Siamak Salavatian, MEng, PhD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medicine, and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of Neuromodulation Research in our department, has been named a winner of a Phase 1 award in the University of Pittsburgh Un-Challenge (PUnCh) competition.
PUnCh, administered by the Pitt Office of Multidisciplinary Innovations in the Health Sciences, funds transformative ideas that challenge conventional approaches to improving health. Phase 1 awards provide up to $25,000 over six months for projects that push boundaries, with successful recipients becoming eligible for Phase 2 research and development awards of up to $150,000.
Dr. Salavatian received the maximum Phase 1 funding amount of $25,000 for the period of February 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. His project, "AI-Driven Multimodal Neuromodulation Platform to Restore Autonomic Balance Across Diseases Linked with Autonomic Dysfunction," will initiate development of an innovative AI-based closed-loop neuromodulation system to treat autonomic dysfunction.
Congratulations to Dr. Salavatian on this exciting opportunity to advance his groundbreaking neuromodulation research.