Dean's Day

Dean’s Day is our annual showcase of student research featuring poster sessions during which students present their work to the multidisciplinary Pitt Public Health community.

To participate, students must prepare and submit an abstract. All currently matriculated Pitt Public Health students are eligible to compete, with the exception of the previous year’s first place master’s and doctoral winners. The 2024 deadline to submit abstracts was March 11.

2024 Schedule

Tuesday, April 2

Sessions 1 and 2

Session 1, 10 a.m.-Noon

1. Rebecca C. Bilden, Health and Policy Management PhD student
   Examining Barriers to Buprenorphine Treatment for OUD: X Waiver Elimination and Increasing Support and Education for Providers
2. Kaleigh A. Connors, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
   Therapeutic Delivery of Potent Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibodies Improves Survival After Aerosol Exposure to Rift Valley Fever Virus
3. Elizabeth Roy, Human Genetics MPH student
   Equity in Insurance Coverage of Infertility Services for People with Sickle Cell Disease
4. Dylan J. Tuttle, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
   Complement Activation as a Mechanism of Protection by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine in Men with HIV-1
5. Kaley Jean, Human Genetics MPH student
   An Exploration of the Disparities Toward the LGBTQ+ Population in Clinical Trials
6. Gabriela Slizewska, Human Genetics MS student
   Perceived Value of Non-Diagnostic Genetic Testing in Hypermobile Patients
7. Urekha Karri, Human Genetics PhD student
   Evaluation of Novel Missense Variants in Haploinsufficiency of A20
8. Katherine Callaway Kim, Health and Policy Management PhD student
   Impact of the 2018 Angiotensin-Receptor-II (ARB) Recalls and Subsequent Drug Shortages on Patients with Hypertension
9. Melaina Jacoby, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
   Viral Tropism for Lymph Node Cells is a Sculptor of Systemic Cytokine Responses to Alphavirus Infection
10. Namhyun Kim, Epidemiology MS student
    Association Between Food Intake Timing and Maternal Glycemia During Pregnancy
11. Adrianna I. Acevedo-Fontánez, Epidemiology PhD student
    Abdominal Myosteatosis and Cognitive Function: Insights from CARDIA Study
12. Veronica Rodriguez De Leon, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
    Barriers Identified by Healthcare Professionals Concerning the Participation of People Living with HIV in HPV-Related Cancer Clinical Trials in Puerto Rico

Session 2, 3-5 p.m.

1. John Villandre, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD student
   Vuse Golden Tobacco E-Cigarette Usage Induces Bulk Polyubiquitination in Alveolar Epithelial Cells
2. Bridget Mayrer, Biostatistics MS student
   K-Means Clustering Analysis to Determine Hormone Aromatization Characterization of Progesterone Treated and Placebo Treated Patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries
3. Madeline Peterson, Biostatistics MS student
   A Comparison of Classification Trees to Logistic Regression for Exploring Predictors of Patient Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury
4. Ziyuan Wang, Epidemiology PhD student
   Prevalence of the AHA Life's Essential 8 in Midlife Women and its Prospective Associations with Total Mortality and Cardiovascular Diseases Events: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
5. Adrianna I. Acevedo-Fontánez, Epidemiology PhD student
   Alcohol Consumption and Its Relation to Ectopic Adiposity in African Caribbean Men
6. Nina Heilmann, Epidemiology PhD student
   Cardiorespiratory Fitness Associations with HR-pQCT Bone Parameters in Older Adults: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA)
7. Emily Hrach, Human Genetics MS student
   Assessing Patient Perceptions and Understandings of Genetic Testing After Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
8. Stephanie Creasy, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, PhD
   Using Concept Mapping to Adapt and Tailor a Post-Incarceration Clinic Model for Sexual and Gender Minoritized Adults in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
9. Alexandra Larson, Human Genetics MS
   Clinical Trial Knowledge Among Adults with Inherited Retinal Dystrophy (IRD)
10. Lauren Carlson, Epidemiology PhD student
    Areal BMD at Baseline Predicts HR-pQCT Parameters 14 Years Later: Findings from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study
11. Zachary Clemens, Environmental and Occupational Health, PhD
    Arsenic-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction Interrupts Intercellular Communication in Regenerating Muscle Cells
12. Veronica Rodriguez De Leon, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, MPH student
    Trends in Lifestyle Risk Behaviors for Cancer Among People Living with HIV (PLWH) in Puerto Rico from 2015 and 2021
13. Emily Nicholls, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD
    An Analysis of Birth Outcomes in Relation to PM 2.5 Exposure Among Environmental Justice Communities in Southwestern Pennsylvania
14. Isabel Martin, Epidemiology MPH student
    Identifying Structural Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening Within 10 Neighborhoods in Allegheny County: A Community-Based Approach
15. Yuchen Sun, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD student
    Maternal Blood MicroRNA Signatures and Associations with Maternal Smoking Status: Potential Impacts on Tissue Development and Inflammatory Responses
16. Nan Sheng, Human Genetics MS student
    Measures of Adiposity as Predictors of Type-2 Diabetes Status in Samoan Adults

Wednesday, April 3

Sessions 3 and 4

Session 3, 10 a.m.-Noon

1. Katherine Callaway Kim, Health and Policy Management PhD student
   Drug Shortages in the U.S. and Canada: A Multi-National, Cross-Sectional Study
2. Basma Dib, Epidemiology PhD student
   Understanding the Impact of Selection Biases Inherent in Perinatal Research Across Different Causal Inference Approaches: A Simulation Study
3. Nicole Weise, Human Genetics MS student
   Prenatal Genetic Counselors’ Perceptions of their Disability Training and Preparedness for Addressing Disability in Practice: A Thematic Analysis
4. Elian Buchi, Human Genetics MS student
   A Prospective Study Assessing Cancer Patients’ Perceptions Regarding the Value of Cancer Genetic Counseling
5. Gayatri Dholakia, Human Genetics MS student
   Regulation of acvrl1 and its Implication on Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
6. Megan Zieber, Human Genetics MS student
   Analyzing Accessibility and Suitability of Online Krabbe Disease Resources
7. Yi (Emma) Lu, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD student
   Brain Cellular Responses to Peripheral Inflammation in Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
8. Victoria Kostour, Human Genetics MS student
   U.S.-Trained Genetic Counselors’ Perspectives on International Rotations: A Thematic Analysis
9. Grace Waldow, Human Genetics MS student
   Further Investigation of the First-Tier Status of Fragile X Testing for Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Diagnostic Yield and a Comprehensive Chart Review
10. Christine Crasto, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
    Syndecan Proteoglycans Promote Infection by Heparan Sulfate Binding Alphaviruses
11. Shuwei Liu, Human Genetics PhD student
    Associations Between DNA Methylation and Cognitive Function in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients
12. Emma Ford, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
    Resource Mapping for Fathers in Allegheny County
13. Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa, Epidemiology PhD student
    Retrospective Whole Genome Sequencing Surveillance for Healthcare-Associated Human Metapneumovirus Transmission
14. Elizabeth Roy, Human Genetics MPH student
    Evaluating Stakeholder Engagement in Risk-Based Environmental Standards: A Dry Cleaning Case Study
15. Emma Gay, Epidemiology PhD student
    Association Between Skeletal Muscle Energetics and Perceived Physical Fatigability: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA)

Session 4, 1-3 p.m.

1. Rob Gresser, Environmental and Occupational Health MPH student
   Fire Department Decontamination Protocols: Are they reducing toxicant exposures for ALL first responder?
2. Claire Lama, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
   Factors in Seeking Skilled Care During the Perinatal Period: An Exploratory Study in Golche, Nepal
3. Gopika Rajanikanth, Human Genetics MS student
   Perspectives Surrounding Prenatal and Pre-Conception Genetic Counseling for People with Cystic Fibrosis Considering Parenthood
4. removed
5. Runjia Li, Biostatistics PhD student
   Doubly Robust Approach for Estimating the Conditional Average Treatment Effects (CATEs) on Time-to-Event Outcome with Competing Risk: A Case Study of ICU Patients with Sepsis
6. Shanshan Yao, Epidemiology PhD student
   Metabolomic Pathways of Inflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction are Related to Worsening Healthy Aging Index and Mortality
7. Yilei Liu, Epidemiology PhD student
   Global Trends in Outpatient Gabapentinoid Utilization: A Time-Series Analysis of 67 Countries
8. John Tukakira, Epidemiology MPH student
   Trends in Age-Standardized Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Senegal between 1976 and 2020 by Sex
9. Samantha Zhang, Epidemiology PhD student
   Causal Mediation Framework to Identify the Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Patients’ Self-Reported Severity of Influenza Infection
10. Genet S. Assefa, Human Genetics PhD student
    Age, Gender, and Hemoglobin Type are Associated with Levels of Hemolysis Cytoprotective Proteins in Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease
11. Linyi Chen, Epidemiology PhD student
    Mediation Effect of Education on the Association Between Sex and Quality of Life Following Outpatient Acute Respiratory Illness
12. Katherine Novak, Human Genetics MPH student
    Clinical Implications of Integrating Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) at the Residential Level of Eating Disorder Care for Adults with PTSD
13. Katie Carlson, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology MPH student
    Disparities and Trends in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Pathologic Testing Among Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients in the National Cancer Database
14. Sade Ashley Tukuru, Epidemiology MPH student
    Creativity Matters: Evaluating the Impact of Student Access to Creative Outlets
15. Emmanuela Abraham, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
    Exploring the Unseen Wounds:  The Impact of Unaddressed Trauma on Haitian Immigrants in Maryland
16. Alexander T. Riley, Epidemiology MPH student
    Understanding the Factor Structure of Delinquency-Related Behavior in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development-Social Development Study
17. Ang Le, Environmental and Occupational Health MPH student
    The Impact of Language Barriers in Immigrant Worker Population’s Occupational Health in Chiang Rai, Thailand

18. Paul Mlodgenski, Epidemiology MS student
    Quantifying Demographic Disparities of Red Tide Exposure and Complications in Sarasota and Manatee Counties: A Pilot Study

     

Thursday, April 4

Sessions 5 and 6

Session 5, 10 a.m.-Noon

1. Na Bo, Biostatistics PhD student
   Pseudo-Outcome-Based Meta-Learners to Analyze Treatment Heterogeneity in Survival Data: Application to Pediatric Asthma Care Under COVID-19 Disruption
2. Donald Bourne, Health and Policy Management PhD student
   Early Impacts of a State-wide Alternative Payment Model for Rural Hospitals on the Utilization of Traditionally Low-Margin Service Lines
3. Haley Director, Health and Policy Management PhD student
   Evaluating Utilization Patterns of Prenatal Genetic Testing Among Deliveries in the Greater Pittsburgh Region
4. Keaton Solo, Human Genetics PhD student
   Medium-Chain Acylcarnitines Target Muscular Phenotypes of Long-Chain Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders
5. Cynterria R. Wilson, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
   Fostering Trust and Advancing Health Equity: An Innovative Pilot Curriculum Rooted in Principles of Trustworthiness
6. Bianca Kun, Human Genetics MS student
   Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Preterm Birth in Black/African American Women
7. Amro Nasser, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
   Antibody Dependent Complement Activation and DENV3 Disease Severity
8. Yueting Wang, Biostatistics PhD student
   A Novel Bayesian Finite Mixture Model Approach for Clustering Mixed-type Variables and Censored Biomarkers
9. Sarah Scott, Epidemiology PhD student
   Thriving Voices: Using Visual Voices to Explore Thriving in Young Adults after Teen Economic Abuse
10. Miranda Rae Aman, Environmental and Occupational Health MPH student
    Unveiling Environmental Inequities and Health Disparities: A Multifaceted Study in Pittsburgh's Homewood Neighborhood
11. Reagan (Moffit) Garcia, Epidemiology PhD student
    Estimating Cardiorespiratory Fitness Using a Usual-Paced 400-m Long Distance Corridor Walk in Older Adults
12. Bethany Hoschar, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
    Identifying RAGE Expression in Tissue Sections and Whole Blood from Cynomolgus Macaques
13. Michelle Sun, Biostatistics MS student
    Age-Related Changes in Human Circadian Rhythms

This session will feature presentations from our inaugural graduating class of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree

• Sofia Choudhry, Nyasha Mafarachisi, and Chanita Russell
  Exploring Comprehensive Sexual Education Models with Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania
• Brittney Manu
  Empowering Young Black Girls: A Culturally Relevant Approach to Sexual Education Curriculum Implementation and Evaluation
• Salome Margalitachvili, Ibukun Oladeinde, Brooke Shapiro, and Noelle Smith
  Creating a Ladder of Engagement for Partners of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania
• Haliyat Oshodi
  From Engagement to Action: Community Health Initiative in Kgope, Botswana

Session 6, 2-4 p.m.

1. Molly Nelson and Persis Sunny, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology MPH students
   Exploring Macrophage Phenotypic and Functional Diversity in Granulomas from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis-Infected Macaques
2. Alyssa Arreola and Ziyue Huang, Human Genetics MPH students
   The Healthy Communities, Services, and Lifestyles (HCSL) Project: Elevating Community Voices to Shape a Future Healthy Lifestyle Institute in the Hill District
3. Rebecca Terrill, Human Genetics MPH student
   Readability and Suitability of State Newborn Screening Program Websites
4. Elora Kalix, Epidemiology PhD student
   Community Perceptions of Childhood and Prenatal Lead Exposure in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
5. Qi Wei, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD student
   Human Airway Epithelial Cells (HAECs) Exhibit Differential Viral-Related Immune Responses Under Type-2 (T2) Conditions
6. Daniel Lane, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology student
   Targeting the Rate-Limiting Enzyme PFKFB3 in Neutrophils Alters Neutrophil Interactions with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
7. Isha Sahasrabudhe, Biostatistics MS student
   Unraveling the Role of BTNL9 Expression in Adipose Tissue: Insights Into Cardiometabolic Traits Through Genetic Analysis
8. Sam Bednar, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences MPH student
   A Program to Reduce Post-Transplant Alcohol Use
9. Jiaqi Lyu, Environmental and Occupational Health PhD student
   Preconception Exposure to Arsenic and Its Impact on Maternal and Fetal Health: Placental Transcriptome Analysis
10. Karmen Reynolds, Human Genetics MPH student
    Pediatric Provider Attitudes Regarding the Diagnosis and Management of Familial Hypercholesterolemia
11. Sarah Cory, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
    Examining Phenotypic Characteristics of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) in Non-Human Primates 
12. Xinran Liu, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences PhD
    Social Well-Being Impacts of Long-term Mobility Device Use Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the United States
13. Kennedy Sawicki, Human Genetics MPH student
    Public Health Professionals’ Knowledge of and Perceived Barriers to Implementing Trauma-Informed Care in Newborn Screening
14. Michelle Marti, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology PhD student
    Genetic Ancestry Drives Differences in Dengue Virus Infection of Isolated Human Skin Cells

Congrats to our previous winners

2023 Winners

Dean’s Day first place master’s: Harika Dyer, EPIDEM
Dean’s Day second place, master’s: Shravan Leonard-Murali, EPIDEM
Dean’s Day third place, master’s: Rina Mahoney, HUGEN

Dean’s Day first place doctoral: Nathan Raabe, EPIDEM
Dean’s Day second place, doctoral: Arpita Tripathi, BCHS
Dean’s Day third place, doctoral: Ziling Mao, EPIDEM

Rosenkranz Award for the project judged to be the most significant contribution to the public health field: Samantha Rosenberg, BCHS

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, master's: Aparna Ramani, HPM
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, doctoral: Anna Lewis, IDM

Catherine Cartier Ulrich Award, master's: Harika Dyer and Kayla Ortiz, BCHS
Catherine Cartier Ulrich Award, doctoral: Adrianna Acevedo-Fontanez, EPIDEM
Center for Public Health Practice: Dara Czernikowski, BCHS

Department of Epidemiology master's award: Pooja Tallapeneni
Department of Epidemiology doctoral award: Lauren Shaver Roe
Department of Epidemiology health disparities award: Samantha Hernandez

2022 Winners

Dean’s Day first place master’s: Rachel Merritt, IDM
Dean’s Day second place, master’s: Monica Henderson, BCHS
Dean’s Day third place, master’s: Haley Director, HUGEN

Dean’s Day first place doctoral: Chinwoke Isiguzo, BCHS
Dean’s Day second place, doctoral: Jessie Klousnitzer, EOH
Dean’s Day third place, doctoral: Alice Gao, HPM

Rosenkranz Award for the project judged to be the most significant contribution to the public health field: Bethany Flage, IDM

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, master's: Emily Arthur, EPI
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, doctoral: Donald Bourne, HPM

Department of Epidemiology master's award: Teja Pulavarthi
Department of Epidemiology doctoral award: team of John Herberger, Rebecca McAdams, Alice Arcury-Quandt, Adrianna Acevedo-Fontanez
Department of Epidemiology diversity award: Carly Belz