Catherine L Haggerty

Contributions to Public Health

• I have expertise in the role of the vaginal microbiome and emerging pathogens in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. My research group published the first prospective data linking Mycoplasma genitalium with PID and the first prospective study to demonstrate that bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria including Sneathia, bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria 1 (BVAB1), and Atopobium vaginae are associated with PID and failure of CDC-recommended treatment to eliminate endometritis and prevent infertility.
  • Yu B, Nguyen EB, McCartney S, Proll S, Strenk S, Valint D, Liu C, Haggerty CL, Fredricks DN.  Vaginal bacteria elicit acute inflammatory response in fallopian tube organoids: a model for pelvic inflammatory disease.  Reprod Sci. 2024 Feb;31(2):505-513. doi: 10.1007/s43032-023-01350-5. Epub 2023 Sep 19. PMID: 37726587.
  • Haggerty CL, Totten PA, Farooq F, Tang G, Ko D, Fielder TL, Srinivasan S, Astete SG, Fredricks DN. Presence and concentrations of select bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria are associated with increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2020 May; 47(5):344-346.; PMCID: PMC7167351.
• My research focuses on addressing perinatal and child health inequities across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. I co-lead The Pittsburgh Study's Healthy Environments and Strong Bodies Collaborative and the Longitudinal Indian Family Health Study in India, examining environmental and health factors affecting pregnancy and early child health and development. Using Pennsylvania birth records, my team has identified rural-urban disparities in care access and health outcomes to inform targeted interventions.
  • Minion SC, Krans EE, Mendez DD, Brooks MM, Haggerty CL.  Driving distance to delivery hospitals and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and maternal morbidity.  Obstet Gynecol.  2022 Nov 1;140(5):812-819. PMID: 36201778.
  • Kusneniwar GN, Whelan RM, Betha K, Robertson JM, Ramidi PR, Balasubramanian K, Kamasamudram V, Haggerty CL, Bunker CH, Reddy PS. Cohort Profile: The Longitudinal Indian Family hEalth (LIFE) Pilot Study, Telangana State, India. Int J Epidemiol 2017 Jun 1; 46(3):788-789j. PMID: 27649805.
• I am committed to mentoring across the continuum, including early career faculty and nearly 100 undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees. I developed and lead the School of Public Health Faculty Mentoring Program and direct training initiatives as co-lead of the University of Pittsburgh Maternal Health Center of Excellence EMBRACE Training Component. I have extensive experience leading training grants, including the University of Pittsburgh Center of Excellence (CoE) in Maternal & Child Health Postdoctoral Training Program.