News and Accolades
To Slime or Not to Slime
Laura Mike, PhD, and Saroj Khadka are uncovering how Klebsiella pneumoniae senses its surroundings and adjusts its slimy exterior—a response that may influence where the pathogen thrives and how it causes disease.
When Antibiotics Aren’t Enough: Pitt Advances the Next Generation of Infection Treatment
A new NIH NIAID P01 grant establishes the Pitt Center for Accelerating Phage Therapy (P-CAPT), positioning Pitt to advance phage therapy as a promising new treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Your Ticket to Safe Travels: UPMC’s Travel Health Program
Whether you’re traveling for work or the vacation of a lifetime, healthy travel starts before takeoff. UPMC’s Travel Health Program helps travelers prepare for trips and provides expert care if illness follows them home.
NIH Funds First Coordinated U.S. Research Network for Phage Therapeutics
The Pitt Center for Accelerating Phage Therapy, directed by Daria Van Tyne, PhD, aims to bridge critical gaps between laboratory discovery and patient-ready treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Blood Vessel Damage Ties Respiratory Viruses to Cardiovascular Events
Led by William Bain, MD, and Jana Jacobs, PhD, researchers from the Divisions of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and Infectious Diseases helped uncover how vascular injury may drive life-threatening complications in viral respiratory infections.
Three Department of Medicine faculty selected for 2026 Ascending Star Awards
Drs. Mehret Birru Talabi, Lan Coffman, and Daria Van Tyne are among this year’s Health Sciences Ascending Star honorees, recognizing innovative midcareer faculty for excellence in research, mentorship, and impact.
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.
Researchers in the Division of Infectious Diseases Develop an Outbreak Detection System that Saves Lives
The Enhanced Detection System for Healthcare-Associated Transmission uses genomic sequencing to analyze infectious disease samples from patients to determine an outbreak and stop transmission.
New Approach Could Treat Anthrax Beyond the “Point of No Return”
Shihui Liu, PhD, and researchers at the Aging Institute found that a cocktail of growth factors reversed would-be lethal cell damage in mice with anthrax.
Deadly Bacteria Developed the Ability to Produce Antimicrobials and Wiped-Out Competitors
A new Nature Microbiology by Daria Van Tyne, PhD, and researchers from the Division of Infectious highlights how a drug-resistant type of bacteria that has recently evolved to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool.