News
What Pittsburghers need to know about hantavirus
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that mainly spread through contact with rodents and their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the World Health Organization. “One scenario is when people in the springtime open the closed pump house or the lodge, the tiny little particles, dust particles, may have the virus that one can inhale and get infected,” said Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi, professor and chair of infectious diseases and microbiology at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
13 Pitt people and teams won 2026 Sustainability Awards
The University of Pittsburgh honored students, faculty, staff and groups at its 2026 Pitt Sustainability Awards ceremony on April 24. This year’s recipient of the Innovation Award was the Public Health Resource Hub Project, led by Jody Mich-Basso and Kim Renziehausen. The pair turned a room in the Public Health Building into a centralized collection space for hard-to-recycle items like single-use coffee pods, office supplies and expired lab supplies, creating a model Pitt hopes to replicate across campus.
“It’s About Us”: A milestone graduation for Pitt Public Health
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health marked a milestone at its May 2 commencement, celebrating 350 graduates—the largest class in the school’s 78-year history—at the University of Pittsburgh’s Victory Heights Arena, a shift driven by the school’s continued growth.
McCarthy named inaugural director of Bioethics Education for Undergraduates
Cindy McCarthy, DHCE, MA, NREMT, Pitt Public Health associate professor of human genetics, has been named the inaugural Director of Bioethics Education for Undergraduates within the Pitt Institute for Bioethics. In this role, McCarthy will develop and implement bioethics educational initiatives for undergraduate students, foster mentor relationships between undergraduates and Pitt faculty and advise students interested in bioethics research.
Student uses Reddit to explore views on organ donation
When the hit TV series “The Pitt” tackled organ donation, viewers turned to Reddit to share their own stories. Arushi Bansal worked with a team to turn those conversations into an award-winning research project. An undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Bansal earned the Best Poster in Social Sciences Award at the David C. Frederick Honors College Spring 2026 Research Symposium.
Marron and Yaver recognized for excellence in public health teaching and mentorship
Two faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to teaching and student mentorship, reflecting a shared commitment to excellence across graduate and undergraduate education. Megan Marron, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, has received the James L. Craig Endowed Excellence in Education Award, and Miranda Yaver, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management, has been named the recipient of the Bernard D. Goldstein Undergraduate Public Health Teaching Award.
Pitt Public Health researchers study tuberculosis trends in Vietnam
Tuberculosis remains the world’s leading cause of death from an infectious disease, with more than 80% of cases and deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. To help address the gap in health data, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health collaborated with colleagues at Hanoi Medical University to examine TB incidence and mortality in Lang Son Province, a rural border region in northern Vietnam.
Ding named ASA Pittsburgh statistician of the year
Ying Ding, PhD, a professor of biostatistics and health data science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, has been named the 2026 Statistician of the Year by the American Statistical Association’s Pittsburgh Chapter
HPM’s Roberts calls it a career to an audience of family, friends and colleagues
Mark Roberts, MD, MPP, joined the Department of Health Policy and Management in 2010 and served as chair for more than a decade. Since then, he has been recognized by the University for his contributions to research and education, first as distinguished professor and now, in retirement, as professor emeritus.
Genome sequencing reveals hidden HAI transmission and ethical challenges in patient notification
At the 2026 SHEA Spring Conference in Chicago, new research from Pitt Public Health epidemiologist Alexander Sundermann shows how whole genome sequencing is reshaping how hospitals track infections—revealing that many may go undetected with traditional methods.
Holt named 2026 recipient of American Veterinary One Health Society Honorary Diplomate Award
James Holt, VMD, visiting associate professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at Pitt Public Health, has been named the 2026 recipient of the American Veterinary One Health Society Honorary Diplomate Award, which recognizes distinguished service and career contributions that advance the health of animals, people, plants and the environment through the principles of One Health.
Caterina Rosano selected for national ELAM leadership program
Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, has been selected as a fellow in the 2026–2027 class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (ELAM)—a highly competitive national program that prepares mid- to senior-level women faculty for executive leadership roles in academic health centers.
Pitt Public Health researcher explores how insurance denials shape health inequities in new book
Miranda Yaver, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management at Pitt Public Health, will release her first book on April 23. Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States, published by Cambridge University Press, draws on survey research, administrative data, and interviews to examine why health insurance coverage is denied and how those decisions affect patients—often due to racial and economic inequities.
Immunity Lost: How Pennsylvania’s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk
As vaccination rates fall, the risks are rising. Researchers at the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory used simulation models to show local school vaccination levels now mirror those in parts of the country where outbreaks have already occurred. “The protection built over decades is waning,” said Peter Salk, a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health — and even small outbreaks can have serious consequences, with roughly one death and 15 to 20 hospitalizations per 1,000 cases, according to Mark Roberts, former head of the lab.