Department Chairman Charles R. Rinaldo Jr., PhD Chairman and Professor Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology   Read the latest news and events happening in the department on the News & Events page

Mission of the Department

The mission of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology is to conduct research, teaching, and service that will enhance the control of infectious diseases in the human population.

Our goals to accomplish this mission include:

• Research programs that focus on understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis of microbial infections at the cellular and molecular level as they relate directly to developing methods for disease prevention and treatment.
• Integrated teaching programs that are devoted to the education and training of graduate students in various molecular, immunologic, epidemiologic, and biologic aspects of microbial pathogenesis, as well as disease control and prevention.
• Programs that focus on population-based education and prevention for control of infectious diseases.

Program Features

• Flexible curriculum in basic, medical, and prevention aspects of infectious diseases and microbiology.
• Opportunities for involvement in top-rated research in molecular, immunologic, and biologic aspects of microbial infections.
• Strong interaction with the microbiology and virology program at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine.

Research conducted within our department has led to such prestigious accomplishments as hallmark clinical trials on passive immunization against poliovirus that directly aided the development of the Salk polio vaccine, the discovery of encephalitis viruses and adeno-associated virus, original descriptions of the mechanisms of interferon production and action, the transmission of cytomegalovirus by organ transplants, and the establishment of the Pitt Men's Study as one of the largest and longest-running cohort studies of HIV infection, including findings such as the predictive value of viral load on the development of AIDS.

Faculty

The department is led by a chairman/professor and has 18 full-time faculty members with primary appointments, 19 faculty members with secondary appointments, and four emeritus faculty members. In addition to the chairman, the primary faculty has one full professor, five associate professors, seven assistant professors and four research assistant professors, as well as many research associates and visiting faculty members.

Of the 18 members of the primary faculty, 14 are in the biosciences program and four are in the education and prevention program. Detailed information on faculty in the department and their research interests can be found on the Faculty page of this Web site.

Students

The department has approximately 45 students in the PhD, DrPH, MS and MPH programs.

Academic Programs

The Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology offers four distinct degrees to students who meet the qualifications for admission, with the MPH degree offered through two separate tracks.

• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Public Health (MPH) Bioscience of Infectious Diseases Concentration
• Master of Public Health (MPH) Community and Behavioral Intervention of Infectious Diseases Concentration

Research programs

• Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)
• AIDS Clinical Trials Unit
• Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center
• Pennsylvania Prevention Project (PPP)
• Integrated Preclinical and Clinical Program on immunotherapy of HIV infection
• Epidemiology, immunopathogenesis and prevention of HIV infection
  
• Simian immunodeficiency virus infection of monkeys as a model for AIDS pathogenesis, vaccines, and therapy
• EBV latency and its role in cancer in immunocompromised hosts
• Mechanisms of sexual transmission of HIV
• Molecular mechanisms of HIV pathogenesis
• The immunology of malaria
• The role of the natural immune response in cancer
• The immunology of human herpesvirus 8 (Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated virus) infection
• Immunopathogenesis and prevention of emerging infections
  
• Host genetic mechanisms of infectious diseases
  

Grants and Contracts

Over 50 grants and contracts provide financial support to the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. This support totals over $10 million annually, making the Department one of the highest at the Unversity of Pittsburgh in per capita extramural funding. The National Institutes of Health is the largest provider of financial support to the Department. Other significant sources of financial support include the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

Size and Location

The department is comprised of approximately 24,190 square feet of space divided into 142 separate rooms. The largest allocation of space is dedicated to laboratories (12,268 square feet), followed by offices (5,588 square feet) and storage (2,843 square feet).

The Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology is located on the ground, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th floors of Parran Hall, the 4th floor of Crabtree Hall, and the 4th floor of the Keystone Building. Space in Parran Hall and Crabtree Hall are in the Graduate School of Public Health, on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The space in the Keystone Building is off-campus. All three buildings are located in the scenic, historic Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

Labs

Over 12,000 square feet of space in Parran Hall (nearly half of all the space in the department) is dedicated to laboratories. This space is divided into 53 individual spaces.

Courses

Each year, the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology offers approximately 12 courses on such topics as molecular biology of microbial pathogens, immunity to infection, vaccines, and public health practice in infectious diseases.

Detailed information about these courses can be found on the Graduate Courses Page of the IDM Web site.

Administrative Staff

Department Contacts

Contact the Chairman's Office Judy Malenka Administrative Assistant to the Chairman and Assistant Chairman Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology E-mail: jmalenka@pitt.edu Phone: 412-624-1637 Fax: 412-624-4953 Address: A419C Crabtree Hall 130 DeSoto Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Department Administration Robin Tierno Senior Administrator Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology E-mail: rtierno@pitt.edu Phone: 412-624-3105 Fax: 412-383-8926 Address: A419B Crabtree Hall 130 DeSoto Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Information on Graduate Study Dr. Todd Reinhart Associate Professor Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology E-mail: reinhar@pitt.edu Phone: 412-648-2341 Fax: 412-624-4873 Address: 606 Parran Hall 130 DeSoto Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261 Robin Leaf, MEd Academic Administrator Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology E-mail: idm@pitt.edu Phone: 412-624-3331 Fax: 412-383-8926 Address: A419F Crabtree Hall 130 DeSoto Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Last Updated: October 7, 2007