Windshield wiper fluid found to harbor Legionella bacteria
Alex Sundermann, assistant professor of epidemiology, explains how windshield wiper fluid in automobiles has been found to harbor Legionella bacteria and offers practical advice on how to prevent it.
APHA honors Tiffany Gary-Webb
Congratulations to Epidemiology Professor Tiffany Gary-Webb, PhD, MHS, who received the 2025 Public Health Practice Award from the Epidemiology Section, American Public Health Association (APHA).
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.
Pitt Public Health student selected for Elsie Hillman Honors Scholars Program
Pitt Public Health senior Melena Mastrostefano was recently selected as one of nine students across the University to join the Elsie Hillman Honors Scholars Program, a yearlong initiative through Pitt’s Institute of Politics that engages undergraduates in civic leadership and community partnership. Mastrostefano is partnering with the Birmingham Foundation, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that funds health and social programs in the city’s Hilltop neighborhoods.
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.
Our Region's Business - Pitt School of Public Health
Peter Salk, Pitt Public Health adjunct professor of infectious diseases and microbiology, reflects on the discovery of the polio vaccine with WPXI-TV's Bill Flanagan on "Our Region's Business."
‘Entertainment does have the power to move audiences’: USC study unpacks the real-life impacts of ‘The Pitt’
Beth Hoffman, an assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, knows the power of television to influence medical decisions. In February 2023, after her sister, Emily, was gravely injured when she was hit by a car while walking home in Point Breeze, her family felt at peace removing her from life support and donating her organs – not only because the organ donation box was checked on her driver’s license but because Emily had discussed the issue with her sister while watching an episode of “ER.”
Two friends receive YWCA's Equity Awards for their community work
Dara Mendez, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Health Equity, will be honored with the YWCA’s Heroine Award at the Equity Awards in November. A founding member of the Black Equity Coalition and co-director of the EMBRACE Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence, Mendez has dedicated her career to advancing equity in public health and challenging policies that drive health disparities.
Promotores create a bridge between healthier living and a growing Hispanic population
Patricia Document, former Behavioral and Community Health Sciences associate professor at Pitt Public Health, says the city’s growing Latino population includes a mix of people with roots in various Spanish-speaking countries. Documet, a pediatrician from Peru, said that when she arrived in Pittsburgh during the 1990s, programs were lacking for Hispanic residents, but local government and community organizations have slowly begun to address their needs.
ASM names Pitt School of Public Health a “Milestones in Microbiology” site
In recognition of its role in the successful development of the first safe, effective polio vaccine, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has designated the University of Pittsburgh its 21st “Milestones in Microbiology” site. The school celebrated the designation with a special Grand Rounds event and Milestones plaque unveiling on World Polio Day, Oct. 24, at the School of Public Health.
Pitt Public Health leaders participate in Global Innovation Summit
When the University of Pittsburgh hosted the 2025 Global Innovation Summit Oct. 20–21, Pitt Public Health leaders joined peers from education, business, science and technology to explore the future of health and innovation. The summit, “Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI and Tech,” featured panels, innovation spotlights, site visits and discussions focused on how artificial intelligence is shaping future policy, education and health care.
Finding connection in science and community
Jacob Scioli, an MPH student in infectious diseases and microbiology, was drawn to public health after an internship at his county health department, where he worked on a youth vaping prevention grant. “One boy told me there had been a fire at his school because a vape exploded in a trash can,” he says. “Hearing stories like that made me realize how important it is to connect science with real lives.”
Public health student wins APHA poster award
Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) student Simon Fisher received the Best Student Abstract Award from the American Public Health Association (APHA) Pharmacy Section for research conducted through the University of Pittsburgh Vaccination and Health Connection Hub.
Researchers detail derailment health impact in East Palestine
The East Palestine Community-Engaged Environmental Exposure, Health Data, and Biospecimen Bank, led by principal co-investigators Juliane Beier and Maureen Lichtveld, actively works with residents to collect water and air samples in their homes and collect blood samples and other health data to evaluate and potentially reduce the immediate and long-term impacts of exposure to vinyl chloride and other chemicals on the liver.
AI could make it harder to establish blame for medical failings, experts say
Professor of Health Policy and Management Derek Angus, MD, MPH, said it was important that funding was made available for the performance of AI tools in healthcare to be properly assessed, with investment in digital infrastructure a key area. “One of the things that came up during the summit was [that] the tools that are best evaluated have been least adopted. The tools that are most adopted have been least evaluated.”