-health metrics. The company is beginning paid pilot partnerships and planning to close a pre-seed funding round by the end of the year. Armed with both FlowCellutions' software and hardware solutions, customers will be able to extend the lifetime of their grid batteries and improve uptime to create a more reliable electric grid for everyone.
Following her team's $25,000 grand prize win at the Big Idea Center's 2022 Big Idea Competition, Becca has went on to be named Pittsburgh Inno's "5 Founders Under 25" and won "Best in Show" at the PDMA Pittsburgh's Pitch Competition. Additionally, she won a $22,000 bonus prize in the 2024 EnergyTech University Prize competition's "Office of Electricity" category. She recently participated in the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition and placed 4th in the 2023-2024 Duquesne New Venture Challenge. In September 2024, Becca received a Big Idea Advantage Fund investment facilitated through the Big Idea Center.
Learn more about Becca's startup FlowCellutions.
Founder of Powerplay
As a seasoned educator, Claire teaches at various institutions, including her alma mater the University of Pittsburgh, where she inspires students from diverse majors through performance exercises and scene study. She demonstrates how performance skills can enhance personal and professional development. Recently, she gained recognition for her work in sensory theatre, producing an acclaimed original show for people with developmental disabilities that received recognition from the NY Times and Lincoln Center. Claire continues to make a significant impact through her creative and educational endeavors.
Professor, Medicine, Epidemiology, and Clinical & Translational Science
Vice Chair for Real-World Evidence, Department of Medicine
Director, Trilogue Center for Real-World Evidence
Principal Investigator, PaTH Clinical Research Network
As Director of Pitt’s Trilogue Center for Real-World Evidence and Vice Chair for Real World Evidence in the Department of Medicine, Dr. McTigue is driving transformative change in health and healthcare by harnessing the power of real-world data. Over the past decade, she has co-led the development of the PaTH Clinical Research Network, a vital player in PCORnet®, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network. PaTH accelerates research by leveraging multi-site electronic health record (EHR) data, streamlining administrative processes, and fostering collaborative, multi-site research teams.
A champion of patient-centered research, Dr. McTigue prioritizes engagement with patient and community partners to ensure research tackles the issues that truly matter. Her pioneering Story Booth initiative has collected over 1,300 audio stories on health and healthcare experiences, offering invaluable insights into the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and providers—fueling more relevant, impactful research.
Since its inception in 2021, the Trilogue Center has become a hub of innovation, supporting 6 Pitt-led research studies, including 4 projects funded by industry partners. These collaborations have tackled pressing questions such as:
- Can non-invasive testing using EHR data effectively identify patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)?
- How often does health record data show that patients are up to date on recommended vaccinations?
- What are the key stakeholder perspectives on obesity treatment?
Dr. McTigue’s work is shaping the future of healthcare research, making data-driven discoveries that are both timely and relevant, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in real-world evidence.
CEO of The Motherhood Inc.
Learn more about The Motherhood, Inc.
A New Opportunity for Women Innovators and Entrepreneurs at Pitt:
The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship coalesced on-campus partners this year to establish the University of Pittsburgh Equitable, Inclusive Innovation and Incubation program, or Pitt EI3. The program is designed to address inequality in academic innovation and entrepreneurship. The goal is to deliver an ecosystem change initiative to increase the engagement of women and other historically excluded people in innovation who become entrepreneurs and continue to engage in entrepreneurial activities throughout their careers. The program's centerpiece is a faculty fellowship. The inaugural cohort of 10 fellows spans numerous schools and departments across the university.
The fellowship was developed and is being directed by Cecelia Yates, associate professor at the Pitt School of Nursing and a serial entrepreneur herself. Dr. Yates is co-founder of Pitt startup company Ocugenix Inc., which last year began a clinical trial for treatment of macular degeneration.