The Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (IDM) is committed to training the next generation of scientists and public health professionals to enhance the control of infectious diseases in the human population.
News
The dirty truth about houseflies and their health risks
Unlike mosquitoes, flies don’t bite to transmit disease. Instead, they act more like tiny, mobile contamination units. Joshua Mattila, an assistant professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, described the process in simple — if unsettling — terms. “They land on things, they taste things, and can carry pathogens on their feet and wings and body,” he said.
Vietnam HIV stigma project offers lessons for the U.S.
Despite significant progress in HIV prevention and treatment, infections are rising among key populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM), and stigma in health care settings remains a major barrier to prevention, treatment and care. A new project led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health aims to address this challenge through a culturally tailored intervention in Vietnam that could offer a scalable model for reducing HIV stigma globally.
Staff awards: Schuetz’s work in community a tribute to her father
“It’s been part of my life since childhood,” says IDM's Erin Schuetz, who earned a Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award for Staff in community engagement. She credits her father, Fred, who served on numerous boards, as an early influence. “My dad was what I call a quiet leader. When something needed to be done, he would just be there. People say, ‘Someone should do something,’ and he would remind me, ‘You are someone, and you can do something.’”