Epidemiology News
Hoffman and Christensen awarded Research!America microgrant
Beth Hoffman, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, and Janelle Christensen, PhD, MPH, project manager, Department of Medicine, were recently awarded a 2025-26 Public Engagement Content award from Research!America.
The $3,000 microgrant will fund Hoffman and Christensen’s curriculum, training health science students to counter misinformation. Students, in partnership with the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, will teach seniors in the community these skills.
Raw dairy E. coli outbreaks are exposing something troubling
“In a world where over half of American adults use social media as a health information source, scientists and public health officials should meet people where they are: online,” writes Alex Sunderman, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post. “If you are not reading people’s comments on raw milk advocacy posts during an outbreak, you may not appreciate how far ahead they already are. The people promoting raw milk have been sounding the alarm on social media for years. It is past time we showed up.” (Subscription may be required.)
Pitt study uses urine samples to map metal exposure in Caribbean adults
Urine tests—commonly used to detect infections or metabolic conditions—can also offer insights into environmental exposures that may shape long-term health.
In a new study, epidemiology and environmental and occupational health researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health analyzed urine samples from nearly 900 adults on the Caribbean island of Tobago to better understand metal exposures and what factors are related to those exposures.
Pitt Public Health rises in latest U.S. News rankings
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health continues to be recognized among the nation’s top programs in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The school rose to No. 14 overall, advancing two spots from last year.
Strong showing for Pitt Public Health at American Heart Association conference
Early-career investigators from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health were well represented at the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions, held March 17-20 in Boston.
‘Move science into practice’: Pitt alumna returns to inspire next generation
Kimberly Gray (EPI ‘98), told Pitt Public Health students she once sat where they are now — worried about exams, defending her dissertation and what job opportunity might come next.
Now, the Pitt epidemiology alumna leads national research programs at the Population Health Branch of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and returned to campus April 2 to speak at the Department of Epidemiology Spring Seminar on translating science into action.
How Pittsburgh innovators are improving patient safety
“Every single one of these statistics in my papers are real people who came to the hospital for care and became sicker. We at Pitt and UPMC have identified a way we can stop that,” said Alex Sunderman, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology. “We can make patient care safer, we can prevent these infections, and we can save money.”
Rethinking when we eat: Samaneh Farsijani’s research on healthy aging
“Many dietary guidelines are intended for broad populations and do not fully address differences across age groups, sex or race,” says Samaneh Farsijani, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. “The research I’m doing is primarily focused on developing age-specific dietary recommendations to promote healthy aging. What I see missing in our current guidelines is not just what specific foods and nutrients we need depending on how old we are, but when we should eat.”
Data Justice for Pittsburgh's Black Neighborhoods honored as a partnership of distinction
Data Justice for Pittsburgh’s Black Neighborhoods was honored as a 2025 Partnership of Distinction at Pitt’s Community Engaged Scholarship Forum on March 3. The organization’s Data Justice Working Group is co-led by Tiffany Gary-Webb, professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Health Equity at Pitt Public Health, and Bob Gradeck of Pitt’s University Center for Urban and Social Research.
Lasting Lessons: Taking life personally
Nancy W. Glynn is associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health, director of its master’s degree programs and co-director of the Center for Aging and Population Health. “I’ve always known that showing up mattered,” says Nancy W. Glynn, associate professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, director of its master’s degree programs and co-director of the Center for Aging and Population Health. “Showing up, you have the opportunity to have these interactions with your colleagues, talk about someone, talk about life.”
Pitt Public Health student pays it forward
Emily Thomas, an MPH student at Pitt Public Health, draws on her family’s experiences with transplants and health challenges to advocate for organ donation and public health, turning personal lessons into community impact.
Hu Li joins Partner Advisory Board
The School of Public Health welcomes Hu Li, MD, PhD, as the newest member of its Partner Advisory Board (PAB), which works to encourage collaborative relationships between the school, employers and community stakeholders.
Rebecca Thurston named Pitt Medicine’s associate dean for women’s health
Rebecca Thurston, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health, has long worked at the interface of multiple fields, including menopause, neuroscience, cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, psychology and epidemiology, and she is widely lauded as an exceptional leader of interdisciplinary research teams.
9 Pitt affiliates were named New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence
Tiffany Gary-Webb, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Health Equity, was one of nine Pitt leaders and affiliates have been recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier as Women of Excellence for their professional achievements and contributions to the Greater Pittsburgh community.