EOH News
When Climate Becomes a Health Crisis
In this episode of Global Health Frontlines, Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, discusses the ways climate is already reshaping human health. Dr. Lichtveld also shares the experiences that led her to public health, including helping increase childhood immunization rates in communities in Suriname, and explains why the next generation of public health professionals gives her reason for optimism.
Pitt Public Health researchers study uterine fibroids in African Caribbean women
Women in Tobago with uterine fibroids had higher concentrations of arsenic and arsenic-related compounds in their urine than women without fibroids, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “Our goal was to better understand whether environmental metal exposure might play a role in uterine fibroid risk in an underrepresented population — African Caribbean women,” said first author Alexis Kiyanda, MS, a second-year doctoral student in environmental and occupational health at Pitt Public Health.“
School of Public Health staff honored at annual award and recognition celebration
Members of Pitt Public Health’s staff were honored at the 2026 Staff Awards & Recognition Ceremony on Aug. 11. Staff milestones recognizing five to 40 years of service were also celebrated.
Pitt Public Health experts showcase environmental health leadership at national conference
Pitt Public Health faculty and students presented research addressing environmental health challenges and solutions at the 2026 National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Educational Conference, one of the nation's largest gatherings of environmental health professionals.
Wildfire smoke is a growing threat. Pittsburgh’s industrial pollution compounds the risk.
Sally Wenzel, chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Pitt Public Health and director of UPMC’s Asthma Environmental Lung Health Institute, said extreme air quality events, such as those caused by wildfires, exacerbate respiratory disease symptoms.
Pitt Public Health researchers find affordable air filtration improves indoor air quality in Homewood
“Air pollution is heavily associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes,” said Nesta Bortey-Sam, PhD, associate professor of environmental and occupational health. “We wanted to analyze local air pollution trends within Homewood because the community experiences significantly higher rates of these illnesses and asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalization than many other neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area.”
Transparency and collaboration were at the forefront of the second annual PA One Health Consortium meeting
“One Health links people, animals, plants and ecosystems,” said Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the School of Public Health, which has served as the PA One Health Consortium's coordinating institution since 2024. “That linkage is central to our mission and to the mission of our consortium and its partners.”
Pittsburgh University study explains why pollution affects some asthma patients more than others
“...stresses on cells can translate into serious physiologic effects, like worsening lung function or asthma exacerbations,” said Sally Wenzel, MD, corresponding author, chair of Pitt Public Health’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and director of Pitt’s Asthma and Environmental Lung Health Institute at UPMC, who co-led the study with Shuangjia Xue, a recent graduate of the department’s PhD program.
‘An absolute game changer’: Confocal microscopes open new possibilities for public health research
Research at Pitt Public Health has entered a new era of cellular discovery, thanks to a piece of technology that has eliminated a barrier on campus. In March 2024, the Office of the Dean and three departments within Pitt Public Health—Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Environmental and Occupational Health and Human Genetics—collaborated to purchase a confocal microscope using instrumentation funds from the Office of Senior Vice Chancellor for Research.
Meet Pitt’s 2026-27 Fulbright scholars
Iliya Lefterov, PhD, research professor in the School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, was one of eight University of Pittsburgh faculty members awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Awards by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. He will travel to Bulgaria to work alongside fellow scholars and researchers, continuing his studies on Alzheimer’s disease.
Deakings graduates from ADVANCER program
Jason Deakings, PhD, MSPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, recently graduated from the Institute for Clinical Research Education's ADVANCER Program, a yearlong career development program for early-career faculty and researchers.
Cheering for Pitt: How David Dyjack is shaping the future of public health
School of Public Health Partner Advisory Board Member David Dyjack started his career focusing on asbestos and lead. “My job is divided into many different challenges; every day is different," Dyjack said. "That is why I love public health so much—it is dynamic and evergreen."
Understanding the many drivers of severe asthma
Sally Wenzel, chair of environmental and occupational health, discusses how a more holistic approach could enhance personalization and improve care for patients with severe asthma.
How precision medicine is transforming asthma care
Advances in precision medicine are transforming severe asthma care by identifying distinct patient phenotypes and using biomarkers to guide targeted treatment. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Chair Sally Wenzel explores how matching the right biologic therapy to the right patient can lead to more effective—and even life-changing—outcomes.