University of Pittsburgh

Faculty Spotlights

Stories From the Field

Our faculty are clinicians, educators & researchers from diverse backgrounds, united by a passion for solving health challenges around the world.

 This spotlight features just a few of our incredible faculty—more to come! Read more below and check back for additions.

 Know someone we should feature? Let us know. 

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Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Victoria Hornyak

Sharing Best Practices in Geriatric Physical Therapy
An experienced physiotherapist (PT) assesses the status of an older adult who has had a stroke in Kenyatta National Hospital, a large public medical center in Nairobi, Kenya. Instead of employing standard tissue mobilization therapy, he does something different.
Read Victoria's Story

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Walt Stoy

It’s Not How Much You Know, It’s How Much You Care

Walt Stoy, professor emeritus, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, cares very deeply. He has spent more than four decades educating the providers of emergency medicine services—not just in Pittsburgh, but around the world.

Read Walt's Story

Medicine

Saleem Khan

Contributing Our Expertise in Every Way Possible
In 2012, the idea of creating a new medical school in Kazakhstan was just that—an idea. There was no building, no curriculum, no faculty and, naturally, no students.
Read Saleem's Story

Medicine

Juan Carlos Puyana

Creative Sustainable Health Care Solutions Through Collaboration
Juan Carlos Puyana spends his days—and many nights—reimagining trauma care in low-resourced settings. For good reason.
Read Juan Carlos' Story

Medicine

Peter Santa Maria

Building Capacity in One of the World’s Poorest Communities
Peter Santa Maria, vice chair of clinical and translational research and professor, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says there are lessons to be learned in the Gorongosa Restoration Project in the Republic of Mozambique.
Read Peter's Story

Nursing

Richard A. Henker

Expanding the Reach of Pitt Nursing
Throughout his 30-year career as a nurse anesthetist and professor in the School of Nursing, Rick Henker has spearheaded efforts to train health care providers around the world.
Read Richard's Story

Pharmacy

Martha Ndung’u

Understanding the Patient’s Perspective to Make a Difference

A 40-year-old mother of three walks for nearly two hours to reach a clinic in the rural village of San Jose del Negrito, Honduras. She has been diagnosed with diabetes but has difficulty managing the disease. Her diet consists mainly of foods that are high on the glycemic index, such as fried plantain, tortillas and rice.

Read Martha's Story

Public Health

Sara Baumann

Filmmaking as a Transformative Research Paradigm
For the past 15 years, Sara Baumann, assistant professor, behavioral and community health sciences, School of Public Health, has been using filmmaking as a key component of her global health research and advocacy.
Read Sara's Story

Public Health

Jessica Griffin Burke

Empowering Adolescents in Madagascar
Why does a youth-focused nongovernmental organization in Madagascar want to connect with a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh?
Read Jessica's Story

Public Health

Ernesto Marques

From the Lab to Global Solutions

Researchers are explorers, detectives and analysts. By nature, they are both curious and patient. They are also eager to connect the dots between problems and possible solutions. Ernesto T. Marques, associate professor, School of Public Health, is all of those things. And more.

Read Ernesto's Story