News and Accolades
René Claxton, MD, MS, named the inaugural director of the Humanistic Communication in Medicine program
A national leader in serious illness communication, René Claxton will guide the new program within the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Bioethics.
Nominations now open for the 2026 Margaret Ragni Award for Advancement of Women in Medicine and Science
Established in 2023, these awards recognize outstanding achievement in supporting and inspiring women in the Department of Medicine.
A new study in JCI Insight Suggests New Way to Predict and Understand Liver Disease
By borrowing tools from rainforest ecology, Gavin Arteel, PhD, et al. identify patterns of gene expression collapse that may extend beyond alcohol-associated hepatitis to other chronic diseases.
Jason Becker, MD, and Wei Du, MD, PhD, Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation
The Department of Medicine researchers join an elite honor society recognizing outstanding physician-scientist achievements, while colleagues across the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine also earn ASCI recognition.
Jennifer Corbelli, MD, MS, Receives Pitt Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Teaching
The Department of Medicine educator was recognized for her leadership in the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators and her work fostering rigorous, supportive training for future physicians.
Trial Co-Led by Dhiraj Yadav Challenges Longstanding ERCP Practice in Recurrent Pancreatitis
Researchers from the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh report that minor papillotomy does not reduce recurrence in patients with pancreas divisum.
Department of Medicine Rises to No. 6 Nationally as Pitt Nears $700M in NIH Funding
The rise from No. 9 comes amid a strong year for the University of Pittsburgh, which secured $669.7 million in NIH support and saw all six health sciences schools place in the top 20.
SerpinB2 May Curb Insulin Resistance and Prevent Diabetes
Led by Dr. Partha Dutta in the VMI, the study reveals how boosting protective fat-resident immune cells may prevent and even reverse type 2 diabetes.
Key Enzymes Can Help Promote Fat Loss While Preserving Muscle
Led by Işın Çakır, PhD, researchers in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism have uncovered a brain signaling mechanism that restores leptin sensitivity and promotes fat loss while preserving lean muscle.
Aging Institute Researcher Decodes a Critical Driver of Inflammation
By uncovering how the immune protein STING is activated, Dr. Jay Tan’s work points to new strategies for promoting healthier aging.
Flipping the Diagnostic Framework
Daniella Schwartz, MD, and Pitt’s Pittsburgh Immunogenetics Discovery Center are rethinking how inflammatory and autoimmune genetic disorders are diagnosed and treated.
A fast, portable antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning
Led by Jesus Tejero, PhD, at Pitt’s Vascular Medicine Institute, researchers have developed a fast, portable therapy that could change how carbon monoxide poisoning is treated in emergencies.
The Pittsburgh Foundation invests in understanding of chronic diseases
With support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, Dr. Sarah Gaffen research on Il-17 could led to new treatments for autoimmune disease.
Turning Grief into Hope: Family Launches Fund for Pulmonary Hypertension Research
Dr. Stephen Chan’s care for one patient helped inspire a family-funded research effort to change the future of pulmonary hypertension.
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Building Clinical Platform for Emerging Cellular Therapies in Autoimmune Diseases
A division-wide, multidisciplinary effort is creating the clinical and research infrastructure to bring CAR T and future cellular therapies into autoimmune care.
A Genetic Clue to Deadly Lung Clots in Sickle Cell Disease
Tomasz Brzoska and colleagues uncover how a CD39 polymorphism disrupts platelet regulation and fuels pulmonary thrombosis
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Receives 2025 T1D Exchange Outstanding Adult Team Award
The national award recognizes the Division’s leadership in advancing equitable diabetes care and improving technology access for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
John Byrd, MD, Receives 2025 Blood Cancer United Excellence in Scientific Service Award
The Blood Cancer United award recognizes Byrd’s decades-long commitment to advancing targeted therapies that have reshaped care for patients with leukemia.
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.