Introducing the 2026 Community Engaged Scholarship Forum awardees
Tina Ndoh, associate dean for public health practice and associate professor of environmental and occupational health in Pitt’s School of Public Health, was honored at Pitt's Community Engaged Scholarship Forum for her deep commitment to community partnerships and meaningful collaboration rooted in trust-building, healing and a sustained commitment to equity.
Climate Alert: Warmer temperatures worsen kidney disease
A gradual rise in global temperatures that has intensified over the past decade is associated with a higher risk of kidney disease, according to a study published in the journal Kidney Medicine.
How biologic insights are refining severe asthma care
Environmental and Occupational Health Department Chair Sally Wenzel discusses the complexity of severe asthma management within Type 2 inflammation and the limitations of relying on a single biomarker assessment. She also differentiates childhood-onset allergic asthma from adult-onset disease, underscoring how age of onset—along with underlying biology—can inform therapeutic strategy.
Public Health faculty selected for Leadership Academy
Firoz Abdoel Wahid, MD, PhD, MPH and Jiebiao Wang, PhD, MS, have been selected to join the newest class of the Health Sciences Leadership Academy for Early Career Faculty, a yearlong professional development program designed to cultivate a generation of transformative academic leaders through shared leadership training.
Study: Air pollution in Pittsburgh region responsible for 3,500 deaths in 2019
Jim Fabisiak, associate professor of environmental and occupational health, warned that the role of pollution in children’s IQ is still an evolving corner of public health science. “There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to IQ in terms of the effects of air pollution,” Fabisiak said. “What’s the appropriate exposure window for the effects of pollution on IQ? Is it prenatal? Is it something in early childhood?”
The growing health concerns of microplastics and what you can do to reduce your risks
Aaron Barchowsky, PhD, professor of environmental and occupational health, noted that the presence of microplastics in human systems has increased scientific interest. “But really, actually seeing that there is accumulation of the nanoplastics and microplastics in placentas or brains or kidneys has really fueled a lot of the concern."
Faculty named to list of highly cited researchers
Three School of Public Health faculty are among 16 from Pitt who have been named to this year’s Highly Cited Researchers list, an annual compilation of researchers whose work has made a significant impact across a broad range of disciplines.
Kiyanda awarded prestigious fellowship
Alexis Kiyanda, MS, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, has been selected to join the All of Us Data Fellows Program, a competitive national training initiative supported by the All of Us Research Program through the University of Arizona and Banner Health.
EOH students earn honors at AESOT 2025
Faculty, trainees and students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) participated in the 2025 Allegheny-Erie Society of Toxicology (AESOT) meeting, sharing research and engaging with regional toxicology professionals.
Pitt’s One Health Day explores the relationship of sustainability and health care
At the Office of Sustainability for the Health Science's One Health Day, Pitt Public Health environmental and occupational health graduate student Maahi Soni won first place for her poster, “From Waste to Whitening: Using Eggshell-Derived Hydroxyapatite as a Sustainable Alternative to Amalgam and Composite Fillings.”
2025 Public Health Practice Showcase
The 2025 Public Health Practice Showcase featured 15 graduate students representing each of Pitt Public Health’s seven departments, who presented work done in collaboration with community partners. Awards were also presented to faculty, staff and community partners who exemplify public health practice excellence.
In her opening remarks, Dean Lichtveld spoke of the importance of “making sure our science works for communities. Otherwise, our science doesn’t work.”
AE-SOT’s 38th Annual Meeting showcases regional toxicology research
The Allegheny-Erie Society of Toxicology (AE-SOT) Regional held its 38th annual meeting on October 29 at the West Virginia University Alumni Center in Morgantown, WV. The event, co-organized by Alison Sanders, PhD, associate professor in environmental and occupational health (EOH) at Pitt Public Health and director of the Rust to Resilience Environmental Chemical Research Center, brought together researchers, students and professionals to discuss current and emerging environmental toxicants impacting the region.
Kira Duncan recognized for innovation in research administration
Kira Duncan, post-award administrator in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, received the Innovator Award from Pitt’s Health Sciences Research Administration Recognition Awards program. The honor celebrates staff who develop creative, efficient solutions that strengthen research operations across the University.
Opinion: How climate change contributed to the impact of Typhoon Halong
"As a retired professor who has been active in environmental health since the 1960s, I have no doubt that climate change contributed to Typhoon Halong’s wind damage and flooding in Kipnuk, Kwigillingok and other Alaska coastal communities," writes Pitt Public Health Dean Emeritus Bernard Goldstein.