Interprofessional experience at the Hub
For students like Nathan Raabe, a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health and researcher in the Department of Medicine, Pitt's Vaccination and Health Connection Hub represents a practical application of decades worth of scientific research from many professional backgrounds, or what he calls "translational medicine."
As Seen on TV: Bystander CPR way behind the times
"We know that TV depictions of health topics can influence viewers," said Beth Hoffman, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences. "We've also seen news stories about people saving lives because of the CPR they learned from watching it on screen. Considering the sheer number of people who watch TV, it's important to think of how to leverage this to improve the likelihood that people will perform CPR and save lives."
People put off giving CPR by unrealistic TV depictions, researchers say
“People are watching thousands and thousands and thousands of hours of television every single year, but people go to see their primary care physician once a year. So a lot of people are gaining most of their health content from the stuff that they watch on TV, the stuff that they experience on TV,” said lead author Ore Fawole, a student at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Public Health and Medicine.
State of denial: How insurance companies impact health care today
Millions of Americans are struggling to access medical care—unable to afford high premiums, burdened by steep deductibles, or denied coverage for necessary tests and treatment by health insurance companies—according to a report by Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours on CBS Sunday Morning. “All of us are vulnerable to being denied, and not all of us can weather the storm as easily when it comes to appealing and overcoming barriers,” said HPM Assistant Professor Miranda Yaver, who was interviewed for the piece.
BSPH Spotlight: Kaylah Fleming
BSPH student Kaylah Fleming is studying how genetic conditions affect African American communities and how research can better serve them. “I like the science,” she says, “but I always come back to the person behind the data, the person who’s suffering.”
Pitt PUnCh funding expands arts-based mental health initiative
A team of faculty and students affiliated with Pitt Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) has received new funding through the Pitt Un-Challenge (PUnCh) grant to expand an innovative, arts-based mental health initiative that connects students to community arts experiences as a pathway to healing and resilience.
Parents who delay baby's first vaccines also likely to skip measles shots
“Measles is sort of the canary in the coal mine, the smoke alarm,” said Dr. Lee Harrison, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. “When you start to see declines in coverage rates, then you start to see outbreaks," Harrison said. “And that’s what we’re seeing.”
Epidemiology's Samaneh Farsijani selected to present at 2026 Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Seminar Series
Samaneh Farsijani, assistant professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health, will present research on chrononutrition and healthy aging on April 10, 2026.
Health Director Iulia Vann joins Pitt Public Health’s Health Policy and Management Department
Allegheny County Health Director Iulia Vann, MD, MPH, has been appointed adjunct associate professor of health policy and management at Pitt’s School of Public Health, as part of a previously announced partnership between the Allegheny County Health Department and the school to create an academic public health department.
8 Pitt undergraduates earned Gilman Scholarships
Pitt Public Health sophomores, Ariana Kamugisha and Emily Truitt, are among eight Pitt undergraduates awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the October 2025 cycle. The U.S. Department of State program supports students of limited financial means as they study or intern abroad, offering opportunities that strengthen global skills and future career paths.
Mayor and Pitt alumna Alyia Gaskins’ healthy outlook
Long before the meetings, community events and the shifting demands of city leadership begin, Mayor Alyia Gaskins (HPM ‘11) starts her day with the same awareness that has guided her since childhood: health shapes every moment. For Gaskins, now the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Alexandria, Va., health has never been confined to the doctor’s office. It is rooted in the places we live, the food we eat, the stress we carry and the systems that shape our daily lives.
Swanson named editor of top journal of epidemiology
Associate Professor of Epidemiology Sonja Swanson, ScD has been named editor-in-chief of Epidemiology, a leading journal of epidemiologic research and methodologic innovations. She will assume the role in January.
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.”
The business of caring for older Americans is in a deepening crisis
According to a 2025 study, older adults in need of assistance were 5 percent less likely to get home care after a significantly lower cap on refugee admissions this year. Amanda Kreider, study co-author and assistant professor of health policy and management professor at the School of Public Health, says the findings reflect "chilling effects." (Subscriber content.)