Code Blue and Gold

The quarterly newsletter of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine

December 2024 – March 2025

Whether it’s in patient care, innovative approaches to education, or new scientific discoveries, the DOM is being awarded. Read about all the latest honors across the department.
Kseniya Anishchenko, MD, Megan Cavrak, MD, Simion Chiosea, MD, Emanuel Feld, MD, Shuja Hassan, MD, Maria Poluch, MD, Catherine Pressimore, MD, and Madeline Sharp, MD, were recently named Pitt Med Professionalism Accolade Awardees.

Cristian Apetrei, MD, received the prestigious Negruzzi Prize, a Romanian national honor of excellence recognizing exceptional contributions in the artistic, humanistic, and scientific fields.

William Bain, MD, Benjamin Nacev, MD, PhD, and Alicia Rizzo, MD, PhD, have recently received Young Physician-Scientist Awards in recognition of their research efforts by the American Society for Clinical Investigation. >> Read more

Mehret Birru Talabi, MD, PhD, and her research on maternal health for individuals with rheumatic diseases and aging research by Toren Finkel, MD, PhD, and Anne Newman, MD, MPH, were highlighted in the University of Pittsburgh’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Annual Report. >> Read more

Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, and Carla Spagnoletti, MD, MS, were named the 2025 awardees of the Margaret Ragni Award for Advancement of Women in Medicine & Science.

Andrea Carter, MD, MS, successful completed the UPMC Physician Leadership Essentials program.

Toren Finkel, MD, PhD, and Aditi Gurkar, PhD, were among the featured presenters at this year’s 19th Annual Vanscoy Winter Academy >> Read more

Muhammad Haseeb, MD, was selected to participate in the American Gastroenterological Association’s 2025 Innovation Fellows Program.

Yuan Liu, PhD, was elected as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors due to her technological innovations. >> Read more

Lars Margolis, MD, was accepted into the Society of General Internal Medicine TEACH Certificate Program.

Addiction Medicine fellow, Cynthia Pathmathasan, MD, was named an America Society of Addiction Medicine Ruth Fox scholar.

Ronald Poropatich, MD, MS, and the Center for Military Medicine Research were among the research projects focused on service members and veterans in this year’s University of Pittsburgh’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Annual Report >> Read more

Stephanie Romutis, MD, was selected to the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program.

Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, was recently named interim director for the Hillman Cancer Center. >> Read more

Prem Soman, MD, PhD, was promoted to Senior Associate Editor for Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.

Carla Spagnoletti, MD, MS, was named an Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellow.

Pitt’s School of Medicine 30th Curriculum Colloquium Award Recipients 

Excellence in Education Awards 

Outstanding Clinical Skills Preceptor
Emily Geramita, MD, PhD // Assistant Professor of Medicine // Malignant Hematology and Medical Oncology

Outstanding Course Lead
Jenifer Lee, MD // Professor of Medicine // Cardiology

Carl R. Fuhrman Clinical Educator of the Year Award 

Rachel Vanderberg, MD, MS // Associate Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine
Michael Simonson, MD, MS // Assistant Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine

Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award 

Kathryn Leyens, MD // Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine
Sarah Jones, MD // Clinical Instructor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine

Social Justice Educator Award 

Alfred Shoukry, MD // Assistant Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine

William I. Cohen Award for Excellence in Clinical Skills Instruction 

Benjamin Sprague, MD, MS // Assistant Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine
Danielle Heffner, MD // Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine // General Internal Medicine

>> Complete list of awardees