EOH News
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, 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 a study published in eBioMedicine 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.
How rising temperatures impact kidney disease risk
Hoimonty Mazumder, MBBS, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral researcher in environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and colleagues published a study looking at the link between a gradual rise in global temperatures and a higher risk of kidney disease. The study is published in the journal Kidney Medicine.
Lost connection? The Pittsburgh metro area ranks poorly in a new analysis of urban sprawl
“Urban sprawl has, at its core, issues of social determinants of health,” said Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “It’s for a very specific reason that we always say, ‘Where you live determines your health.’”
Researchers receive NIH grant to study how early-life environmental exposures affect kidney health
Alison Sanders, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and associate dean for research at Pitt Public Health, and Izzuddin M. Aris, associate professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, have received a nearly $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how early-life environmental exposures may influence kidney health and blood pressure later in life.
Dean Maureen Lichtveld recognized as a Pittsburgh Business Times 2026 Women of Influence honoree
Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, has been recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times as part of its 2026 Women of Influence awards. The honor recognizes leaders across the region for their professional accomplishments, community impact and leadership.
Cancer mystery solved: Scientists discover how melanoma becomes “immortal”
Pattra Chun-on, a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Pitt’s School of Public Health, ultimately helped identify a previously overlooked genetic partnership that keeps melanoma cells effectively immortal, allowing tumors to continue dividing long after normal cells would shut down. Working in the lab of Jonathan Alder, assistant professor in Pitt's School of Medicine, the study points to a possible new weakness in cancer cells that future treatments could target.
Women of Influence: Get to know the 2026 honorees
Dean Maureen Lichtveld has been honored by the Pittsburgh Business Times as part of its 2026 Women of Influence awards, which recognize regional leaders making significant impacts through their organizations and communities. (Subscription required.)
Pitt study uses urine samples to map metal exposure in Caribbean adults
Urine tests—commonly used to detect infections or metabolic conditions—can also offer insights into environmental exposures that may shape long-term health.
In a new study, epidemiology and environmental and occupational health researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health analyzed urine samples from nearly 900 adults on the Caribbean island of Tobago to better understand metal exposures and what factors are related to those exposures.
