Code Blue and Gold

The quarterly newsletter of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine

September 2024 – December 2024

Muhtadi Alnababteh, MD, is a recipient of the Jenesis Innovative Research Awards, supporting his research in risk stratifying dnDSA lung transplant patients using cell-free DNA.

Tasha Alston, PhD, MSW, is the co-editor of a new book, Health, Parenting, and Community Perspectives on Black Fatherhood: Defying Stereotypes and Amplifying Strengths >> Read more

Robert Arnold, MD, received the 2025 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Gerald H. Holman Distinguished Service Award. >> Read more

Jodie Bryk, MD, is the recipient of the 2024 Nathaniel Bedford Primary Care Award from the Allegheny County Medical Society. >> Read more

A team led by Ronald Buckanovich, MD, PhD, was awarded the $1 million Magee Prize for research focused on developing new approaches to diagnose and treat high-risk types of endometrial cancer. >> Read more

Thuy Bui, MD, and Julie Childers, MD, were both honored at this year’s Allegheny County Medical Society with the Richard E. Deitrick Humanity in Medicine Award. >> Read more

Peter Bulova, MD, is the winner of the Clinical Practice Award from the American College of Physicians – Pennsylvania Chapter.

Julie Childers, MD, has been named a UPMC Senior Physician Excellence in Clinical Care Award winner.

Cornelius Clancy, MD, Yohei Doi, MD, PhD, Toren Finkel, MD, PhD, John Kirkwood, MD, Minh-Hong Nguyen, MD, and Ryan Shields, PharmD, have been named to this year’s Highly Cited Researchers list, an annual compilation of researchers whose work has made a significant impact across a broad range of disciplines. >> Read more

Several DOM staff members received School of Medicine Research Administrator Awards at this year’s inaugural event including Debbie Galvin (Mentoring), Lynne Lewis (Stand Out Performers), Megan Miller (Stand Out Performers), Dan Parker (Stand Out Performers), and Victoria Racz (Rising Star). >> Read more

Rachael Gordon, MD, PhD, was named a 2024 Distinguished Fellow by the American College of Rheumatology. >> Read more

Jessica Higgins received the “Extra Mile” Award for Quarter 3 from UPMC Physician Services.

Sameer Jhaveri, DO, Nicole Luche, MD, Alberta Negri Jimenez, MD, Andrew Klein, MD, Kireem Nam, MD, and Andrew Nowak, MD, JD, were recently named Pitt Med Professionalism Accolade Awardees.

Máté Katona, PhD, and Priscilla Tang, PhD, received 2024 travel awards from the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine.

Mahmut Kaymakci, MD, is the 2024 recipient of the Student & Resident Research Award from the Rheumatology Research Foundation, which recognizes an outstanding resident in the field of rheumatology.

Neil Kelly, MD, PhD, is the recipient of the 2024 UT Jenesis Innovative Research award.

Agnes Koczo, MD, is among seven recipients of the 2024 Escalator Awards Research Scholars Program from Women As One. >> Read more

Lili Lu, PhD, received an Outstanding Poster award for her poster, “The Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated TREM2 R47H Exacerbates Ferroptosis Through GPX4,” at this year’s  OSCAR Symposium hosted by the Pitt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. 

Gabriel Marrero-Rivera, MD, received a best abstract award at the 2024 Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases conference.

Oscar Marroquin, MD, was listed as one of 63 Hispanic and Latino leaders to know by Becker’s Hospital Review. >> Read more

Deborah McMahon, MD, has been recognized with the 2024 UPMC Senior Physician Excellence Award, honoring her exceptional contributions to clinical care, high practice standards, exceptional teamwork, engagement and passion for medicine.

Jessica Merlin, MD, PhD, MBA, recently co-led an NIH HEAL Initiative workshop to establish research priorities for the next phase, focusing on providing the greatest benefit to those affected by substance use and pain.

Sarah Merriam, MD, is the September 2024 recipient of the Clinical Excellence Award from the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

Alexandra Mieczkowski, MD, MS, is the recipient of the 2025 MPPDA Alex Djuricich, MD Award, which is presented to a program director of a medicine‐pediatrics residency program who demonstrates a notable record of individualized advocacy for each trainee, excellence in program leadership, and innovations in curriculum, teaching and/or medical education. >> Read more

Cristina Murray-Krezan, PhD, has been selected to attend the Association of American Medical Colleges Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Seminar.

Anne Newman, MD, MPH, Nina Singh, MD, and Sally Wenzel, MD, are among twelve researchers from the University of Pittsburgh included in Research.com’s 2024 ranking of the “best female scientists in the world,” based on data collected from a wide range of bibliometric sources. >> Read more

Jessica Oh, MD, was recognized with the UPMC New Physician Excellence in Clinical Care Award. 

Ann Perrin, MD, MPH, has received the Waxman Voluntary Faculty Teaching Award from the American College of Physicians – Pennsylvania Chapter.

Ron Poropatich, MD, received the Pitt Distinguished Alumni award from Adam Leibovich Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean Kenneth P. Deitrich School of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. >> Read more

The UPMC Acute Pulmonary Embolism Program, directed by Belinda Rivera-Lebron, MD, MSCE, has been accredited as a PERT Comprehensive Center of Excellence, only the fourth program in the country that has received this important designation. >> Read more

Daniella Schwartz, PhD, was awarded the 2024 ICIS-Regeneron New Investigator Award for Excellence in Cytokine and Interferon Research.

Sruti Shiva, PhD, was inducted as a fellow of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine.

Carla Spagnoletti, MD, MS, has been honored with the Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from the American College of Physicians – Pennsylvania Chapter.

Katie Suda, PharmD, received the 2024 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Literature Award for Sustained Contributions for her work informing national policy on antibiotic & opioid stewardship. >> Read more

Jay Tan, PhD, recently presented “Lysosomal Quality Control in Health and Disease” during the 2024 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Research Seminar Series.

Andrew Thurston, MD, is one of only three doctors to receive a ‘Mission of Mercy’ Award for embodying compassion and empathy in medicine.