Research and Practice News

Check out some highlights of research and practice under way at Pitt Public Health:

Students present interdisciplinary content in community session on health justice

Students present interdisciplinary content in community session on health justice

On a wet Wednesday night, December 4, Pitt Public Health student advocates Sarah Sanders (BCHS ’22), Sarah Bigelow (BCHS ’20), Paris Ekeke (EPI ’20), and Amy Raslevich (HPM ’22) joined peers from the schools of law and nursing for a Health Justice Night at Pitt's Community Empowerment Center in Hom... (12/04/2019)

Students & community collaborators create 'Disrespecting the Border' mural

Students & community collaborators create 'Disrespecting the Border' mural

Pitt student Camilo Ruiz (BCHS/Anthropology '20) collaborated with artists Leah Patgorski and Gil Rocha on a community mural-making workshop resulting in a magnificent art piece entitled "Disrespecting the Border." An artist and teacher from Laredo, Texas, Rocha facilitated a diverse group of nine... (11/26/2019)

Identical twin kidney transplants warrant gene sequencing, Jorgensen says

Identical twin kidney transplants warrant gene sequencing, Jorgensen says

MEDICAL EXPRESS - Researchers including Dana Jorgensen (EPI '14) found that kidney transplants between identical twins have high success rates, but also high rates of immunosuppressant use. About half of patients were on immunosuppresant drugs a year after transplant, but survival rates were about ... (11/05/2019)

Hollander finds doctors who get gifts from opioid makers more likely to prescribe large amounts, study finds

Hollander finds doctors who get gifts from opioid makers more likely to prescribe large amounts, study finds

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - While several previous studies have focused on the relationship between pharmaceutical promotions and doctors' prescribing habits, this new study from lead author Mara Hollander (HPM '20) focuses on how those payments affect physicians across specialties. "There's defini... (11/04/2019)

Baumann's latest documentary examines transgender identities and reproductive health

Baumann's latest documentary examines transgender identities and reproductive health

WESA-FM -- A documentary about a local transgender musician’s reproductive health offers a new way to think about public health research: through the visual medium of film. Produced by Pitt Public Health postdoctoral associate Sara Baumann (BCHS '19), the film focuses on Jude Benedict, who identif... (10/25/2019)

HuGen’s Minster heads to Accra, Ghana for consortium on human heredity and health in Africa

HuGen’s Minster heads to Accra, Ghana for consortium on human heredity and health in Africa

Assistant Professor Ryan Minster (HUGEN ’11) is attending the 14th Meeting of the H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) Consortium in Accra, Ghana. H3Africa facilitates fundamental research into diseases on the African continent while also developing infrastructure, resources, training, an... (10/08/2019)

Donohue paper reviews pros and cons of marketing pharmaceuticals directly to consumers

Donohue paper reviews pros and cons of marketing pharmaceuticals directly to consumers

HPM’s Julie Donohue weighs in on how marketing pharmaceuticals directly to consumers isn’t new. In the paper “A History of Drug Advertising”, Donohue outlines the case for and against these advertisements. Proponents tout patient and consumer rights to make informed decisions, while bioethicists a... (10/01/2019)

Burke talks about how to control the river of legal painkillers flowing through Allegheny County

Burke talks about how to control the river of legal painkillers flowing through Allegheny County

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE REVIEW - There were 76 billion pills prescribed across the country from 2006-2012. In that time, prescriptions in Allegheny county went from 46 pills per person per year to 58. EPI's Donald Burke said that there is still a long way to go in terms of controlling this first step of... (10/01/2019)

Drake: there appears to be a major loophole in background checks for private, online gun sales

Drake: there appears to be a major loophole in background checks for private, online gun sales

STAR TRIBUNE - Fewer than 10% of sellers appear to require a background check. “We tried to search each listing for evidence suggesting the seller would need a background check," said HPM's Coleman Drake. "The results indicate that this is a potentially large loophole on private sales. The policy i... (09/23/2019)

Health savings accounts linked to care access in cancer survivors; Sabik looks to understanding impacts for specific populations

Health savings accounts linked to care access in cancer survivors; Sabik looks to understanding impacts for specific populations

CANCERNETWORK - “This was an important study because of the increasing role of high-deductible health plans in our insurance system,” said HPM's Lindsay Sabik. “As [high-deductible health plans] become more widespread, understanding their impacts for different patient populations will be important.... (09/23/2019)

Why do people die young here? Maseru project aims to send 'citizen scientists' out to investigate

Why do people die young here? Maseru project aims to send 'citizen scientists' out to investigate

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE - The cost of being poor can include decades of life. A just-launched partnership between a Homewood-based community group and a University of Pittsburgh research team intends to explore that grim price tag, and to create a corps of "citizen scientists" who could lead the ch... (09/18/2019)

Gellad comments: Four health care questions every 2020 Democratic candidate should answer

Gellad comments: Four health care questions every 2020 Democratic candidate should answer

VOX - If overhauling the U.S. health care system isn’t on the table in January 2021, drug prices, the opioid crisis, hospital spending, and long-term care are all deeply important problems that a Democratic president will need to turn their attention to if he or she wins. “If [Medicare-for-all] is ... (09/16/2019)

Tyurina finds genetic engineering could open possibilities for Parkinson’s patients

Tyurina finds genetic engineering could open possibilities for Parkinson’s patients

MEDICIAL LIFE SCIENCES - A team of researchers including EOH's Yulia Tyurina unveiled the most promising strategies in applying genetic engineering. The noble method can help study the role of cellular processes in the disease progression, develop new treatment methods and drugs, and estimate thei... (09/16/2019)

Kahn finds hospital choice could affect pediatric mortality during emergencies

Kahn finds hospital choice could affect pediatric mortality during emergencies

HEALIO - A child’s chance of survival in an emergency may depend on the hospital where they receive care. Researchers assessed the pediatric readiness of EDs in five states and found that hospitals with the highest scores had lower mortality rates. “For some time, we’ve known that hospitals vary wi... (08/26/2019)

Computer simulation just predicted a huge measles outbreak in texas, with 4,000 percent increase predicted in some communities

Computer simulation just predicted a huge measles outbreak in texas, with 4,000 percent increase predicted in some communities

NEWSWEEK - David Sinclair, a postdoctoral researcher in Pitt's Public Health Dynamics Laboratory and lead author of the study said, "I was surprised at how large measles outbreaks could be in Texas at current vaccination rates, according to our forecasts. The clustering of unvaccinated children in ... (08/25/2019)

Nowalk authors chapter in upcoming public health guide to opioid epidemic

Nowalk authors chapter in upcoming public health guide to opioid epidemic

Alex Nowalk (BCHS '16), program director at Pitt's Program Evaluation and Research Unit, recently co-authored a chapter in an upcoming book, A Public Health Guide to Ending the Opioid Epidemic. Nowalk's chapter presents screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment as a public health and... (08/25/2019)

El Khoudary finds hormone therapy linked to heart fat, hard arteries

El Khoudary finds hormone therapy linked to heart fat, hard arteries

ASPPH FRIDAY LETTER - Hormone replacement therapy is a common treatment for menopause-related symptoms, and new research from EPI's Samar El Khoudary reinforces the importance of tailoring hormone therapy to each patient, based on her individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In a study p... (08/25/2019)

According to Sullivan, depression in older Pittsburghers is dropping

According to Sullivan, depression in older Pittsburghers is dropping

People in the Mon Valley ages 65 and older are experiencing fewer depression symptoms than previously reported. A new study authored in part by EPI postdoc Kevin Sullivan, looked at how over 3,000 older people in communities across Southwestern Pennsylvanians are aging physically and mentally. The ... (08/24/2019)

Burke and O'Malley help National Domestic Violence Hotline

Burke and O'Malley help National Domestic Violence Hotline

Professor Jessica Burke and student Teagan O'Malley (BCHS '12 '19) developed a framework for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which responds to over 1000 calls for help each day. Burke and O'Malley engaged multiple stakeholders including service ... (08/13/2019)

Rural Pennsylvanians Have Nearby Access to Opioid Treatment, but Still Travel Far to Receive it

Rural Pennsylvanians Have Nearby Access to Opioid Treatment, but Still Travel Far to Receive it

INSIDE UPMC - Rural Pennsylvania Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with opioid use disorder are driving an average of four times as far as their nearest prescriber to receive medication-assisted treatment, according to an analysis led by HPM's Evan Cole. The study, published in the Journal of General I... (08/10/2019)

Page:

of 13

Research Videos

Baumann's latest documentary examines transgender identities and reproductive health

Computer simulation just predicted a huge measles outbreak in texas, with 4,000 percent increase predicted in some communities

As the U.S. measles count surpasses 25-year-old record, Roberts says: vaccinate

As the U.S. measles count surpasses 25-year-old record, Roberts says: vaccinate

WDAM - U.S. health officials have reported 971 measles cases so far this year, the highest tally in 27 years, and experts say it's not clear when the wave of illnesses will stop. "What's causing these outbreaks is lack of vaccination," said HPM Chair Mark Roberts. (05/31/2019)

Hoffman led research into anti-vaxxers on social media (video)

Hoffman led research into anti-vaxxers on social media (video)

WPXI - Antivaxxers left negative business reviews for Kids First Pediatrics after they posted a social media video encouraging HPV vaccination. So, they teamed up with researchers at Pitt including Beth Hoffman (BCHS '19, '23) who found that we have to "...start thinking about how to deliver tailor... (04/29/2019)

Scientists uncover dual-layered scaffolding of cellular nuclei (video)

Scientists uncover dual-layered scaffolding of cellular nuclei (video)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - Using super-sensitive microscopic imaging, a team of scientists led by HuGen's Quasar Padiath has made a fundamental biological discovery that explains the structure of the nuclear envelope and gives tantalizing clues as to how cells squish throug... (02/19/2019)

Hartman among researchers trying to prevent virus more dangerous than Zika (video)

Hartman among researchers trying to prevent virus more dangerous than Zika (video)

WPXI - Pitt researchers are looking to lessons learned about Zika when preparing for the possibility of Rift Valley Fever virus, noting that it's important to develop therapies and vaccines now. "We saw the ffects of Zika when it got into a larger population and so our work highlights the need to r... (02/11/2019)

Page:

of 7

View more research videos

Share News

Simply click to share news of your achievements—and those of classmates or colleagues. We’re eager to hear about and share stories of student, faculty, and alumni accomplishments. E-mail questions to phcomm@pitt.edu
or visit publichealth.pitt.edu/sharenews.

Share news

Academics

Research & Practice

Admissions & Aid

Life

Who's Who

About

Research and Practice News

Research Videos

Share News

Prospective Students

Resources