Creating a World
of Healthy Possibilities

The Integrated Networks of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT), a consortium of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, and University of Pittsburgh, is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 cohort. With funding from the National Institutes of Health Fogarty Launching Future Leaders in Global Health Program, INSIGHT offers early-career scientists in the U.S. and low- and middle-income countries mentored research training at leading biomedical and behavioral research sites. Jessica Burke, Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs at Pitt Health Sciences, has taken over as Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) from Vishwajit Nimgaonkar,  a professor of psychiatry and human genetics at Pitt and president of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, who laidthe strong foundation for the program’s success. Burke will lead efforts to expand Pitt’s role in the initiative.

Robert Weyant, Pitt’s associate dean of dental public health and community outreach, has been appointed to the Lancet Commission on Global Oral Health—joining 26 other experts from 16 countries. Formed in 2020, the Commission aims to address the global neglect of oral diseases and elevate oral health in public health agendas. As of August 2025, the group is finalizing a monograph set for release this fall.

In June 2025, Tiffany Gary-Webb—professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Health Equity—joined Pitt faculty, staff and students on a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship trip to Senegal and Gambia. The monthlong program, in partnership with the Alliance for Medical Research in Africa, focused on noncommunicable diseases and emphasized incorporating decolonial perspectives into teaching and research.

Jean Nachega, associate professor (Public Health) and chair of the Mpox Research Consortium, helped secure over $600,000 in funding to combat mpox across Africa. Supported by the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Wellcome, the 36-month mpox-GECIVO Africa project will launch in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria. This observational cohort study aims to fill critical knowledge gaps in mpox epidemiology, transmission and clinical outcomes—while strengthening Africa’s research infrastructure.

The Power in Nepali Girls (PING) scale—designed to measure empowerment among adolescent girls—was recently featured in UNICEF’s Field Note Series on Programe Impact. Developed by Jessica Burke and Sara Baumann (Public Health), the PING scale was created through concept mapping with input from over 100 participants, including girls, mothers, program staff, and national experts. It offers a culturally grounded, participatory way to track progress in empowerment initiatives—and will be a vital tool for future evaluations.

Orrin Tiberi (BCHS ’14) earned certificates in Global Health and LGBT Health and Wellness at Pitt Public Health. After graduation, he received a fellowship that led him to Uganda, Atlanta, and ultimately Mozambique, where he has worked for the past nine years. Based in Maputo, Tiberi serves as a strategic information advisor to Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, supporting the national sexually transmitted infection/HIV program. He helps guide data-driven decisions in a country with the world’s second-largest HIV epidemic—impacting an estimated 2.4 million people. He credits his Pitt training with preparing him to thrive in cross-cultural, global health settings.

In December 2023, Kelvin Kamzenga became the first Malawian student to complete a medical rotation at Pitt Med through the Markle Fund—established by Bill and Mary Markle to support global medical education. After a four-week pulmonology rotation and graduating from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Kamzenga began an 18-month internship at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. As of June 2025, he is working in pediatrics and will continue through internal medicine, surgery and OB-GYN. He is also exploring online MSc programs to complement his clinical work.