News & Publications
Switching Decisions: Interleukin-12 Influences B Cell Immune Response
By Phoebe Ingraham Renda
Rebecca Elsner (left), research assistant professor in the Shlomchik lab. (Courtesy photo) Mark Shlomchik (right), UPMC Professor and Distinguished Professor of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. (Courtesy photo)
B cells are known to generate antibodies through two different responses—an "emergency response" and an "...
Statins for Heart Disease Prevention Could be Recommended for Far Fewer Americans if New Risk Equation is Adopted
In a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and University of Michigan examined the potential impact of widespread adoption of the Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations, which were released by the American Heart Association in November 2023 to more accurately...
“Bumps in the Road” Documentary Showcases Rory Cooper’s Work on Assistive Technology for Wheelchair Users
By Megumi Barclay
“We’re trying to move the world toward designing with people with disabilities, not for people with disabilities,” Rory Cooper said.
Cooper (pictured right), Distinguished Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Technology in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), known for his innovative work on assistive technologies, was the...
New Synthetic Biomarker Technology Differentiates Between Prior Zika and Dengue Infections
From left to right: Castanha, Burke, Marques
Pitt researchers developed a new synthetic biomarker technology to distinguish between prior Zika and dengue infections within individuals. By analyzing blood samples from infected individuals, the researchers were able to pinpoint specific biomarkers that accurately differentiate between the two viruses, which are cross-reactive,...
Blood Test Can Help Identify People Most At Risk for Developing Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms
Pitt researchers have developed a blood test to identify individuals most at risk of developing neurological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
“By using blood measures that define signs of amyloid pathology and neurodegeneration, we can identify who is going to decline fastest and should be prioritized for intervention,” said Thomas Karikari, assistant professor of...
A New Option for Recruiting Research Staff
The Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences is partnering with Joulé, a national leader in life sciences workforce solutions, to recruit research staff for funded projects and research administration for both permanent and temporary roles across the schools of the health sciences.
This brings together the University of Pittsburgh's pursuit of health...
Elias Aizenman Wins Zinc Biology Prize
Elias Aizenman, professor of neurobiology, School of Medicine, has been selected for the 2024 International Society for Zinc Biology (ISZB) /Frederickson Prize.
It honors not only his pioneering research into zinc’s unique role in neurotoxic cell signaling pathways but also his creation of the “MetalZoom!” online seminar series for zinc and other metal researchers around...
Sylvia Owusu-Ansah Receives Health and Equity Leadership Award
Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, associate vice chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and assistant professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine in the School of Medicine, received the Health and Equity Leadership Award at the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women event on May 9.
Owusu-Ansah, a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric emergency medicine physician, is...
Pitt Med and Social Work Students Team Up on Advance Care Planning
If you have pneumonia, would you take antibiotics to get better? What if you developed advanced dementia and had a “do not resuscitate” order—would you still want antibiotics for pneumonia?
Many people have opinions about such matters but may not have the paperwork in place to make their wishes known when the time comes. And if they do try to fill out the forms, they may...
