Recent heavy rains wreak havoc on Pittsburgh's river recreation
Beyond sewage, flooding can wash all sorts of chemicals into the water, said Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the school of public health at the University of Pittsburgh.
Mahek Zaveri's practicum with Pima County Health Department
During her internship at Pima County Health Department, in Arizona, Mahek Zaveri worked on reviewing and strengthening the county’s Emergency Operations and Preparedness Plan.
Liz Conte's practicum at Smurfit Westrock
Liz Conte is a safety engineering co-op/intern at Smurfit Westrock, in Lancaster, PA. This is a corrugated packaging facility, producing standard cases, boxes and trays that are suitable for all industries. She worked in the wastewater area of the facility to improve the personal protective equipment (PPE) standards and enhance the standard operating procedures. She is also scheduling and attending all training sessions for all employees who will be working with wastewater.
Quantifying the toll of plastics: Researchers link 350,000 global deaths to phthalate exposure
“Cardiovascular disease is really at the low end of health risks for phthalates, versus we know a lot about endocrine disruption,” said Barchowsky, professor of environmental and occupational health.
Cassava Flour, chips, bread and more contain high levels of lead
“In Ghana [this contamination] tends to be a problem because we consume a lot of cassava. It’s our staple,” says Nesta Bortey-Sam, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health.
Farm roots, field goals
“I went to my advisor, and she mentioned a new program in public health,” says Aman, now a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Pitt’s School of Public Health. “I took an intro class, and I was completely hooked.”
Congratulations to our exceptional 2025 EOH graduates!
We celebrate the achievements of Dr. Yuchen Kristine Sun, Dr. Salman Ali Alquwayi, Jade Heckman, Margaret Woodwell, Fang Zhong and Alexis Kiyanda. Their dedication and hard work have made us proud. Wishing them all the best in their next chapter!
Students, staff and faculty present at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting
Baoli Qian, Natalie Price, Alexis Kiyanda, Zach Zimmerman, Jiaqi Vivien Lyu, Juliane I. Beier, Pooja Muddasani, Charis-Marie Vanderpuye, Shannon Heinig, and Yuexin Cao presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology March 16-20 in Orlando, Florida. Lyu, a PhD student, received a travel award and Secondary Faculty Member Beier was invited to give a 'Tiny Tox Talk'.
Stronger Together
A transformative public health partnership for Allegheny County.
U.S. News and World Report 2025 graduate school rankings released
Pitt Public Health and several departments and programs perform well in the latest graduate school rankings.
Rust to Resilience Environmental Chemical Research Center
The Rust to Resilience Environmental Chemical Research Center, led by Pitt Public Health faculty member Alison P. Sanders, brings together clinicians, engineers, toxicologists and epidemiologists to assess how Legacy contaminants such as metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, persist in water and soil and therefore affect Rust Belt populations.
ER visit data for asthma show dip, but advocacy groups still fight for resources and answers
Sally Wenzel, professor and chair of environmental and occupational health, said the visit counts seem surprisingly low — and “certainly would not be in line with my experience,” which includes nearly 18 years as a pulmonologist with UPMC.
Possible asthma phenotype associated with rheumatoid arthritis
“Asthma and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are both prevalent diseases with well-defined immunological bases, with one often considered allergic (Type 2) and the other autoimmune (Type 1/Th1),” said Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Professor and Chair Sally Wenzel.
With fluoride again drawing criticism, sorting out its prevalence in Pittsburgh-area drinking water
Over the years, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, Aaron Barchowsky, has been contacted repeatedly by local water systems wondering whether it’s worth the money to add fluoride, and whether it’s safe.