TPS-Supported Scholars

The Pittsburgh Study (TPS) offers infrastructure, mentorship (both academic and community), connectedness, and leadership training for diverse students, trainees, fellows, and faculty who have been historically underrepresented in research. With a developmental lens and attention to health across the lifespan, TPS offers ample opportunity for emerging scholars to develop their research skills and to identify pathways towards independent investigation. Notably, TPS provides intentional training in community-engaged scholarship, collaborative team science, research on risk and resilience associated with racism and discrimination, as well as translating research for policy and practice. All trainees are assigned a community member to serve as a formal mentor, who meets regularly with the trainee connecting them to other community partners and who participate in their scholarly oversight committee.

The large number of research grants coming to TPS also offer ample opportunity for diversity supplements and related career development awards that support the growth of scholars underrepresented in research. Additionally, with community-partnered research focused on addressing structural racism, building individual, family, and community resilience, and measuring thriving and trustworthiness, TPS is at the forefront of health equity research nationally. Thus, faculty with expertise in health equity research who are being recruited to Pittsburgh are likely to find opportunities for multi-disciplinary collaborations with TPS scientific committees.

Meet the Scholars

Dr. Paris Ekeke, MD - Assistant Professor in Pediatrics (Cluster Faculty Hire) Joined TPS Pregnancy Collaborative and is conducting research informed by the collaborative’s recent community survey on thriving in pregnancy that is designed to align equity, prenatal risk factors and health risks for fragile neonates. (NICU admission or congenital anomalies). (Catov primary mentor)

Dr. Katherine Guyon-Harris, PhD – Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Psychology, NIDA K23 funded from 2022-2027 (adapting Family Check-Up for expectant mothers with history of opioid addiction), Supported through TPS Early Childhood Collaborative (Shaw primary mentor)

Errika Hager, MPH, PhD Candidate – Graduate Student Researcher, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

Dr. Ashley Hill, DrPH – Was postdoctoral scholar in Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, now Assistant Professor in Epidemiology at Pitt Public Health. Diversity Supplement R01MD013797 (Miller primary mentor)

Dr. Onome Oghifobibi, MD  – Assistant Professor in Pediatrics (Cluster Faculty Hire) Joined TPS Pregnancy Collaborative and is conducting research focused on quality improvement in NICU discharges (reducing infant mortality), and establishing a county-wide Fetal and Infant Mortality Review with the health department. (Miller primary mentor)

Dr. Paula Powe, MD  – Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, CTSI KL2, Began July 2022, Supported through TPS Early Childhood Collaborative. (Shaw primary mentor)

Dr. Latrice Rollins, PhD  – LEAD Scholar (PI Doris Rubio); Assistant Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine

Diversity Supplement R01MD013797 (Miller primary mentor)

Dr. Lynissa Stokes, PhD – Staff scientist in Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Career development award K-equivalent from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Miller primary mentor)