Research Series

A series of research-specific workshops are scheduled annually to meet the career development needs of graduate students and postdocs through senior investigators across the health sciences. Register for workshops that support your professional goals!

September 16, 2026 Meet the Decision Makers: ARPA-H

Time: 1-2pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Yoram Vodovotz, PhD

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Description: Pitt’s Meet the Decision Makers series connects faculty directly with program officers from leading funding agencies, offering candid insight into what reviewers look for, how funding decisions are made, and how to put your best application forward.

Presenter's Bio: Yoram Vodovotz, PhD, joined ARPA-H as a Program Manager in December 2024. He is a professor of surgery, immunology, computational and systems biology, bioengineering, clinical and translational science, and communication science and disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. His interdisciplinary research lab has focused on the systems biology of inflammation and immunity, with a particular emphasis on critical illness.

Dr. Vodovotz also served as the director of the Center for Inflammation and Regeneration Modeling at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and has co-founded a company based on virtual clinical trials and digital twins. He has published over ~400 manuscripts, including four books, and is also the founding editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Systems Biology. He received his doctorate from Cornell University and carried out postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute.

September 17, 2026 Developing a Successful Fellowship Application *RECORDING AVAILABLE*

Time: 3-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Todd Lamitina, PhD

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Description: Attend this session to learn how to write a successful fellowship (F30, F31, and F32) application! The purpose of the NIH F-type training grant is to provide support to promising graduate and post-doctoral applicants who have the potential to become productive, independent investigators in health-related research fields relevant to the missions of participating NIH institutes. This session will start with an overview of the F-award and then illuminate the grant submission/review process, outline how to prepare a successful grant, describe a study section, and cover scoring and funding.

Presenter's Bio: Dr. Lamitina is a Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. He leads a research program utilizing the nematode C. elegans to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms of stress response pathways, protein misfolding, and age-related human disease. His lab is primarily known for defining the mechanisms of the hypertonic stress response in C. elegans. Recently, his lab has developed C. elegans as a model system for studying a new class of peptides that are translated from repeat expansion mutations that give rise to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, frontotemporal dementia, and Huntington’s disease. He has established and led successful multidisciplinary collaborations between biologists, physicists, mechanical engineers, and mathematicians. Dr. Lamitina currently serves as the Senior Associate Vice Chair for Basic Research with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh. Since becoming an independent PI in 2006, Dr. Lamitina has trained 15 undergraduate and high school students, three Ph.D. graduate students, and five postdoctoral fellows. All of his post-graduate level trainees have gone on to either purse additional academic research training or establish their own independent laboratories.

October 1, 2026 HSLS: Evaluating a Journal: Strategies for Assessing Quality

Time: 3-4pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Jonah McAllister-Erickson

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Description: This session will explain how to evaluate the quality of a journal to ensure that it's a suitable venue for your work. Learn about industry initiatives, research misconduct policies, peer review, database inclusion criteria, predatory journals, and other issues related to scholarly publishing. Anyone is welcome to attend, however, having previous or basic publishing knowledge is helpful.

Upon completing this session, you should be able to:

Analyze the policies and publication practices of a journal to determine its quality.
Explain the journal inclusion criteria for databases such as PubMed, the Web of Science, and the Directory of Open Access Journals.
Describe what a predatory journal is and be able to identify them.

October 14, 2026 Foundations of Quantitative Study Design *RECORDING AVAILABLE*

Time: 3-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Yueh-Ying Han, PhD, and Hsing-Hua Sylvia Lin, MS, PhD

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Description: Many research publications are rejected due to weak or inappropriate study design and analysis plan. This course offers a structured introduction to core principles of designing rigorous quantitative studies, helping researchers avoid common pitfalls and strengthen their work from the ground up. A well-thought-out study design is essential for successful analysis and interpretation.

Participants will learn how to conceptualize a research study, develop testable hypotheses, select appropriate variables and sampling methods, and apply foundational statistical analyses. The course will also address key methodological considerations, including bias, confounding, and scientific rigor.

Part 1: Conceptualizing a Quantitative Study

Identifying a research topic and problem statement
Defining the significance of the study
Formulating clear hypotheses
Understanding variable types and levels of measurement
Operationalizing variables for analysis
Overview of sampling methods, including strengths and limitations

Part 2: Study Design, Bias, and Analytical Approaches

Overview of observational and experimental study designs
Common sources of error: bias, confounders, mediators, moderators
Introduction to statistical methods
Ensuring scientific rigor

By the end of the lecture, participants will have a stronger foundation for designing quantitative studies that are methodologically sound, analytically robust, and well-suited for grant submissions and manuscript publications.

Presenters' Bios:

Yueh-Ying Han, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor at the Division of Pulmonology Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine. She is an epidemiologist and data manager with advanced quantitative analytical skills and a co-Investigator on several NIH-funded studies, including observational studies and multi-center clinical trials. She collaborates with physician-scientists and pulmonary fellows on the division’s research projects and serves as a member of the Scholarly Oversight Committee at the Department of Pediatrics. Her major research interest is on the etiology and mechanisms of asthma, with a particular focus on epigenetics, diet, environmental exposures, and psychosocial stress. She is deeply committed to reducing the burden of asthma and health disparities in respiratory health through her research work and collaborating with scientists in this field.

Hsing-Hua Sylvia Lin, MS, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Director of Data Science and Clinical Epidemiology in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, with expertise in epidemiology and biostatistics. She leads a statistical team supporting grant development, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation, and data and safety monitoring for pediatric and adult clinical trials. Dr. Lin also holds a secondary appointment with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and her expertise spans study design, causal inference, multicenter trials, and real-world electronic health record data. She serves as a biostatistician Co-investigator on numerous NIH-funded projects (e.g., R01, U01, R21, R44, R41/R42 STTR/SBIR) focused on opioid use disorder, opioid pharmacogenomics, nonpharmacologic pain management, and digital applications to improve perioperative outcomes and care. She also serves as Clinical Core PI of the Data Coordinating Center for a large U01 multicenter pediatric trial. Her work supports complex multicenter protocols and generates impactful research across the health sciences.

October 21, 2026 The Keys to Writing a Successful Career Development Award Application

Time: 3-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Tom Radomski, MD, MS

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Description: Career Development Awards, particularly NIH K Awards, are a pivotal funding mechanism for launching and advancing your research career. This seminar will demystify the application process, outline the different types of career development award mechanisms available, and review key components and evaluation criteria. Participants will receive practical guidance and actionable tips for crafting a compelling and competitive application. Whether you're just getting started or preparing for a resubmission, this session will provide you with essential strategies to ensure your success.

Presenter's Bio: Thomas Radomski, MD, MS, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science within the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a Core Faculty member at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Center for Healthcare Evaluation, Research and Promotion.

As a practicing general internist and health services researcher, Dr. Radomski has dedicated his career to improving the quality and value of healthcare, with a focus on developing and implementing novel, patient-centered approaches to measure and reduce health service overuse across the full spectrum of health services. His federally funded research program currently focuses on characterizing the use, cost, and consequences of low-value care in the Veterans Health Administration and reducing low-value prescribing among older adults using the EVOLV-Rx tool, which he developed and validated as part of his NIH-funded career development award. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and commentaries in journals such as JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, and the Annals of Internal Medicine. He is also the recipient of several awards for research and patient care, including the Award for Excellent in Clinician Investigation from the Society of General Internal Medicine Mid-Atlantic Region, the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Clinical Research from Pitt’s Institute for Clinical Research Education, and he was named a Top Physician Under 40 by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

Dr. Radomski is also passionate about training the next generation of leaders in clinical and translational science. Within the Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE), Dr. Radomski serves as Associate Director, Director of Graduate Programs in Clinical and Translational Science, and Director of their Post-Doctoral Clinical and Translational Science Fellowship (TL1). In these roles, he has guided numerous trainees to successfully obtain NIH Career Development Awards.

October 28, 2026 HSLS: Helping Researchers Succeed: Navigating Scientific Publishing and AI Responsibly

Time: 11-12pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Jonah McAllister-Erickson, Gail M. Rodney, Kerri Brown, Kent A. Harries, PhD, FASCE, FACI, FIIFC, PEng, & Mike Modo, PhD

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Description: Publishing research is one of the most important ways to share scientific discoveries, build visibility, and support career growth. However, with an increasing number of journals, evolving expectations around research transparency, and the rapid emergence of AI tools, researchers face new questions about how to publish responsibly and effectively.

In this webinar, we will discuss manuscript preparation, journal selection, peer review, and how editors evaluate submissions. We will also explore research integrity topics including data management, open data, data reuse, data visualization best practices, and ethical considerations surrounding image manipulation. A dedicated session will examine the responsible use of AI in research and publishing, including current policies, disclosure requirements, and the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors.

November 6, 2026 HSLS: Selecting a Journal: Finding the Right Place for Your Work

Time: 3-4pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Jonah McAllister-Erickson

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Description: This introductory session will explain how publishing works, the common publishing models (including subscription and open access journals), copyright policies, journal matching tools, and how to use journal metrics to find impactful publications in your field.

Upon completing this session, you should be able to:

Create a list of potential journals for your manuscript.
Describe the different open access publishing models.
Explain how to maintain the copyright of your work.

Anyone who publishes, or has an interest in publishing, is welcome to attend.

November 18, 2026 From Scientist to Lab Leader: Building and Sustaining a High-Performing Research Team

Time: 3-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Judith Yanowitz, PhD

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Description: Most faculty are hired to do science and handed a team with no training in how to lead one. This session won't pretend that's easy to fix, but it will give you concrete strategies for defining your lab culture intentionally, hiring and onboarding effectively, setting expectations your team will actually follow, and handling conflict and difficult personnel decisions before they derail your research.

Presenter's Bio: Judith L. Yanowitz, PhD, is an Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor in the Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Magee-Womens Research Institute, with secondary appointments in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics. She has led an independent research lab since 2004, studying meiotic recombination, genome integrity, and reproductive aging using C. elegans as a model system. Over more than two decades as a PI, she has trained and mentored dozens of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, physician-scientists, undergraduates, and high school students who have gone on to faculty, industry, and clinical careers. She has served as a mentor for the PittMed Springboard program for new faculty and as MWRI Director of Research Education. She is a member of the Genetics Society of America Board of Directors and serves on the GSA’s Engagement and Professional Development Committee.

November 19, 2026 From Postdoc to PI: A Practical Guide to the NIH K99/R00 Award

Time: 3-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN

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Description: The NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award is one of the most powerful mechanisms for launching an independent research career. In this session, a K99/R00 awardee will discuss what the award is, how it differs from other K mechanisms, and why it's worth the considerable effort. The conversation will span eligibility, the application itself, and navigating the transition from the mentored K99 to the independent R00 phase. A panel of K99/R00 recipients will share diverse perspectives and answer your questions. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance so the session can be tailored to their needs.

Presenter's Bio: Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the School of Nursing (Health Promotion & Development) and the School of Public Health (Human Genetics), and Co-Director of Pitt Nursing’s Genomics of Patient Outcomes Hub. A former civil engineer turned nurse-scientist, she leads an independent research program focused on genetic/genomic drivers of complex disease, with a special focus on maternal-child health. She completed her PhD and a postdoctoral fellowship at Pitt, and her transition to independence was supported by an NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.

December 8, 2026 Mock K Award Study Section

Time: 3-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Moderator: Michael Gold
Panelists: Details to come.

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Description: K awards, or the NIH’s Mentored Career Development Awards, are the NIH’s most common mechanism for supporting early career investigators. Join this session to hear Pitt faculty with extensive study section experience review applications as part of a mock K study section. This session, led by Michael Gold, allows participants to not only observe what a study section is like, but to also receive inside information regarding the study section review process.

Attend this program to take a closer look at the workings of a study section.

Moderator's Bio: Michael Gold, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California Los Angeles in 1994 under the mentorship of Dr. John Liebeskind and received post-doctoral training in neuropharmacology and biophysics at the Universities of California San Francisco and Los Angeles under the mentorship of Drs. Jon Levine and Anna-Maria Correa, respectively. Dr. Gold began his academic career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 1998 under the chairmanship of Dr. Ron Dubner. In 2006, he was recruited to Pittsburgh by Dr. Jerry Gebhart, where he runs a lab focused on peripheral mechanisms of pain. His research in this field has focused on the identification of factors, most commonly voltage-, Ca2+-, and ligand-gated ion channels, that enable sensory neurons to contribute to persistent pain, such as that associated with chronic inflammation or nerve injury. He serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pain, the Journal of Pain Research, and the Neurobiology of Pain. Dr. Gold served on the scientific program committee for the Society for Neuroscience, the American Pain Society, the US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), and the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Dr. Gold was elected to the Council of the IASP in 2012 and served as the IASP liaison to the American Pain Society Board. Dr. Gold served as President of the USASP and is currently serving as Treasurer for the IASP. Dr. Gold provides ongoing service on scientific advisory panels for the National Institutes of Health (which includes close to 50 panels focused on training grants), the Department of Defense, and foreign funding agencies such as the Wellcome Trust.

January 14, 2027 Improving Your Specific Aims Workshop

Time: 3-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Sarah E. Glass, PhD

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Description: With the increasing competitiveness of grants and number of submissions per funding announcement, the Specific Aims page has become even more crucial for convincing a reviewer to champion your grant during study section.

In this highly interactive workshop, the Hillman Cancer Center Team Science Grant Lead and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Sarah E. Glass, PhD, will facilitate the following:

Reviewer Simulation, where participants will identify effective vs. distracting writing strategies
Specific Aims dissection, where participants will determine elements of an aims page and how best to introduce them
Aims Builder, where participants will learn how to build their aims page with narrative impact and the reviewer in mind.

The last 15 minutes will be dedicated to answering your questions.

Presenter's Bio: Sarah E. Glass, PhD, Sarah E. Glass, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Team Science Grant Lead at the Hillman Cancer Center. With a PhD in Cell Biology from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Glass has expertise in cancer cell signaling and tumor microenvironment studies, with a new focus on exercise oncology. Regarding funding, Dr. Glass has acted as a grant strategist, writer, and editor for federal, state, and private foundation grants, resulting in more than $20M in external funding awarded. Dr. Glass owns a sole proprietorship that consults academic institutions regarding grant submissions and has facilitated an R01 Writing Group for early-career faculty.

February 4, 2027 DoW Funding for Health Science Researchers

Time: 3-4pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Travis Polk, MD, FACS

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Description: The Department of War (DoW) is an underutilized source of funding for researchers, and Pitt has resources to help you succeed! The Center for Military Medicine Research (CMMR) at Pitt facilitates innovative collaborations and helps to develop winning grant proposals with the goal of advancing medicine for wounded service members and their families. Watch this session to learn about DoW funding opportunities, hear an overview of how to apply for DoW funding, and learn tips for a successful submission.

Presenter's Bio: CAPT (Ret.) Travis Polk, MD, FACS is the Director of the Pitt Center for Military Medicine Research and a Professor of Surgery within the Division of General and Trauma Surgery. Prior to joining Pitt, Dr. Polk had over 28 years of active duty service in the US Navy including several combat deployments. He brings extensive expertise in military-civilian trauma collaborations, surgical simulation and operational medicine. He is the past Director of the Department of Defense’s Combat Casualty Care Research Program, leading the strategic planning and operational management of combat-related trauma research investments and overseeing nearly $1 billion in awards.

March TBD, 2027 Introduction to Mixed Methods Research

Time: TBD
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Yueh-Ying Han, PhD, and Hsing-Hua Sylvia Lin, MS, PhD

Registration to come.

Description: Research studies are typically classified as qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of the two, known as mixed methods research. While many studies use a single approach, mixed methods research has emerged as a valuable design that leverages the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide a more comprehensive understanding. It can enhance the interpretation of data, explain quantitative results with qualitative insights, or assess the broader relevance of findings from small qualitative samples.

This lecture will provide an introduction overview of mixed methods research, including its definition, rationale, philosophical foundations, and core design types. Participants will explore how to formulate research questions, select an appropriate mixed methods design, and consider key methodological components such as timing, integration, prioritization, and inference strategies.

Presenters' Bios:

March 3, 2027 Funding Your Research Through Foundation Grants

Time: 3:30-4:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Greg Delgoffe, PhD

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Description: Discover how to externally fund your research through foundations and easily identify the ones that are right for you at any career stage! Learn how philanthropic grant applications differ from traditional government-based proposals.

Are you looking for funding opportunities to kickstart your research career or to move it to the next level? Learn about the benefits and risks. Also learn about Pivot, which is a searchable funding opportunity and expertise database. Users can conduct searches for funding opportunities, save searches, and receive funding alerts tailored to your scholarly profile.

Presenter's Bio: Greg Delgoffe, PhD, is Professor of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Delgoffe has a long-standing interest in understanding the intersection of metabolism and nutrient sensing and T cell fate. He received his Ph.D from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2010, and completed postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2014. He started his lab at the University of Pittsburgh in July of 2014 with a Seahorse and a dream. He has an appointment in the Department of Immunology, and his lab is located at the Hillman Cancer Center.

April 8, 2027 Developing Competitive NIH Research Project Grant Applications

Time: 3-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Michelle Kienholz

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Description: The session will start with an update on NIH policies and priorities, which will be incorporated throughout the presentation wherever they impact the planning and development of grant applications. The main presentation will be broken into two main components: Advance Preparation with NIH Personnel & Resources and Developing a Competitive Application. We will first discuss how to identify and communicate with appropriate Program Officers and Scientific Review Officers and how to identify the best funding opportunity and study section for your application, including how to leverage NIH RePORT, RePORTER, Matchmaker, the Assisted Referral Tool, and Assignment Request Form. We will then focus on strategies for developing the narrative portions of your application to align with the new RPG review framework, engage and excite your reviewers, and address the priorities and requirements of the funding opportunity and sponsoring institute.

Attendees are welcome to contact Michelle (mlk39@pitt.edu) in advance if they would like to submit specific questions and/or their draft specific aims or other text to be used during the session as examples for identifying an appropriate program officer, study section, and/or funding opportunity/sponsor (anonymous or attributed examples are fine).

Presenter's Bio: Michelle Kienholz, who provides research development and science writing support to the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute, has partnered for the past 40 years with scientists and clinicians from all disciplines at dozens of universities to develop competitive grant applications for the NIH and many other grant-making federal agencies and foundations. She also volunteers her time and experience on her blog, Medical Writing, Editing, and Grantsmanship, through which she has learned the most common and vexing concerns of researchers who seek funding from the NIH and how best to foster a productive partnership between investigators and NIH personnel.

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2025-2026 Research Series
2024-2025 Research Series
2023-2024 Research Series
2022-2023 Research Series
2021-2022 Research Series