• Hep C positive organs safe and effective for most transplant recipients

    A recent VA Houston study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics found that hepatitis C positive organs are a safe and effective option for most transplant candidates. Newer antiviral drugs have made it possible for patients to be successfully treated for hepatitis C infections transmitted via organ transplant.

  • VA hospital improvises with new device to prevent in-patient suicides

    More than a year ago, a staff member spotted a vulnerable area on those doors that patients could use to try to hang themselves. The hospital responded by installing a device that would make it virtually impossible for someone to do so.

  • VA engineering research center’s newest invention: prosthetic hook mouse

    It’s yet another example of ingenuity on the part of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a collaborative effort between the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and the University of Pittsburgh. HERL researches, develops, and tests a variety of technologies, including wheelchairs, and uses 3D printers with advanced manufacturing to design and create prostheses and other assistive devices.

  • VA Researchers Who Served: Nicholas Gatto

    Every piece of research done at HERL has the potential to improve the lives of Veterans and other people with disabilities. But the top priority is always on those who have served

  • Tech know-how lands her VA job… 35 years ago

    Tauna Perenovich started as a clerk-stenographer. She was recently honored for her remarkable work ethic and accomplishments.

  • Study reports on satisfaction with upper-limb prostheses

    A survey of more than 400 Veteran users of upper-limb prostheses found little difference in satisfaction based on device type. Overall rankings fell just shy of "satisfied."

  • Battlefield acupuncture relieves Veteran’s pain

    Air Force Veteran Nadine Stanford became the first Community Living Center resident at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System to receive battlefield acupuncture, which is performed entirely on the ears.

  • Veterans Serving Veterans: VA Researchers Who Served

    Josh Marino, an Army Veteran, is an education and outreach coordinator and a Veteran peer mentor at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a joint project between the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and the University of Pittsburgh.

  • New VA program helping inventors turn ideas into viable products

    The Technology Transfer Assistance Project (TTAP), an initiative of the VA Technology Transfer Program, aims to bring worthy VA discoveries closer to public use by supporting the creation of a working prototype and by consulting on pathways for commercialization.