News

News

GSPH Deans Day Student Research Competition 2019

EOH’s Brandy Hill, doctoral student takes home the Herbert Rosenkranz Prize for the school wide project judged to be the most significant contribution to the public health field!

Additionally, each year the department of EOH awards the Keleti Award for excellence in environmental health, and this years award went to doctoral student Brandy Hill!

Brandy’s work was timely and examined the “Acute impact of pollution control breach on asthma control in vulnerable populations near U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works following 2018 Fire”

Dr. Wenzel Honored with 2018 LHAS Trailblazer Award

Dr. Wenzel Honored with 2018 LHAS Trailblazer Award

We had the honor and privilege of seeing our leader, Dr. Sally Wenzel, receive the 2018 Ladies Hospital Aid Society Trailblazer award. Along with the prestigious award, LHAS surprised her with a check for $20,000 to enhance her amazing research! What a wonderful way to celebrate Dr. Wenzel’s success. Check out LHAS’s full write up below:

 

 

 

 

Sally E. Wenzel, M.D., Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health; Director, University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute; and UPMC Chair of Translational Airway Biology, is widely recognized for her studies of severe asthma, and asthma phenotypes. Her work has led the field in understanding the complexities of asthma and its treatment.    

Asthma sparked her interest when she encountered many young people who suffered and even died from it. When she inquired about the details of asthma, no one had answers. Thus, she was pushed towards doing her own research.

Dr. Wenzel’s day-to-day work includes caring for her patients from across the country who come to her clinic with the most severe asthma. She also manages the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. She is dedicated to understanding the different types of diseases associated with asthma. She explains that even on the worst of days, when that one patient says, “Dr. Wenzel, I feel so much better, you’ve changed my life,” that day becomes MUCH better.

Dr. Wenzel says that this award is a tremendous honor to her. “Being associated with the appealing title of ‘trailblazers’ speaks for itself. In the past 20 years, I believe I have blazed a few new trails with understanding and identifying the concept of severe asthma along with developing treatments for the individuals who suffer from it.

The Cameron Heyward Foundation’s 2018 Birthday Party

The Cameron Heyward Foundation’s 2018 Birthday Party

Dr. Wenzel and some members of our Asthma Institute Team attended Cameron Heyward’s annual birthday party with some special kids from Kids Voice. Celebrating these kids with dinner, gifts, and Dave & Buster’s game time, this event is wonderful for everyone involved. The Cameron Heyward Foundation gives back to the community in so many ways, read more about them and Cameron’s asthma story here.

Dr. Wenzel appointed new Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health

Dr. Wenzel appointed new Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health

 We are pleased to announce that Dr. Wenzel is assuming a new role as the Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. With this new position, she will extend her work on asthma and airway disease to environmental and population health, amplifying the exceptional strengths already present in both departments. She will continue as the acting director with us at the Asthma Institute. We are so proud of her latest accomplishment!