Centers Overview

CENTER FOR AGING AND POPULATION HEALTH

The Center for Aging and Population Health (CAPH), was established in the Department of Epidemiology in 2006 with a central focus for promoting healthy aging, longevity and prevention of age-related disabilities. The Center incorporates the activities of the Prevention Research Center, the Health Studies Research Center and the Epidemiology of Aging Training program. The CAPH has positioned the University of Pittsburgh as a candidate for continued research support from the CDC and NIH, and other federal, philanthropic and corporate sources for its long term research priorities. The CAPH provides resources for the analysis, presentation and publication of findings from current research and maintains several large data sets from multicenter studies. The program in aging includes many large studies with a high level of long term federal funding.

Diabetes Prevention Support Center

The Diabetes Prevention Support Center (DPSC) of the University of Pittsburgh was established in 2006 with the goal of preventing diabetes and improving cardiovascular health. The DPSC is one of the first in the country specifically developed to address the diabetes/obesity epidemic through evidence–based prevention intervention programs focusing on weight loss and increasing physical activity levels. At the core of the Center is a group-based, behavioral lifestyle intervention called the Group Lifestyle Balance™ (GLB) program, which is modeled closely on the original Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle intervention shown to significantly reduce risk for the development of type 2 diabetes.

Epidemiology Data Center

The Epidemiology Data Center (EDC), which was established in 1980 as a section of the Department of Epidemiology in the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), provides a research environment in which complex health questions are explored and answered using the combined tools of biology and statistics. The EDC has collaborated in over 100 research studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and others. Presently, the EDC coordinates data management and analysis activities for over 20 research projects sponsored by federal agencies or industry. Staffing at the EDC includes 10 faculty, over 60 staff and more than ten graduate students.

Physical Activity Resource Center for Public Health

In 1997, the Physical Activity Epidemiology group at the University of Pittsburgh developed a Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (MSSE) supplement containing a collection of the physical activity questionnaires used in population research at that time (Introduction to the collection of physical activity questionnaires in A collection of Physical Activity Questionnaires for Health-Related Research1). This effort was one of the most sought after journal volumes that MSSE had ever published.

Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL)

The primary goal of the Department of Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL) is to provide a high volume of quality non-invasive subclinical vascular testing to advance cardiovascular research. Directed by Emma Barinas-Mitchell the URL team brings experience in vascular research and testing in excess of over 50 person-years. 

Read more about the Department of Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL).

Additional Centers and Institutes

Find out more about other Pitt Public Health affiliated centers, institutes, and laboratories.

Epidemiology Facilities and Resources