West Coast visit brings Pitt Public Health alumni together
In March, Pitt Public Health Dean Maureen Lichtveld joined University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel and Provost Joseph McCarthy on the West Coast for a series of alumni events that brought the Pitt community together in California. “The West Coast events were a chance to reconnect with alumni and strengthen relationships across the Pitt Public Health community," shared Dean Lichtveld.
Mich-Basso selected for Innovation Award
Pitt Public Health’s Jody Mich-Basso, BS, MT, has been selected for the inaugural Innovation Award as part of the University of Pittsburgh’s 2026 Sustainability Awards. Nominated by faculty and staff, Mich-Basso is being recognized for her work creating a Resource Center on the ground floor of the Pitt Public Health building.
Pitt Public Health faculty publish genetic counseling handbook
Michael Deem, PhD, and Robin Grubs, PhD, associate professors of human genetics, served as editors for The Oxford Handbook of Genetic Counseling, a comprehensive new resource for the field. Released in October 2025, the handbook brings together decades of scholarship and practice, spanning the history of genetic counseling, its growth within health care systems and the ethical and social questions shaping its future.
How Pittsburgh innovators are improving patient safety
“Every single one of these statistics in my papers are real people who came to the hospital for care and became sicker. We at Pitt and UPMC have identified a way we can stop that,” said Alex Sunderman, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology. “We can make patient care safer, we can prevent these infections, and we can save money.”
A civic science conversation with Maureen Lichtveld
The transdisciplinary One Health approach underlines the complexity of interactions between natural and human environments and health—an area where Dr. Maureen Lichtveld says artificial intelligence is becoming an important tool for combining and assessing a vast array of data sources. It also makes data collection in partnership with vulnerable populations—where funding is “less than minimal”—all the more important, she says.
Cairo to Pittsburgh—then back again
Behavioral and community health sciences doctoral candidate Rabab Ahmed, MD, has expanded her work beyond research into workshops for parents and teachers and a YouTube storytelling initiative led by deaf children themselves. Looking ahead to a postdoctoral fellowship, she hopes to strengthen and scale the infrastructure she has built across Egypt and the Arab world.
Science meets origami: Kaveh Moradi finds focus beyond the lab
Kaveh Moradi, PhD, knows that structure is everything. In his research, when myelin breaks down, the brain loses its ability to communicate—driving diseases like multiple sclerosis. At his desk, a single misplaced fold can collapse a paper figure. As a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Moradi studies the mechanisms behind demyelination. Outside of the lab, he folds origami, a craft requiring the same precision. Lately, it has also become a way to cope with the uncertainty of having family in Iran.
Rethinking when we eat: Samaneh Farsijani’s research on healthy aging
“Many dietary guidelines are intended for broad populations and do not fully address differences across age groups, sex or race,” says Samaneh Farsijani, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “The research I’m doing is primarily focused on developing age-specific dietary recommendations to promote healthy aging. What I see missing in our current guidelines is not just what specific foods and nutrients we need depending on how old we are, but when we should eat.”
Deakings honored as Distinguished Research Alumnus, joins Fab 40 Under 40
Jason Deakings, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences and associate director of the Center for Health Equity, recently received separate honors highlighting his research accomplishments. He was named to the 2026 New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Fab 40 under 40” list and, on behalf of Meharry Medical College, chosen as a Distinguished Research Alumnus.
A public health professor is bringing the National Bioethics Bowl to Pitt
“...bioethics topics are emerging as quickly as technology is developing, and they’re things that we really need to grapple with,” said Cindy McCarthy, an associate professor in the School of Public Health and this year’s National Bioethics Bowl organizer. “They’re difficult conversations, they’re complex, they’re multifaceted.”
Drnach-Bonaventura honored with Distinguished Early Career Award
Grace M. Drnach-Bonaventura (EdD ’24), assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, received a Distinguished Early Career Award from her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, where she earned her doctorate in social and comparative analysis of education. At Pitt Public Health, she teaches undergraduate and graduate students and studies the intersection of public health, health equity and education.
How to take a climate and health history
Researchers led by Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, propose a practical approach for integrating climate-related health risks into routine clinical care in a new article published in the Annals of Global Health.
Provost’s awards recognize those who impact student success
Emily Snyder, undergraduate advisor for Pitt Public Health’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health program, received the 2026 Provost Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Success in the Professional Staff Academic Advisor category. The award recognizes staff, faculty and administrators who positively impact the student experience through collaborative, holistic advising and student success practices. Each award consists of a cash prize of $1,000 and a grant of $1,500 to support professional development activities. All awardees will be honored publicly at a reception event on March 26.
From summer scholar to published author
Public Health Undergraduate Scholars Program (PHUSP) 2024 graduate Vivian Thai co-authored and published a commentary with her PHUSP mentor, Toan Ha, MD, DrPH, assistant professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at Pitt Public Health. The article, “Beyond the Counter: The Case for Emergency Contraception Vending Machines on College Campuses,” explores how vending machines could help address barriers that often prevent students from accessing emergency contraception when they need it most.