Recently, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine leadership representatives were matched with a team of University of Pittsburgh MBA students on a project to assess the commercial potential for an emerging McGowan Institute technology. The team’s strategy won first place in the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business McKinsey Cup Playoffs and Competition. The winning team members are Pitt students Patrick McIlwain, Khaleel Khaja, Matthew Stevenson, and Daniel O'Donnell (pictured left to right) who were partnered with Patrick Cantini, Lorenzo Soletti, PhD, and Mohammed El-Kurdi, PhD, from the McGowan Institute.
For the competition, the team explored viable opportunities for AngioShield, a biodegradable sheath that has been designed to help the transition of the traditional saphenous vein graft to an arterial vein replacement in a cardiac bypass procedure.
Despite the extensive use of saphenous veins, the failure of arterial vein grafts (AVGs) is a major problem; 12-27% of AVGs become occluded in the first year with a subsequent annual occlusive rate of 2-4%. Failed AVGs cause increased morbidity or require re-operation.
With the AngioShield sheath, clinicians will be able achieve superior outcomes for treatment of coronary and peripheral arterial re-vascularization. The overall result is expected to be reduced AVG failure rates, and subsequently less money spent in the treatment of chronic patients.
The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business MBA curriculum includes a project course that is designed to provide MBA students a meaningful and measurable business experience prior to graduation. These projects offer the opportunity for students to apply the various analytical tools and concepts learned at Katz while providing valuable and practical project assistance to participating businesses. During the Spring 2009 semester, there were 17 Katz project teams that worked with clients.
The projects range over many academic disciplines. In performing their work, the teams are supported by a faculty advisor as well as consulting workshops led by McKinsey and Company, management consultants. Key to the course is the guidance and critique provided by the participating client organizations and the Katz faculty.
The McKinsey Cup Competition is culmination of the project courses and seeks to recognize the contributions of the project teams, and to identify the most successful projects. Only four semifinalist teams were selected to participate in the prestigious McKinsey Cup Competition, where each team presents their project to a panel of judges as well as an audience of judges with electronic voting devices.
Congratulations, Team!
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