THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH FALL 2012/WINTER 2013

The Legacy Public of and Research more Partnership Jonas Highlights … Salk “It [was] a proud moment in the city and the region’s history. And it changed the course of biomedical science. The development of the polio vaccine is important to remember, because it became our

Margaret McDonald, associate vice chancellor scientific future.” for academic affairs in the health sciences

Pitt Public Health Magazine Fall 2012/Winter 2013

A publication of the Managing Editor: Sonia Gill For inquiries, feedback, or comments please contact: Writers: Christine O’Toole, Allison Hydzik, Sonia Gill, Director of External Affairs, Cyndy McGrath, Sonia Gill, Cathryn Hoel, [email protected] Karen Coulter Perkins, Kristen de Paor Pitt Public Health is published biannually for Marketing Communications Manager: the alumni and friends of the University of Karen C. Perkins A600 Crabtree Hall Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. 130 DeSoto Street Design: Little Kelpie Pittsburgh, PA 15261 Pitt Public Health is printed on Roland Enviro Printing: Knepper Press, Migliozzi Printing 100 paper using vegetable-based inks. www.publichealth.pitt.edu Services

Cover Image: Photography: Sam Hogson, R. Alan Adams,

Frozen laboratory samples from the University of Pittsburgh Center for Cert no. XXX-XXX-000 pioneering poliomyelitis research Instructional Development and Distance conducted at Pitt by Jonas Salk; photographed by Jonathan Salk Education, Karen Coulter Perkins Partnerships Collaborative and socioeconomicconditions. Butallarepreventable. Ibelieve deaths intheregion. four every diseasecausesoneof African Americanmen.Heart death amongouryoung or Mexico. Homicide istheleadingcauseof tominoritiesherediemorefrequently inChinaor thanbabies born health metrics. high:Babies rateisunacceptably Ourinfantmortality poorly inanumberof our neighboringcommunity rankssurprisingly and tellmewhat you think. you ourgoals moreabout living intheregiontolearn andworking strategically over andeffectively thenextdecade. Iinvite thoseof a newstrategicplanthatwilldeploy thedepartment’s resources sexually transmitteddisease. todraft Ihave justchairedtheeffort airpollutiontopreventing of from measuringthe effects everything department’s mandateisdaunting. Theagencyisresponsiblefor 1.2million,the acommunity of Serving Health Department. the Allegheny County of directors ontheboardhave of served task. deemedourmostimportant thatSalkcorrectly work and law. Bothourupperandlower campusescanengageinthe sciences, aswell asenergy, sustainability, education,social work, ourprogram. We draw onoutstandingresearchinallthehealth of thehumanfamily. economic andsocialconditionsof ultimate goalwas improving notonly physical health,butalsothe to globalhealth.Buthisthoughtfulwritingsremindedmethat Pittsburghwas aspectacularcontribution here attheUniversity of theinactivated poliovaccine Salk’sSalk inCalifornia. creationof Jonas exploringthearchives of world. Irecently hadtheprivilege of our work for Inspiration Dean’s Message All three of theseproblems have complexroots in behavior All threeof intheworld, thebestmedicalexpertise Despite having someof beginsatourdoorstep.That work For thepastfive years, I thekey strengths theUniversity isoneof The globalreachof atPittPublicHealthcomesfrom allover the community—and theglobalone. believe we willhelptofulfill Jonas Salk’s hopes for thelocal withourcolleaguesinotherdisciplines,in collaboration I thisUniversity, and the discoveries weresources of canmake intellectual thedeep we canbemindfulof through thatera.If momentous change. Wepublic healthfacedaneraof areliving body,” hetoldtheaudience. contendingwithdiseasesand influencesprimarily afflictingthe of health necessarily comprisesmorethanthetraditionalframework frombecome indistinguishable globalhealth,andwhere global backyard andacross theglobe. April. Hedrewaclearconnectionbetween inourown ourwork 2012last Classof came toPittsburghaddressthegraduating the community isthebestpossiblereal-lifelab. SPHERE, ourStudentPublicHealthEpidemicResponseEffort— whom volunteer incommunity healthprojects through many of best practicestochangehealthbehaviors. For ourstudents— evidenceof community andbehavioral canoffer healthexperts thehealthdepartment’ssupport Our epidemiological efforts. progress onthetargetedoutcomes, PittPublicHealthcan health equityfor allresidents. those outcomesandanobligationtothecommunity todemand talenttochangethat PittPublicHealthhastheconsiderable Donald S.Burke, His fatherJonas sixdecadesagothat Salkunderstood “We where publichealthhas areatapointinour history Peter Salk,who hostedmy visittotheJonas Salkarchives, By providing biostatisticalanalysis andmetricstojudge Dean

PAGE 1 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 2 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE Birth WeightsBirth Associated withLower Early inPregnancy DLevelsLow Vitamin Use Disorders Alcohol Increases Riskof Weight-Loss Surgery Pitt StudyFinds India Study Family Healthin Volunteer Returns Master’s International Inaugural Peace Corps Contents of theUniversity ofPittsburghGraduate SchoolofPublicHealth, wasnamedprofessor emeritus. Bernard D.Goldstein (left),professor ofenvironmentalandoccupational healthand formerdean 6 3 7 4 Briefs Research Highlights School 6 3 byOverspend Hundreds Beneficiaries Medicare Capital CampaignBoost 8 5 Pitt Public Health at WorkPitt PublicHealthat inAllegheny County Partnership Public for Underrepresented Survivors for Underrepresented Community-based Research A Lifeof to make thingshappen. MeetDietrichStephan. Dreaming bigisn’t enough.You’ve gottoknow how Alumni Vaccine Work ContinuesatPittPublicHealth intheLab: Legacy of JonasSalk The Legacy 18 14 20 9 the World Health in Pitt Public 19 18 17 13 [email protected] orto make for acontribution. more information for Global Health.PleasecontactKristen dePaor at412-624-5639 or fundadministered bya donationtothe PCMI scholarship theCenter tomorrow’s by globalhealthleaders making of thework help support received. cohort thatthefirst same fundingopportunities You can futurePCMIstudentsthe Theschoolaimstooffer soon bedepleted. butthisfundingsourcewill covered through support, scholarship toPittPublicHealthwithherfinal returning year’s tuitionandfees to addressingtheworld’s healthchallenges. Sisaye hadthe benefitof world. Thesestudentsarebright,highly motivated, andcommitted improving healthwhen with communities working around the of thechallengesandopportunities of acquire anuancedunderstanding thecountry, andthreearestudyinglocally atPitt.PCMIstudents of students enrolled: Two inactive Peace areserving dutyout Corps political scienceandacareerinforeign affairs. adoctoratein completing herdegree, sheisinterestedinpursuing back oncampus, culminatinginathesisormaster’s essay. After coursework years onassignmentabroad, andonefinal year of andintenseacademicyear atPittPublicHealth,twopreliminary in thePCMITrack, which isdesignedtobecompletedwitha for ittostick.”behavior necessary changeandthesteps experiences have given insightintothedrivers behind meadeeper and the administrative officials. These theareachief of support community. We were toconducttrainingswiththefull thenable tothe asissues important malaria, andfemaleempowerment workers, Iwas toidentifyfood able security, behaviors, HIVrisky and attendingcommunity events. by SwahiliNavakholo, learning Iworked myself quickly tointegrate in adynamicorganization.“Uponarrival of at thechancetobepart Salvador inthe1970s, wanted todothisherentirelifeandjumped for individual homes. woodreduce carbonemissionsfrom burning tocleandrinkingwater a project todistributeLifeStraw Family, designedto anintervention withVestergaardcollaborated Frandsen, on aFrench corporation, delivered HIV/AIDSeducationtothebroader community, and worked withalocalschooltobuildwheelchair-accessible latrine, Navakholo, Kenya avillageinwestern where she nearKakamega, Sciences. From May 2010through June2012,Sisaye volunteered in Behavioral andCommunity Health of Track withintheDepartment inaugural enrollee inthePeace Master’s Corps (PCMI) International VolunteerInternational Returns Peace Master’sInaugural Corps Highlights School The PCMI Track, started at the school in 2008, currently hasfive attheschoolin2008,currently The PCMITrack, started Sisaye’s coursework aretocompletethefinal nextsteps year of localcommunity health of “Through theguidanceandsupport Sisaye, whose motherwas alsoaPeace volunteer inEl Corps This fall,PittPublicHealthwelcomed Sisaye backSarah , w www.publichealth.pitt.edu/pcmi at Track Master’s International thePeace Corps through available experiences life-changing Find outabout w www.publichealth.pitt.edu/news PittPublicHealth,goto of andresearch news, achievements, the about To more learn

PAGE 3 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 4 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania and theUniversity of is $55million,with$40millionprovided by theCommonwealth of theproject building andrenovation. Thetotalbudgetfor PhaseIIof tosecurethefundsrequired successfullyto work finishthe Parran halls—have continue andCrabtree begun.Administrators layout. project’s headway andexplainthevisionfor thenewcollaborative renovation process. tohighlightthe Hehasledseveralbuildingtours and designteams, hasbeenheavily involved inthebuildingand Wisniewski, theschool’s administrative liaisontotheconstruction associate dean,professor, DataCentercodirector. andEpidemiology temperatures willslow usdown,” saidSteve Wisniewski, senior beforeracing toapply wintersetsin.“Cold thevapor barrier temporarily haltedtheexteriorstoneinstallation.Crewsarenow Phase Ionthehorizon. 58,000-square-foot researchspaceisevidentwiththefinalstagesof and tissueculturerooms areinplace. Theprogress onthenew theprocedure room and,onthesecondfloor,constructed, walls of the215-seatauditoriumhasbeen exterior stone. Thefloorof installation isunderway, andcrewshave beguninstallingthe labs.pavilion Window open-format thatwillhousestate-of-theart, Update Construction Planning meetings for Phase II of the project—renovation of theproject—renovation of Planning meetingsfor PhaseIIof The recentwindandrainbrought Sandy inby Hurricane laboratory Significant progress hasbeenmadeonthe four-story w i Pitt Public Health yourWe’re nowaccepting submissionsfor Send UsYourStory! in the world to in theworld anywhere publichealthservice performing faculty,about staff, students,oralumni high-resolution photo.high-resolution your nameanda Include consideration. www.publichealth.pitt.edu/webcam View our construction webcam online at webcam onlineat ourconstruction View [email protected] magazine. Sendusstories magazine. for the cultural norms of the population I’meducatingandstudying.” of the culturalnorms study, thedatabutalsotakingintoaccount I’mnotjustcrunching inbehavioraland background andcommunity healthsince, withthis analysis stage. way Ithasalsobeenagreat my interest tointegrate as anepidemiologist toseeastudy from through inception thedata forresearch project me opportunity immensely becauseitisagreat Community HealthSciences. SaidEastman,“Ihave enjoyed this Behavioral and PublicHealthfrom Pitt’s of Department a Masterof beforefinal course completingherdissertation. Bunker’s Fogarty CenterTraining Granttodeliver International one 2013under oncemoretoIndiainFebruary She willbereturning Sciences sothattheycandesignandimplementtheirown studies. Medical writing, which shedelivers tofacultyatMediCitiInstituteof epidemiology, biostatistics, medicalliteraturereview, andmanuscript additionally atmultiple timepointsthroughout theirdevelopment. trimester, delivery, Childrenarefollowed and28days postpartum. conceive. andthird Additional visitsarescheduledatthefirst trimester)and (or early inthefirst followed routinely untilthey more than800pregnancies. Women areenrolled prepregnancy date, theproject hasenrolled morethan1,200women andfollowed India. To inrural forfactors early childhoodmorbidityandmortality theburden andrisk States inorder of togetabetterunderstanding Medical SciencesinMedchal,AndhraPradesh,India. PittsburghandtheMediCitiInstituteof between theUniversity of weightthat causelow andinfantmortality, birth isacollaboration duringpregnancy riskfactors moreabout project, designedtolearn epidemiology. ClareannH.Bunker, The associateprofessor of of Longitudinal IndianFamily Health(LIFE)Studyunderthedirection traveled thisfallfor thefifthtimetoIndiaconductresearchon Family HealthinIndiaStudy Eastman began work onthisprojectEastman beganwork inMay 2009afterreceiving in onsiteinIndia,Eastman developsandteachescourses While theNationalChildren’sLIFE closely mirrors Study intheUnited Meet Jamie Eastman,doctoralcandidateinepidemiology, who epidemiology Doctoral candidatein Jamie Eastman Public Health. community. matchtoday, Pitt theSurma Take andinvest inthefutureof advantage of rooms, plusanoutdoorcourtyard, thisproject willbenefittheentirePittPublicHealth From anewauditoriumandstudentloungetorenovated classrooms andconference are ontargettobeginimmediately afterward. Now isthetimeto lendyour support. D theschool.” success of thefuture of be asmallpart classrooms. Iampleasedto advanced technologically and attractive, modern, have must theschool leaders, care studentsintohealth develop outstanding facultyandto and retain torecruit In order asitgrows. theschool support PittPublicHealthandto of “I amproudtobeanalumna increased namingopportunities. theirgiftsandtotake advantage of todoublethevalue donors of allow participating asadollar-for-dollarother majordonations. donationwill Offered match,theSurmas’ Health initiatedthecampaignin2009,willbeusedtoprovide matchingfundsfor pledge,existing facilities. thelargestsinglegiftreceived TheSurmas’ sincePittPublic facilityandrenovations totheschool’s anewlaboratory of theconstruction supports theschool’s Buildingfor aHealthierWorld of part capitalcampaign.Thecampaign (MPH’81)andherhusbandJohn was announcedas Surma Surma alumna Becky Capital CampaignBoost i an With the new laboratory buildingsettoopeninfall2013,PhaseIIrenovations With thenewlaboratory wasSeptember anexciting monthfor PittPublicHealth.A$1milliongiftfrom e P e t ers on building. classroom intherenovated tonamea the opportunity valued at$50,000,giving her match,hergiftwillbe Surma her career. Thankstothe administration hashadon that hereducationinhealth recognizes thepositive impact alongwithSurma, Visitors Pitt PublicHealth’s Board of (MPH ’75). from alumnaDianePeterson Foundation anda$25,000gift from theJewish Healthcare $100,000insupport confirm The schoolispleasedto thisspecialopportunity. of uptotakestepped advantage gift,two donors Surmas’ Peterson, a member of Peterson, amemberof the Within weeks of www.publichealth.pitt.edu/1bk1com. isavailableMore information online at Carson’sRachel SilentSpring. This year’s bookis Share abook.anexperience. Shared experiencesdraw peopletogether. One Community One Book, Pitt PublicHealth of development, at at development, of or Alumna Diane Peterson capitalcampaign www.publichealth.pitt.edu/ Healthier World campaignat theBuildingfor a about more Learn contacting by match theSurma of advantage i [email protected] Kristen dePaor 412-624-5639 , ortake . , director , director

PAGE 5 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 6 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE Briefs Research RYGB surgery, and among them, 7 percent reported symptoms of RYGB surgery, symptomsof andamongthem,7percent reported underwent thepopular studyparticipants study. Nearly 70percentof BariatricSurgery intheLongitudinalAssessmentof participants consumption andalcoholusedisorder symptomsin1,945study be includedinroutine pre-andpostoperative care.” alcoholusedisorders. Alcoholscreeningshould increasing theriskof bariatricsurgery, RYGB inparticular surgery, of the potentialeffect meeting inSanDiego, Calif., said,“Patients shouldbeeducatedabout the AmericanSocietyfor andBariatricSurgery’s Metabolic annual who Epidemiology presentedtheresultsat Health’s of Department could have implicationsfor patientscreeningbefore surgery. alcoholusedisorders and bypass (RYGB) and symptomsof surgery to drawfindings arethefirst aclearlinkbetween Roux-en-Ygastric alcoholusedisorders. The developingsymptomsof increased riskof receive themostpopularweight-loss surgicalprocedure areatan itSuyFnsWih-osSreyIcessRs fPitt StudyFindsWeight-Loss Riskof Increases Surgery King andherPittPublicHealthcolleaguesinvestigated alcohol Lead authorWendy King, assistant professor inPittPublic havePitt PublicHealthresearchers discovered thatpeoplewho [Anita Courcoulas, chief of minimally invasive atUPMC(left)] bariatric andgeneralsurgery of [Anita Courcoulas, chief alcoholusedisorder. symptomsof patientsreported By thesecondpostoperative year, 10.7%of disorders. Men andyounger adultswere morelikely todevelopalcoholuse alcoholatleasttwo timesperweek, andprioralcoholdisorders. of use, smoking, consumption support, recreationaldrug interpersonal use disorders following surgery. Theseincludedalower senseof help predictwhether apatientismorelikely todevelopalcohol in thesecondpostoperative year,” Kingsaid. alcoholconsumption higherlevelsof combined withresumptionof anincreaseinalcoholsensitivity following surgery likely aresultof in alcoholusedisorder symptomsfollowing RYGB was surgery year before surgery, butnotinthesecondyear. Thus, theincrease alcohol consumptioninthefirst year aftersurgery, compared tothe relative increase. second postoperative year, therewas than50percent agreater significant increaseinalcoholusedisorders after one year, by the alcohol usedisorders priortosurgery. Although therewas nota King’s studyfound severalpatientcharacteristicsthatcould “Among RYGB patients, therewas asignificantdecreasein w www.publichealth.pitt.edu/news at Pitt PublicHealthresearch about Read more A lcohol UseDisorders Department of Epidemiology of Department Assistant professor inPittPublicHealth’s Wendy King the glucoseandfattyacidsthatprovide needs. for fetalenergy toproduce necessary It couldalsoleadtoadecreaseinthe hormones by pregnantwomen, absorption which couldreducefetalbonegrowth. weightcause low by birth impedingthetypicalincreaseincalcium weights.” birth vitamin Dlevelsandbabies’ and getmorevitaminDintheirfoods—all thingsthatcouldimpacttheir said. “Today women smoke less, weigh more, have lesssunexposure, sample,”would ourstudyinamodern bebeneficialtorepeat Bodnar later. acentury be testedfor vitaminDlevelshalf blood samplescollectedby theprojectto andable were well-preserved which was conductedin12U.S. from medicalcenters 1959 to 1965.The pregnant women intheCollaborative Perinatal who participated Project, are vitaminDdeficient. women White intheUnitedStates Black women 5percentof andabout standard of usedinthisstudy, have researchers found thatnearly half more likely tobedeficientinvitamin D. Applying thesameconservative cereals, andcanbetaken asasupplement.People skinare withdarker products though itisalsoinfortified andbreakfast foods, suchasdairy warranted.” reproductive agevitaminDsupplementsmay be by giving women of you canimprove weights birth if shows thatclinicaltrialstodetermine Epidemiology. M. Bodnar, “It of assistantprofessor intheDepartment weights,”levels andtheirrelationshipwithbirth saidseniorauthorLisa later inlife. diseases, disease, andtype2diabetes suchasheart hypertension, chronic risk for monthandhave deathintheirfirst ahigherriskof greater smallfor gestationalageareatfiveto10times born Babies pregnancy, aconditionknownweek as“smallfor of gestationalage.” inthesame born babies weight when comparedtootherfull-term twice aslikely tohave who babies fellinthelower 10thpercentilefor of pregnancy—14 weeksorless—were trimester deficient inthefirst were includedinthestudy. Inaddition,women who were vitaminD pregnancy— deliveredbabies—those between 37and42weeks of lessthantheirpeers. Only 46grams full-term weighed anaverage of pregnancydelivered babies who 26 nmol/L) intheirfirst weeks of permillion(37.5 lessthan0.015parts vitaminDintheirbloodof of utero.” from growth restrictionin suffering her baby hadtwicetheriskof “Also, themotherwas trimester, deficientinvitaminDduringthefirst if Epidemiology. of postdoctoralassociateintheDepartment Gernand, herbaby laterinpregnancy,”growth of saidleadauthorAlison Metabolism andisavailable online. & ClinicalEndocrinology of theJournal printeditionof January inthe Health,isreported funded by theNationalInstitutesof more likely todeliver withlower weights. babies birth Thestudy, women deficientinvitaminDearly intheirpregnanciesare Low VitaminDLevels inPregnancy Early The researchers report that maternal vitamin D deficiency could vitaminDdeficiencycould thatmaternal report The researchers “Although goodcondition,it thebloodsampleswere inremarkably 2,146 The PittPublicHealthstudyusedarandomsampleof Vitamin Disuniqueinthatourbodiescanmake itfrom sunlight, thelargeststudiestoexamineamother’s vitamin D “This isoneof discovered withlevels andhercoauthors thatmothers Gernand “A mother’s vitaminDlevelearly inpregnancymay impactthe New researchby revealsthat PittPublicHealthresearchers Epidemiology of Assistant professor intheDepartment Lisa Bodnar A ssociated with Lower Birth Weightsssociated withLower Birth Postdoctoral associate in the Department of Epidemiology Postdoctoral of associateintheDepartment A lison Gernand lison Gernand

PAGE 7 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 8 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE out-of-pocket payment for theprescriptionsfilled, total spending, includingtheplanpremiumand BudgetOffice.billion in2011,according totheCongressional plans.” premiums toreducethenumberof exchanges couldactively screenplansonqualityandnegotiate plans andinformation,” Zhangsaid.“For example, healthinsurance assistance would of bemorehelpfulthanmodelswithlargenumbers standardized healthcareplans. tooffer under healthcarereform insurance exchanges, which arestate-regulatedorganizationscreated plan instead.” themtheoptiontochooseanother medication needs, while offering could assignbeneficiariestothebestplan for thembasedontheir healtheconomicsatPittPublicHealth.“Alternatively,of they medication history,” saidcoauthorYuting Zhang, associateprofessor most appropriate Part Dplansfor basedontheir eachperson, care needswithoutoverspending.” would make iteasiertoselectplansthatbestmeettheirhealth plansavailable programs thathelppeoplenavigate thedozensof a postdoctoralassociateatPittPublicHealth.“Educational plan for theirmedicalneeds,” saidleadauthorChaoZhou, changes tohealthinsuranceprograms. theMedicarePart Dprogram andcouldhelpguide yearthe fourth of national lookathow well beneficiaries were makingplanchoicesin , takes a HealthAffairs thejournal published intheOctoberissueof $368ayear. by anaverage Theevaluation,prescription drugs of medical needsin2009,overspending onPart Dpremiumsand benefit(Part Medicare prescriptiondrug D)planthatsatisfiedtheir reveals.researchers plan for theirmedicalneeds, aninvestigation by PittPublicHealth difficultiesselectingtheidealprescriptiondrug annually becauseof Beneficiaries Medicare The researchers looked at the difference inapatient’s lookedThe researchers atthedifference Implemented in2006,Part $65.8 Dcostthefederalgovernment “In designinghealthinsuranceexchanges, modelswithmoreactive thisstudycouldbeusefulindesigninghealth The resultsof “In particular, officialscouldrecommendthethree government “People needassistanceinchoosingtheleastexpensive beneficiarieschosetheleast-expensive Only 5.2percentof dollars Medicare beneficiariesare overpaying by hundredsof

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Partnership Public 15 percent reported physical or sexual abuse as children. What was physical aschildren.What orsexualabuse 15 percentreported who andalcoholdependencies. was Overall, abusive orhaddrug growing upwithanadult adultswho reported matched therateof bingedrinkinginthepast30days. That of at leastoneepisode County respondentsadmittedto Allegheny noticed that33percentof life publichealthissues. toreal- skills inapplying theirlearning togainpractical the healthdepartment were mentoredby epidemiologists at Center for PublicHealthPractice. They Public HealthTraining Centerinthe andthePennsylvania betweencollaboration thehealth department program, a Summer Institute—PublicHealthinActioninternship residents. They pausedatsome troublingresults.residents. They local (ACHS) of AlleghenyCountyHealthSurvey therecent of results publichealthgold:the (ACHD). was of Thegroup miningatrove theAlleghenyCountyHealthDepartment of the nearby headquarters hallsto andCrabtree fromtheirusualcommutestoParran detoured PublicHealth Last summer, of School fromtheGraduate 10interns Among otherfindings, thestudents intheinauguralPittsburgh The studentswere takingpart Health Public Pitt “We especially needtogetmuch better at supporting infants and better atsupporting young familiestogetahealthy by ChristineH.O’Toole start inlife.”start County Health Department Allegheny has waxed andwaned inthesixdecadessincetheywere founded. community health,theintellectualdistancebetween theinstitutions Health. Butdespitetheircompelling mutual interestsinadvancing abuse, childabuse, andoverall healthstatus? alcohol wondered,the connection,interns between the ratesof Only fivebustlingcityblocksseparate ACHD from PittPublic analyses on addedtotheongoingcollaboration The interns’ health challenges. thecounty’s resulting mosaicof and theycontinuetostudythe format, helped todesignthesurvey had contract tothedepartment and ACHD. Faculty under members students from PittPublicHealth facultyandgraduate by of agroup the ACHS, which was developed

PAGE 9 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 10 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE forging strong withthe city’s collaborations medicalcommunity, the will unveil therecommendationsthiswinter. medicineandpublichealth, theUniversity’s schoolsof of Harrison Theboard,year chairedby professor strategicplanningeffort. Lee theagency’s board since2007,he has headeditsfive- member of A for astronger relationshipwiththecountyhealthdepartment. challengescombine tocreateanopportunity and aneweraof Jonas SalkChairinGlobalHealth, believesthatfundingpressures industries, schools, andhealthagencies. approach amongmanyrequire aconcerted entities—cityplanners, find solutions for issueslike obesityandairpollution, which among othermajorcities. Atthesametime, itmust disease, where high theregionranksunacceptably andcardiovascularlike infantmortality problems toaddressstubborn is determined Under newleadership, thecountyagency public healthresearchandpractice. and practicalbridgesthatconnect While PittPublicHealthhasevolvedWhile intoaresearchpowerhouse, PittPublicHealthandtheUPMC- Donald S. Burke, deanof Now thetwo thedigital arerebuilding Department Allegheny CountyHealth the Acting directorof Ronald E.Voorhees why we have infantmortality,why have we people die younger than they people dieyoungerthanthey why there are periodswhenwhy are there why peoplebecomeill, more sophisticated more need to, a requires “The reasons “The reasons assessment.” health department effort andbelievesit’s effort timetodoso.health department infants andyoung inlife.” familiestogetahealthy start conditions. We especially needtogetmuch betteratsupporting health needstobeproactive inaddressingchronic andbehavioral diseasecontrol andenvironmental regulation.Public the basicsof totake onmuch beyond capacitywithinthehealth department lot of the department’s overall budgetto$36millionayear, “thereisnota inJune2012.Althoughfederalandstatefundsincrease department says the RonaldE.Voorhees, who becameactingdirectorof “My own view is that the health department isunderfunded, “My own viewisthatthehealthdepartment believesthatPittPublicHealthcan lendcapacitytothe Burke for thepopulation,”“It isavery, smallhealthdepartment very a luxury. year, attentiontothosebig-pictureissueshasbecome receives only $5millionintaxpayer fundingeach engaged inthesetopics. Butfor ACHD, which Public Health faculty members arealready Public Healthfacultymembers in preventingprematuremortality. Pitt public healthstandards, particularly behind othermetropolitan areasin surrounding community haslagged surrounding involvement can bring.” withthehealthdepartment takes ascientificbasis leadership: for decisionmakingthatacademic to measureprogress toward excellence. Studyafterstudysays that focus. publichealthjurisdictionatthelocallevelstruggles Every with theprofession orthepracticecommunity, you don’t getaclear the publicandprivate sectors,” says Potter. you don’t interact “If striving toimprove in relationshipswithpublichealthpractitioners make itsresearchandteachingrelevant tothecommunity. way” toward solving problems. effectively tothetable,move itwillgoalong inthatdirection,bringallparties asthma for kidsnearbusstops?To theextentAllegheny Countycan records.government For example, why dowe have highrates of health caresystemintheUnitedStatesoperatesindependently from into what’s goingonwithindividuals,” sheexplains. “Theprivate thingsare much moretied thosekindsof centralized anduniform, diseases. Inothercountrieswhere healthcaresystemsare the populationhealthside—research,enactingpolicies, infectious healthiscompletely from separate U.S.] of delivery thepersonal theschool’s Centerfor PublicHealthPractice. “[Inthe director of U.S. healthcaresystemposesobstacles, too, says MaggiePotter, pressuretoreducetaxes.”climate where there’s alotof epidemiology. Butbeingapublicsectorentity, it’s hard togrow ina sophisticated assessmentfunction.We’re tobuild thatwithin trying periods when peopledieyounger thantheyneedto, requiresamore why peoplebecomeill,why we have infantmortality, why thereare recently was appointed asprofessor. “Buttoreally getatthereasons as visitingassociateprofessor atPittPublicHealthsince2009and says Voorhees, anepidemiologist who hasheldanappointment clinical activities suchastuberculosis(TB),HIV, andSTDcare,” diseasethrough preventing diseaseandincontrolling thespreadof the reasonwhy thetwo have grown apart.” publichealth dramatically.they’ve impacted schools This of could be asmuch astheyshouldhave,impacted healthdepartments but healthproblems inthecommunity have not characteristics of diseases.emphysema—have Changing becomeprimary disease,heart diabetes, cancer, dementia,aging, osteoporosis, publichealth.“Chronic diseases— Kuller, emeritusprofessor of was crisis-oriented. the department course, polio— infectiousepidemics—measles, influenza,andof of directorinitsearly years. ashealthdepartment Inanera also served ACHD theschool eightyears later. pointsout,thedeanof AsBurke PublicHealthin1948and boththeGraduateSchoolof creation of Collaborative History change things;we needtomake itbetter.” expectancy isless. Asacommunity, we needto counties across theUnitedStates. Ourlife Allegheny Countyislessthanourpeerindex those constraints,” hesays. “Ourhealthin the publichealthasitmightbebecauseof anorganizationin serving effective terribly underappreciated, andarguably notas “Schools of public health, ours included,have publichealth,ours for decadesbeen “Schools of For to PittPublicHealthcontinues toseizeopportunities itspart, Connecting publicly fundedhealthagencieswiththeprivate “We role inidentifyingoutbreaksand stillplay acrucial “Diseases have changedover time,” acknowledges Lewis course, theimpetusfor the Improving community healthwas, of impacted health departments impacted healthdepartments “Changing characteristics “Changing characteristics of healthproblemsinthe of community have not community have as much as they asthey as much should have.” and 50timesthenationalaverage. Among adultsaged45-60, the homicideratefor young Blackmenis60timesthecityaverage deathamongAfricanAmericanmen.InPittsburghalone, cause of men is14timeshigherthanfor Whites, andhomicideistheleading deathinthecounty;ratefor young Black is theleadingcauseof amongyoungoccurs adults. For young menaged18-30,homicide than theratesinChinaorMexico. Asecondspike inmortality was 20.7in2009,aslightdecreasefrom 21in2000butstillworse significant impactsonAfricanAmericanfamilies. mortality, disease. violence, andheart andhypertension Allhave issues thaturgently needtheircombinedattention,says infant Burke: gets forLowering Premature Mortality T ar The infant mortality rate for Black residents of Allegheny County ratefor Blackresidentsof The infantmortality The statisticsaresobering. onthree Public healthandcommunity alreadyagree leaders Health Department of Epidemiology of Health Department Emeritus professor inthePittPublic Lewis Kuller

PAGE 11 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 12 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE and interventions. suggests creatinganewnonprofit toleverageresearch 1 millionpeople?” these threetargetareasinthe34U.S. countieswithover bottom line,” hesays. ratesfor arethemortality “What Allegheny Countytothebestpractices. “Ilookatthe in-house staff.” by bothuniversity facultyand TB clinicsarestaffed together. work do survey InNewMexico, STD and Minnesota andtheUniversity of health department elsewhere.partnerships Voorhees pointsoutstrong university-government “To succeed,we together.” allneedtowork other community organizationstogether,” hesays. and HumanServices, of universities, theDepartment objectives. “Let’s the getthehealthdepartment, onassessingtheproblems andthepartnership inequities.” who experiences people withdisabilities—everyone are chronically poor, poorly educated,or and ethnicminorities, it’s peoplewho than race. Inadditiontoracial says equityencompasses“more Director Patricia Documet income, andeducation. disparities basedonrace, continues tofocus on for MinorityHealth, to theschool’s Center Equity, thesuccessor Center for Health Pitt PublicHealth’s localhealth. affect socioeconomic conditions emphasizedhow reports published in2011.These was reports another setof African Americanpublichealth; Papers,” on comprehensive reports communities withits2002“Black discussion onhealthdisparitiesbetween various admits.Burke That’s thehealthdepartment. atoughassignment,” or failureof success to reducemortality, andhave thatbeamajormetricof alldeaths. percent of deathinthecounty2008,accountingfor nearly 27 cause of onAfricanAmericanmales. diseasewas Heart effect theleading diseaseagainhave andheart adisproportionatehypertension To bolsterthehealthdepartment’s resources, Burke willlead emphasizesthatbenchmarking Burke “There aregoodcollaborations. TheMinnesota Other U.S. regionsfacesimilarchallenges, and Voorhees believesthatthereneedstobe GreaterPittsburghprompted public The UrbanLeagueof “We needtolookhard atthosethreeareas, askwhat we cando funded healthagencies “Connecting publicly “Connecting publicly with the private U.S.with theprivate health care system health care poses obstacles.” he cautions. “That’s avaluable role for theUniversity asawhole: attack localhealthcarechallenges. “Butit’s us,” notjustabout program. createdasimilarsupport Research,Burke of Duringa23-yearhe observes. careeratWalter Institute ReedArmy has,”new mechanismwithmoreflexibilitythanthecountycurrently programs. We researchandevaluation of needa combination of anda organizations andbetherallying pointfor interventions andcouldgetfunding from other with thehealthdepartment pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, medicine, education,andlaw. We can Burke seesPittPublicHealthasacatalyst Burke thatcaneffectively “My preferenceistohave anewentitythatwould closely work help launchtheprocess.” “It’s around goingtotake the alongtimetoturn current figures, andnotjust current by thehealthdepartment acting by itself,” says Potter. “It’s goingtotake bringing leadership tobearonissues.bringing leadership Communities who aremostseriously impactedby mortality rates need to be participants—and sodoesthe rates needtobeparticipants—and health caresystem.” for PublicHealthPractice theschool’s Center Director of Maggie Potter , comparing baseline tests of drinking shaledrilling , comparingbaseline testsof Marcellus of Communities, impact Pitt PublicHealthisassessingthe regional Health, which housestheCenter for Healthy Environments and continues tomeet. HIV Community infectiousdiseasesandmicrobiology, thenation’s established of first thestudyandprofessor region. Anthony Silvestre, coinvestigator of inthePittsburgh HIV/AIDSresearchandhealth services supports lesbian, andtransgendercommunities andPittPublicHealth elderly Pennsylvanians. CAPH. Albert’s testingpreventiontrialsamong iscurrently group behavioral andcommunity healthsciencesandcodirectorof of by chair ongoingwork StevenAlbert, thefocus of departments—is falls—themainreason older peoplegotoemergency risk of Center for AgingandPopulation Health(CAPH).Reducingthe Healthy Community volunteers have enlistedtopromote the“10Keysto for researchonhealthy aging.region isanaturallaboratory applied public health,many withACHS working data. summerinstitutein inthehealthdepartment’s to participate Sciences continuestoanalyze results. willcontinue Studentinterns Behavioral andCommunity Health years. of TheDepartment itinseveral funds toconductthestudyandintendsreprise in2009–10;theschoolalsohelpedtoraise Health Department (ACHS)Allegheny CountyHealthSurvey for theAllegheny County theproject. practices of Documet says outreachtoHispaniccommunities willadoptthebest the city’s zone. EastEndneighborhoodsasahealthempowerment men through localbarbershops, theHealthy Family targets Project Center for aprogram HealthEquity. toreachadult Anoutgrowth of by the men arebeingaddressedthrough ahealtheducationeffort Equity DirectorPatricia Documet. facts”topinpointunderlying causes, saysreporting Center for Health that“goesbeyond police componentinaneffort is animportant young AfricanAmericanmenisunderway. Community participation toreducehomicidesamong points for violenceprevention,aneffort sessions. begun monthly tomapstarting With brainstorming agrant members, anddoulaprogram repersentatives, has staff department Jessica Burke, andcomprisingUniversity researchers, health convened by group AssistantProfessor mortality An infant county’s challengesintheareasidentified by DeanDonald S. Burke. Pitt Public HealthatWork in community. thelocal hasserved Pitt PublicHealthresearch campaigns withtheSalkvaccinetopresent, From itscontribution topublicimmunization Through the Department of Environmental andOccupational of Through theDepartment between theregion’s partnership A long-term gay, bisexual, With thesecond-oldestpopulationincountry, the Pittsburgh Pitt PublicHealthnotonly designedandanalyzed thesecond diseaseinAfricanAmerican andheart hypertension High ratesof onprojects the arealreadyatwork tounderstand Researchers A ging,” simplebehaviors developedby theUniversity’s A . Founded Board dvisory in1984,theboard A she says. want togetstudentsexcited for working about ahealthdepartment,” residents registeredtorespondinpublichealthemergencies. “We 700county of , agroup involved Corps withtheMedicalReserve says studentshavefor thedepartment, shown interestinbecoming trainingandexercise’07), emergencypreparedness coordinator deliver massimmunizations.health department Jamie Sokol (MPH Theyhave alsorespondedenthusiastically tohelpthecounty Effort. through SPHERE,theStudentPublicHealthEpidemicResponse wells inareaswithandwithoutgasdrillingoperations. Students continuetovolunteer incommunity preparedness llegheny County

PAGE 13 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 14 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE young victimswas onitsway tobeingbrought undercontrol. amysteriouspercent. Almost overnight, disease thatcrippledorparalyzed its polioplummeted85 thevaccine, cases of years following introduction of proposed by adedicatedyoung researcher, Jonas Salk.Within three onacontrarianhypothesis effort concerted sevenyears of validation of record 57,000cases—the announcementwashistory—a atriumphant field trialeverconducted. developed intheirown town hadbeenresoundingly validated inthelargest hadbeenwaiting Pittsburghers tohear:Thepoliovaccine what thousandsof announcedonApril the20thcentury—was 12,1955,tellingtheworld news of Salk Jonas of Legacy The by ChristineH.O’Toole Coming justthreeyears inU.S. afterthemostseverepolioepidemic Pittsburgh’s biggesthealthnews—indeed, themostsensationalpublichealth Peter Salk (standing, at left) recently welcomed Dean Donald Burke and Director of Development Kristen de Paor to visit the historic archives and warehoused materials of his father, world-famous public health pioneer Jonas Salk.

The world had Pittsburgh to thank. In addition to Salk’s approaches in 2014, his holistic and hopeful vision continues to relentless team of researchers, several thousand local volunteers inspire those who knew him best. had stepped up to receive the unproven vaccine in its earliest trials. “What happened with the vaccine involved a particular kind of Donald Burke, currently dean of Pitt Public Health, says, optimism, a particular kind of understanding and belief in science,” “Development of the polio vaccine here in Pittsburgh was a says Jonathan Salk about his father’s achievement. Interviewed defining moment of public health, one that helped launch the entire in the recent film documentary,The Shot Felt Round the World, modern biomedical research enterprise. It set a path for the future he reflected on that spirit. “It was kind of, ‘We have heroes, we of science.” have people who can do this,’ and I think my dad asked himself The scientific future of the country and the world continues every day of the rest of his life, ‘Why can’t this happen about to be forged at the University, and Pitt Public Health, founded as other things? Why can’t this happen about poverty? Why can’t this Salk began work at the University, continues to attack significant happen about public health in a whole lot of ways?’ We have so problems in global health. As the centennial of Salk’s birth many answers.” PAGE 16 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE “I remembersittingwithmy fatheronablanket onthefront lawn the Wexford Pittsburgh. suburbof tohisyoungcommunicate family, thattohisstaff—and thenliving in translate intoanelegantsolutiontothepoliothreatandwas to able how theresearch could tedious. ButSalkhadaclearvisionof hospital’s third floor. The work was time-consumingandoften isolatedfrom patientsbeingtreatedonthe viruses with studiesof andcontinued poliovirus were only threeimmunological typesof Medicine, beganby verifyingthatthere Genetics atPitt’s Schoolof Microbiology andMedical of professor intheDepartment service isstillunfolding today.”And thatstory tomakeit shouldbepossibletouseaninactivated avaccine. virus pulled intothefightagainstpolio. that Heheldfastto the concept from thatparadox. pursuing Andthenhewas subsequent injectedflu vaccines have derived contradiction sethimonhiscourse. All statements couldn’t Thatapparent betrue. Salk LegacyFoundation. “Hefeltthatboth his eldestsonPeter, theJonas presidentof inorder tobeeffective.contain living viruses vaccines againstviraldiseasesneededto the bacterialdiseasestetanusanddiphtheria, vaccines couldbeusedtoimmunize against from aprofessor who contendedthatwhile chemically inactivated onpolio.Salk tobeginwork Foundation Dimes)asked for InfantileParalysis (now theMarchof PublicHealthwas founded—the National Pitt GraduateSchoolof researchlaboratory.a newvirus In1948—thesameyear thatthe himtoPittin1947head Medicine, recruited theSchoolof of William MichiganhadimpressedPittleaders; McEllroy,of dean which was ledby DeanThomasParran. PublicHealth, distancefrom thenewGraduateSchoolof short Hospital (now SalkHall),Salk’slabs teamworked a infirst-floor after World War II.Atwhat was thenPittsburghMunicipal PublicHealthandSalk’s were shortly labs established School of facilityjustupthehillwheremodest lab boththeGraduate open space, andoffices. researchlabs, in58,000squarefeetof amongusers collaborations andfoster sustainability strong to meetthehigheststandards of additionwillopeninlate2013,designed laboratory four-story theschool’s physical plant.Thenew of expansion andupgrade a multiyear $85million phaseof thefirst optimism. Itrepresents Public Health’s spaceembodiesSalk’s newlaboratory spiritof T eFudtoso he Foundations of Peter Salkrecallsanexperiencefrom hisninthsummer, in1953: Salk’s team,which includedJuliusYoungner, now adistinguished “My fatherdidn’t that,” understand recalls Early inhismedicaleducation,Salkwas puzzledby comments Salk’s onaninactivated work influenza vaccine attheUniversity facilitystandsinclearcontrasttotheThe spaciousnewlab Pitt Rising above FifthAvenue, skeleton of thegreen-and-glass O ptimism relationships visible— relationships unclear andmakethe unclear that gave Jonasthat gave Salk “To takesomething great pleasure.”great chose tolocateitinLaJolla, Calif., where itwas founded in1960. institute was originally proposed for Pittsburgh,Salkultimately problems “thatarisefrom man’s relationshiptoman.” the While diseasebutalso noble aimwas toaddressnotonly problems of medicine withideasfrom thehumanitiesandsocialsciences. His a newinstitutethatwould andexperimental fuseresearchinbiology in history.” magazineas“asummitmoment 1955, were hailedby Newsweek MichiganonApril 12, results announcedattheUniversity of theSalk vaccine. The conclusively demonstratedtheefficacyof too. Finally, amassive nationwidestudywith1.8million subjects linedup, Pittsburgh undergraduates the vaccine. University of Pittsburgh public, private, andparochial schoolshadalsoreceived fundamental of understanding adeeper can take bestadvantage of other was atheoreticalinterestinhow andhow natureworks one need tohave somethingavailable thatwillmake The adifference. Salk was driven by two things. “Thefirst was, geta vaccine: We hisfather’s Peter work, of Salkbelieves. Inhispolioresearch,Jonas essential relationshipsamongdisparateideasremainedahallmark willing tosacrifice.” incredibly hardworking, devoted scientistfor whom peoplewere for, “butontheother, Polio:history AnAmericanStory hewas an Oshinsky, theTexas authorwho won the2006PulitzerPrizefor miracle worker inawhite coatontheonehand,” says David thesamething. Itmadesense.” of slices theoverall Theywere curve. different of type fellonaportion father putthemalltogether, Each onecoherentcurve. theyformed butwhen for my eachtypewere different, thecurves “The shapesof types. virus theantibodyresponsestothreedifferent of graphs those early years, Peter hisfathershowing Salkremembers him withhimsomeday.”work That was cametomethatI themomentideafirst wanted to what hewas talkingabout. by theclarityandbeautyof being struck responses produced by thevaccine hewas testing. Istillremember antibody Heexplainedabout hiswork. and histalkingabout Emboldened by hisvaccine’s success, Salknextsetouttocreate Larger testsfollowed. By1954,some15,000studentsin intensedrive andaninsistenceondistilling The combinationof researchers, too. “Hewas aIt madesensetohisteamof itwas oronanotheroccasionduring Whether thatafternoon his teamwere ontherighttrack. Itdid,indicatingthatheand against thevirus. boost thechildren’s existingantibodylevels test whether theexperimentalvaccine would stricken withthedisease, Salkwas to able Children. Byimmunizing youngsters already was thentheD.T. Watson Homefor Crippled recipientswereearliest poliopatientsatwhat community totestthevaccine. Amongthe mechanisms.” By 1952,Salkwas enlistingthePittsburgh more effectively handlechallengeswemore effectively faceasaspecies.” usinghisperspective onlifetohelpclarifyhow we might the ideaof address significanthumanproblems. Ihave becomefascinatedwith from hisfather’s example. “OnethingItookfrom himistheneedto advisors. onitsboard of Nordenberg serves Chancellor Mark Salk’s interestinconfronting globalhealthchallenges. Pitt Salk’s programs thatextend andsupports archives andartifacts Foundation. inLaJolla, Alsoheadquartered ithelpstomanage theJonas SalkLegacy2009, Peter of Salkhasdirectedthework andgenetics,biology neurosciences, andplantbiology. Since living building,” hissonsays proudly. “isa workspace, theiconicstructure andflexible laboratories theLaJolla facility. onthedesignof WithLouis Kahn sunlit scheme. withfamedarchitectevolutionary Healsocollaborated human natureanddevelopmentonhumanity’s role inthe addition tohisscientificinquiries, Salkauthoredfour bookson visible—that gave pleasure,” himgreat thesonrecalls. In that continuedtodefinethescientist’s career. fierceconcentrationandcontemplation thecombinationof observed HIV/AIDS. diseases andthepreventiontreatmentof cancerandautoimmune immunological methodstothetreatmentof Over thenext35years, hewould researchonapplying undertake the global eradication of polio. “Poliothe globaleradication of transmission rateshave been diseases, suchasinfluenza,tuberculosis, anddengue. communicable infectious thetransmissionof computer simulations of John buildslife-like GrefenstetteandDeanDonaldBurke, theeffort is hometothePublicHealthDynamics Laboratory. Ledby Director contributions toresearchindiseaseprevention.PittPublicHealth world-class Salk’s in2014,theschoolcontinuesitstraditionof birth Legacy intheLab:Vaccine Work ContinuesatPittPublic Health Peter Salkcontinuestodraw andprofessional personal inspiration institutecontinuesinmolecular theCalifornia of The work “To take somethingunclearandmake therelationships Peter Salk,who worked alongsidehisfatheratthe SalkInstitute, The Public Health Dynamics Laboratory hasjoined thefight for The PublicHealthDynamicsLaboratory Jonas As PittPublicHealthlooksforward tothecentennialof w www.publichealth.pitt.edu/salkconvocation MusicHall) (April29,2012,Carnegie Listen toPeter Salk’s address PittPublicHealthconvocation he remindedhisaudience. “We now needthewill.” call toaction.“We have moreknowledge thanwe have yet applied,” Jawaharlal Award Nehru Understanding, for heissueda International the hisfatherdelivered of in1977onhisacceptance remarks attheschool’sto inspiregraduates commencement.Quotingfrom blending scienceandwisdomhereinPittsburgh,” says Burke. Health atPitt—sharesthisvision.” Burke—who, incidentally, holdstheUPMC-Jonas SalkChairinGlobal Pitt.Ihave theimpressionthatDon contextof interdisciplinary my father’s legacyinthe focusing onthataspectof by theideaof I’ve spentatPittPublicHealthhasbeenenlightening. I’mexcited my father’s dreamremainstobefleshedout.Thetime last bitof to fulfillinghumanity’s biological potential,” Peter Salkexplains. “That Institute was andcircumstances conducive thefactors tounderstand theSalk disease, thethird originalgoalof prevention andcureof project alreadyunderway.construction the$70million school’s environments, andlearning work ontopof campaign, which seekstoattract$15millionfor improvements tothe Goldstein tocochairtheschool’s Buildingfor aHealthierWorld father’s goals. Lastyear, hejoinedProfessor EmeritusBernard his of PittPublicHealthandthecontinuedpursuit of the work publichealth.Peter Salkseesacloseconnectionbetween mission of before theyareusedinreal-world settings. computational modelingtoevaluate potentialeradication strategies dataandtouse Control andPreventiontoobtainnewsourcesof Bill andMelindaGatesFoundation andtheU.S. for Centers Disease including van Panhuis, Burke, withthe andGrefenstetteisworking decision makingonpolioeradication strategies.” Aresearchgroup tosupport “Computational modelingisincreasingly necessary explains Willem epidemiology. van Panhuis, assistantprofessor of reducedtoonlygreatly afewhundredcasesperyear worldwide,” In April 2012,Peter Salkinvoked hisfather’s words andexample “I believethatwe cancontinuetobuildonJonas Salk’s visionof “Along with research andadvanced andthe traininginbiology That broad mandatemightalsobedescribedastheoverarching

PAGE 17 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 18 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE patient’s uniqueDNA. medicine toallowexpand personalized treatments tobetailoreda willsoon confident thatbreakthroughs ingenomeinterpretation and treatmentinaholistic, systematic, andfocused way. Heis possible for andhiscolleaguestotacklediseaseprevention Stephan make have thingshappen.Theresultingcollaborations madeit theworld’s topventurecapitaliststohelp has convinced someof Stephan’s passionfor isinfectious, hiswork andthatenthusiasm common andrarediseases. totreatorpreventbothgenetic attributeandusetheinformation disease. Hebelievesthatwe’ll tocatalog soonbeable every attacks,heart suddeninfantdeathsyndrome, andAlzheimer’s but complexgeneticdisorders suchasautism, exercise-induced for hisfar-reaching insightsanddiscoveries regarding common with time, butthechallengemotivated himtocontinuethework. thatwould explainherillness.abnormality Histeamlostthatrace an 1-year andtheracetoanalyze oldgirl hergenomeinsearchof adying theaudience’s of Then hegrabbed attentionwiththestory for theschoolandcitythatlaunchedhishumangeneticscareer. hisappreciation Pittsburgh LegacyLaureate, hetoldthecrowd of Having toPittsburghbehonoredasa2012University of returned also have beentitled“How BigDreamsintoReality.” toTurn Setting theFoundation toImprove Outcomes.” Thelecturecould “Personalized Hallauditoriumtotalkabout Crabtree Medicine: to makethingshappen.MeetDietrichStephan. bigisn’t enough.You’veDreaming gottoknow how Alumni But it’s notenoughjusttoenvision thepossibilities. Fortunately, isavisionary.Stephan respect international Hehasearned (PhD’96)stoodbeforeOn October12,DietrichStephan apacked laboratory pavilion construction site. pavilion construction laboratory theschool’s new tour of for agrand On the first day of hisvisit, dayOn thefirst of Stephan joined Kristen dePaor Dietrich

figures in the field of geneticresearch. figures inthefield themostinfluential invigorating toexchange ideaswithoneof tomeetwithfacultyandstudents,opportunities who found it The Wall. Journal Street , Newsweek have inpopularmediaincludingForbes alsobeenwrittenabout , Medicine,andhiscontributionstoscience of EnglandJournal New Sciences, theNationalAcademyof Proceedings of have suchasScience, scientific articles beenpublishedinjournals Center inWashington, D.C. hispeer-reviewed Morethan140of George Washington University, andtheChildren’s NationalMedical Arizona,ArizonaStateUniversity, Health,theUniversity of of theNationalInstitutes Human GenomeResearchInstituteof faculty appointmentsatJohns HopkinsUniversity, theNational thePersonalized Medicine Coalition.Hehasheld of directors of company.sequencing andinterpretation SiliconValleyhe started Biosystems, anext-generationgenome In2011, survival. chemotherapeutic agentstomaximizelong-term cancer diagnosticteststoappropriately selectthemosteffective cofounded Aueon, Inc., company abiotechnology providing early neurodegenerative diseases. Thenin2009,he the treatmentof company focusingcofounded on Amnestix,abiopharmaceutical geneticscansandanalysis toindividuals.offering In2007,he cofounded Navigenics, Inc., genetictestingcompany apersonal While visiting Pitt Public Health, Stephan welcomed visitingPittPublicHealth, Stephan several While ison the board Stephan work, In additiontothisentrepreneurial in2006,when beganhiscareerasanentrepreneur he Stephan w www.publichealth.pitt.edu/alumni Alumni Society. at more Learn Get involved inthePittPublicHealth Wired, Reader’s Digest, The Washington Post, and Nature Genetics,and Nature term commitment.” term said. “Community-based andalong- researchtakes timeandenergy speeding outagain) orvampire (justthere for bloodsamples),” she helicopter (dropping intoaneighborhoodfrom theoutsideandthen outreach andfollow-up measures. “As aresearcher, you can’t bea investigator, shehasdefiedtheodds through community-based them withahighfollow-up rateisalsoachallenge, butasaprimary andconsistently track participants secure, torecruit andbeingable AfricanAmericanwomen. Researchfundingisoftendifficultto of community, studies andshehassuccessfully ledseverallargecohort settingintothe prevention-based clinicaltrialsfrom thelaboratory populations. underrepresented epidemiology, makingsureshealways hadadequatesamplesizesof tobecomeascientistinthefieldof population. Shedetermined the researchfailedtoreflectdiseaseasitactually inthe occurs studies. Asaresult, or smoking, leaving many minoritiesoutof diabetes, stroke, of trials oftenexcluded patientswithahistory groups. Shenotedthatclinical underrepresented the healthof studying of with researchprojects thatdismissedtheimportance disproportionately impactAfricanAmericans. that and addressingcancers researchinghealthdisparities of what hasmotivated hertrajectory adisease.”to understand That’s in ourresearchstudiesorder people include allclassificationsof system, andwe therefore must the biggestburden inoursocial willbecome group understudied to me,” shesaid.“We know thatthe and outcome, always was anenigma tend tohave theworst prognosis issues, althoughthosepopulations minority populationsor idea thatresearchneverfocused on minority populations. “Thewhole there hasbeendistressingly littleresearchtakingplacewithin incauses,understandings strategies, treatments, andadherence, innew researchushers translational andcross-disciplinary willnaturally increase. survivors Butwhile the percentageof tousall. thatshouldbeaconcern survival matters, andinthisregard thereareconsistentdisparitiesincancer asurvivor’s longevity.much of happensafterdiagnosis What resources—accesstocareandtreatment—thatdetermines lack of many years. Shewent ontosay thatitisa a singleday toaspanof life. Thiscanmeandurationfrom diagnosis andextendingtoendof who’s beendiagnosed withacancer, withthemomentof starting anyone acancersurvivor: definitionof lecture withasurprising for Under A Life of Community-based Research Community-basedResearch Lifeof Since then, one of her primary goals has been to export goalshasbeentoexport herprimary Since then,oneof Early inheracademiccareer, Adams-Campbell becamefrustrated Adams-Campbell pointedoutthatasourpopulationages, herOctober12guest Lucile Adams-Campbell(PhD’83)started represented Survivors represented tend to have the worst prognosis theworst tend tohave populations orminorityissues, “The whole idea that research “The whole ideathatresearch although thosepopulations and outcome, was always never focused onminority focused never an enigmatome.” Georgetown University MedicalCenter. at theGeorgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centerat oncology dean for community health andoutreach,professor of director for minorityhealthanddisparitiesresearch, associate University Cancer Centerfor theassociate 13years andiscurrently Washington, Howard D.C., Fame. asdirectorof Sheserved Hallof Medicineand inductedintothe Sciences Instituteof Academy of Laureate award (2010).ShehasalsobeenelectedtotheNational PittsburghLegacy Alumni Award (1995)andaUniversity of honors, includingPittPublicHealth’s Distinguished her longlistof Award during2012homecomingfestivities. She cannow addthisto Pittsburgh AfricanAmericanAlumniCouncilDistinguished a studentandfacultymember. and was amajorcontributortoPitt’s program, bothas epidemiology mentor.” Kullersays Adams-Campbellstoodoutamongherpeers Health,withDr. asmy Kullerserving from theNationalInstitutesof theNewInvestigator award,grant Ieverreceived thefirst receipt of Benin City, resultedin my Nigeria,among schoolchildren.Thiswork financially andacademically researchin toconduct hypertension me PublicHealth.Healsosupported at theGraduateSchoolof knowledge, noresearchbeingconductedonthispopulation virtually research,” shesaid.So she to getinvolved onthehumansideof not want pipesandfluiddynamicsany topursue further—I wanted master’s inbiomedicalscience. degree Butthen“IdecidedIdid she received herbachelor’s inbiological sciencesandher degree Campbell studiedchemicalengineeringatDrexel University, where Adams-Campbell was in town to receive a University of Adams-Campbell was intown toreceive aUniversity of healthdisparities, Adams- Prior todelvingintotheworld of a timewhen therewas, tomy focus—African Americans—at of my researcharea of supportive a majorrole inmy success. Hewas “LewisKullerplayeddepartment. the chairof professor andformer recalls LewisKuller, emeritus Health faculty. Pitt before joiningthePittPublic funded postdoctoralfellowship at Health- a NationalInstitutesof academic studies, shecompleted PhD inepidemiology. Afterher female inthenationtoreceive a African American became thefirst From hertimehere, shefondly

PAGE 19 FALL 2012/WINTER 2013 PAGE 20 PITT PUBLIC HEALTH MAGAZINE in theWorld Pitt Public Health methods andfamily planning. young controlprevention andinforms menandwomen birth about student completes, teenagepregnancy Tiberialsoeducatesabout amedicalcomponentthateachPCMI family planning, of part youth Inadditiontogiving heserves. talksonsexualhealthand thecommunity in Ecuador. Heisseenhereataneventwithsome of Health Sciences, iscompletinghistwo-year Peace placement Corps Behavioral andCommunity of Track studentwithintheDepartment met atthedean’s homefor abackyardpicnic. health inactionwithPlungeintoPublicHealthandPittsburgh, academicpoliciesfrom experiencedpublic about studentservices, theirintroduction totheschool,theylearned on August of 24.Aspart faculty, atnewstudentorientation andstudentorganizationleaders Goldsteinandpraisinghiscontributionstopublichealth. memories of fond A. Nordenberg spoke tellingstoriesof duringthereception, Pitt,andChancellorMark and OccupationalHealthChairBruce Environmental the country. of DeanDonaldBurke, Department held inhishonor, gatheredsixdistinguishedpanelistsfrom around Environmental HealthScienceandPublicPolicy,”of which was University,” according totheprovost. Acolloquiumtitled“Interface the contributions totheeducationalmissionandprograms of for tenuredfacultywho “havean honorreserved mademeritorious PublicHealth,was namedprofessor emeritus, Graduate Schoolof Pittsburgh theUniversity of deanof occupational healthandformer financial aid for prospective students. organizations, researchandpracticecenters, admissions, and student departments, house. Theprogram gave of overviews d a b c nard D. environmental and Goldstein,professor of w w w Or On No Incoming PittPublicHealthstudentshear Ber rin Tiberi,aPeace Master’s Corps (PCMI) International www.publichealth.pitt.edu/photogalleries at orientation photosfrom more View www.publichealth.pitt.edu/photogalleries thecolloquiumat photosfrom more View www.publichealth.pitt.edu/pcmi visit Track, Master’s International onthePeace Corps For information more vember 9,PittPublicHealthhosteditsannualopen d from administrators, studied at the school until the summer of 2010. studied attheschooluntilsummerof Taiwan. Hisson,Jason Chiu,isalsoaPittPublic Healthalumnuswho healthof a PittLegacyLaureate, went ontobecometheministerof Chiu, aPittPublicHealthalumnus. Afterhisstudieshere, Chiu,also made between PittPublicHealthandthenTMUpresidentWen-Ta executedSciences. agreement, inJune2010,was Theinternship Behavioral andCommunity Health of and chairintheDepartment professor StevenAlbert, of under thedirectionandmentorship here, atPittPublicHealth.While thestudentsstudied internship were studentsfrom thefirst thatschooltocompleteasummer PublicHealthandNutrition, Medical University (TMU)Collegeof e in Pittsburgh. waitingand careeropportunities for thematPittPublicHealthand thepublichealtheducation about students, andalumnitolearn staff, 22,2013on March ApplicantsDay PittPublicHealthAccepted Visit

applicantsareinvitedAll accepted tocomemeetwithfaculty, i Y u “Peter” ChangandEn-ChinSung, studentsfrom Taipei information to information event or announcement Send finalized Have SomethingtoShare? with thePittPublicHealthcommunity. photofor ustoshare with ahigh-resolution [email protected]

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