Pitt/UPMC Take a Leading Role in NIH’s Ambitious Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) Program to Identify, Examine, Characterize, Map Senescent Cell Populations Throughout the Body and Across the Lifespan | UPMC Physician Resources
For the SenNet project, the National Institutes of Health selected 16 teams to carry out the research, two of which are from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. The Pitt and UPMC teams received a combined funding of $31 million for the first five years of the project.
Pitt Lands $14.3 Million for Research Linking Dementia and Cardiovascular Disease | Department of Medicine
A $14.3 million commitment from the WoodNext Foundation expands research at the University of Pittsburgh to identify causes of inflammation that lead to heart disease and dementia.
UPMC Top Doctors List
Five UPMC geriatric medicine physicians are part of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Top Doctors® list, which is compiled by Castle Connolly. The Castle Connolly Top Doctor selection process is entirely merit-based. Castle Connolly’s peer-to-peer nominations and a rigorous research process ensures only the most qualified physicians are included.
Bolstering Public Health Readiness in Long-Term Care
Recognizing the need for better public health preparedness in long-term care settings, the Division of Geriatric Medicine under leadership of David A. Nace, MD, and Steven M. Handler, MD, contracted with Abt Associates and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be a partner in the National Nursing Home Public Health Response Network. As a partner in the network, the research team develops and carries out a variety of studies focused on respiratory viral surveillance and infection prevention. By focusing specifically on long-term care, this groundbreaking network aims to learn from the crucial lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pitt Researchers Discover New Way that Cells Monitor Iron Levels | Department of Medicine
In a Molecular Cell study, a Pitt team has uncovered a novel mechanism by which cells monitor iron availability, with low iron levels stimulating stress signaling pathways to preserve cell fitness. The findings appear to be particularly important in red blood cells, which use large amounts of iron for the oxygen-transporting protein hemoglobin.
Aditi Gurkar, PhD, Receives Richard King Mellon Foundation Grants | UPMC Physician Resources
Aditi Gurkar, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine at the Aging Institute and Division of Geriatric Medicine, received two grants awarded from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to further explore tools to measure senescence load in humans.
Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH, is Leading Project 3, "Targeting Inflammation: A Hallmark of Aging," of the WoodNext Foundation Grant | UPMC Physician Resources
With generous support from the WoodNext Foundation, the Aging Institute is launching the “Reducing Inflammation for Greater Health Trial (RIGHT).” In this novel clinical trial, Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH, director for the Center for Aging and Population Health, distinguished professor of Epidemiology, professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, and clinical director at the Aging Institute of the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC, will test whether clazakizumab, a novel inhibitor of interleukin-6 (IL-6), can improve physical and cognitive function in older men and women.
Speaking the Same Language: Team Science Approaches in Aging Research for Integrating Basic and Translational Science with Clinical Practice | UPMC Physician Resources
Faculty from the UPMC Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, and University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Therapy recently published a framework that supports the importance of reducing the barriers to collaborative interactions by promoting a common language through team science for aging patients.
Innovative Approach to Dementia Care: The Pittsburgh Regional Dementia Caregiver Training and Employment Program | UPMC Physician Resources
Building on previous work, the University of Pittsburgh Division of Geriatric Medicine launched the Pittsburgh Regional Dementia Caregiver Training and Employment Program. Funded by the Hillman Foundation, the program seeks to train caregivers across the region, particularly those residing in underserved or underrepresented communities.
The multidisciplinary program is led by experienced clinicians and dementia care experts from the UPMC Division of Geriatric Medicine, the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), and include David A. Nace, MD, MPH (Geriatric Medicine); Oscar Lopez, MD, FAAN (ADRC); and Ellen Whyte, MD (Psychiatry).
Optimizing Nonsurgical Interventions for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in Older Adults: New NIH R01 Grant Exploring Efficacy of Manual Therapy and Exercise | UPMC Physician Resources
Debra K. Weiner, MD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine was awarded a National Institutes of Health R01 grant for her project titled "Optimizing Impact of Manual Therapy and Exercise on Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication: A Multi-Site Feasibility Study."
