SHRS Blog

Our series on the Master of Science in Occupation Therapy alumni talks with Zahraa Khanafer who grew up in Kuwait and worked there as an OT before coming to Pitt. Learn about her decision to study abroad at Pitt OT, her experience in our post-professional program and the faculty support she received! 

“I am thrilled to embark on this new journey at UPMC. I am significantly appreciative and deeply proud of my DPAS degree and all that it has led me to,” says Acosta. Read more about her role and DPAS journey.

Department of Physical Therapy faculty have been leading groundbreaking physical therapy and interdisciplinary research at Pitt and beyond. Here is a roundup of recent Pitt Physical Therapy research news.

In February, many of the Pitt Department of Physical Therapy faculty and students attended the 2024 American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) in Boston, MA. Pitt PT’s impact at CSM was highlighted with presentations by full-time and adjunct faculty in eleven two- hour sessions, five poster presentations and six platform sessions. CSM was a powerful demonstration of what makes students, faculty, and alumni so proud to be part of Pitt PT!

Are you in the 11th or 12th grade and interested in learning about using artificial intelligence (AI) in health care? The Pitt Health Informatics faculty will be joined by the School of Medicine’s Computational Pathology and AI Center of Excellence (CPACE) and the IEEE Computer Society to host an all-expenses-paid, weeklong summer school in Oakland from June 24 to 28, 2024.  

The University of Pittsburgh is proud to host the inaugural OTC Hearing Aid and Hearing Self-Care Symposium on June 7, 2024. The event will bring together thought leaders from pharmacy, audiology and public health to discuss how the newest class of hearing aids (over-the-counter) can increase patient access to hearing health care in the United States. 

The University of Pittsburgh Healthy Home Lab (HHL) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop technology-enabled solutions to reduce falls and improve the safety of older adults living in public and rental housing. 

The University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees approved the building under construction at Fifth Avenue and Halket Street to be the new headquarters for SHRS. This building will unite nine of our 13 disciplines in one Oakland location, meeting SHRS’ immediate and future needs with modernized teaching facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.

Pitt’s Counseling program has crossed a milestone! The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling recently received its Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Accreditation, demonstrating the program’s ability to fulfill standards set by the counseling profession to provide knowledge and skillsets to current and prospective students. 

Evans was selected for being “an inspiring example of excellence in the collaborative and holistic process of advising by preparing students for lives of impact through educational experiences tailored to their specific goals and needs.” Evans was also recognized for her institutional knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Facets Magazine Feature: Thanks to the Healthy Home Lab (HHL), students in the Emergency Medicine (EM) program now have a real-life home environment in which to hone their community paramedicine skills.

FACETS Magazine Feature: For millions of aging Americans, their family home is not always a safe place. But the new Healthy Home Laboratory near the heart of the University of Pittsburgh campus is an innovative, collaborative resource where scientists, engineers, rehabilitation experts and community partners are coming together to maximize the health and safety of a typical home environment and allow more people to age safely and independently at home.