News and Accolades
Dr. Aravind Cherukuri to Discuss How Transplant Patients’ Immune Response Affects Outcomes at SVC Lecture
On Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, Cherukuri will present “Toward Immune-Driven Precision Kidney Transplant Medicine.”
Integrated Training, Earlier Exposure: Growing the Geriatrics Pipeline
Innovative integrated training models at Pitt/UPMC are addressing the national geriatrician shortage by reshaping how residents enter and advance in geriatric medicine.
Building a Culture of Wellbeing in the DOM
As part of the DOM’s Strategic Plan, the Wellbeing Committee aims to raise resource awareness, share wellness strategies, and enhance support for faculty and staff across the department.
FORTE: A Model for Practice-Changing Clinical Trials
The FORTE trial shows how large, prevention-focused studies can reshape care and how expanded support can grow clinical research across the DOM.
Our Mouths Have a Lot to Say About Our Hearts
A series of research papers from a group of researchers at Pitt’s Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine are trying to understand what connects oral and heart health and—if identified—how to develop prevention and predictive strategies.
New Federal Grant Launches Veteran Elder Safety Program Led by Dr. Lena Makaroun
A $231,589 federal grant will support a new Western Pennsylvania partnership model to better protect older veterans, led by VA Pittsburgh researcher and faculty member Dr. Lena Makaroun.
Fellowship Match 2026
Fellowship match results are in! Read about where our internal medicine residents are headed for the next stage of their journey.
Sruti Shiva, PhD, named Scientific Director of HCWP
In her new role, Dr. Shiva will oversee the basic and translational research operations of the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania, a state and federally-funded charitable organization that provides comprehensive medical care to patients with hemophilia and other bleeding and clotting disorders.
Iain Scott, PhD, named Associate Director of the Vascular Medicine Institute
In his new role, Dr. Scott will strengthen faculty mentorship, lead career development initiatives, and support strategic growth in research and recruitment.
Charles E. Geyer, Jr., MD, Named New Malignant Hematology and Medical Oncology Chief
In this recent QnA, Dr. Charles Geyer discusses his current research, the importance of well-designed clinical trials, and his vision for the future of the Division of Malignant Hematology and Medical Oncology.
Scientists in the Division of PACCSM Discover New Cellular Driver of Pulmonary Fibrosis
In the Nature Communications study led by Melanie Königshoff, MD, PhD, lysyl oxidase was shown to fuel scarring with an existing drug serving as a new potential treatment.
Research led by Bokai Zhu, PhD, Uncovers Novel Way to Treat Neurodegeneration by Targeting Nuclear Speckles
A repurposed pinworm drug was found to restore cellular protein balance and dramatically reduce toxic proteins in models of neurodegeneration, offering new potential treatments
VMI Researchers Develop Groundbreaking Antidote for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Research led by Jesus Tejero, PhD, has found that a novel protein therapy, RcoM-HBD-CCC, clears CO from the bloodstream faster than current treatments, with potential for use by first responders in the field.
Renowned Hematologic Oncologist Dr. John C. Byrd Named Director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
With a distinguished career advancing blood cancer research and patient care, Byrd will join the Division of Malignant Hematology and Medical Oncology and lead all cancer-related research at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, beginning November 2025.
Kidneys Sound the Alarm on Low Potassium Levels
Researchers from the Renal-Electrolyte Division, including Dr. Cary Boyd-Shiwarski, reveal how a cellular “emergency response” in the kidney helps conserve potassium and carries implications for cardiovascular disease.
New Genetic Test Could Improve Kidney Transplant Outcomes
Research led by Dr. Aravind Cherukuri recently published in Science Translational Medicine identifies SIRPα mismatch as a key predictor of transplant rejection, offering a new tool to personalize immunosuppression and extend graft longevity.
Two Department of Medicine faculty receive Pitt Health Sciences Ascending Stars Awards
Established in 2022 by Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine, the Ascending Star Awards recognize highly productive and creative mid-career faculty with an award of $25,000. This...
Gavin Arteel, PhD, named as new Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Advancement
It is our pleasure to announce the appointment of Gavin E. Arteel, PhD, as Associate Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Arteel joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine faculty as a Professor of Medicine in the Division of...
New Research Reveals Arginine as Key Regulator of Dangerous Bacterial Phenotype
Researchers in the Division of Infectious Diseases have identified how a common amino acid triggers hypervirulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae.
New Gift Will Accelerate Breakthroughs in Sarcoma Research by DOM Faculty
The new Dr. John A. Shoener Family Endowed Research Fund for Sarcoma will support studies aimed at improving outcomes for this understudied group of cancers.