Naudia Jonassaint, assistant professor of medicine at Pitt’s School of Medicine, has been appointed as the Department of Medicine’s first vice chair for diversity and inclusion. Jonassaint, who also is the medical director of clinical hepatology at UPMC Presbyterian, will work to develop new initiatives and programs to enhance diversity and inclusion across the department.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Jonassaint in this new role, leading us in our commitment to building an environment of excellence that is diverse and inclusive. She is a gifted physician and leader, exemplified by her stewardship of many clinical and educational initiatives at UPMC and her very successful role as director of clinical hepatology,” said Mark T. Gladwin, Jack D. Myers Professor and chair of medicine at the School of Medicine.

In her role, Jonassaint will work with other department leaders and faculty to enhance residency and fellowship recruitment, retention and advancement. She also will focus on efforts to promote the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty into the department, and work with leaders across the wider institution on community building and engagement initiatives to foster an environment of diversity and inclusivity.

“Diversity in health care improves access to care, leads to better outcomes and experiences for both patients and physicians, and enriches the academic environment,” said Jonassaint. “I’m honored to have been appointed to this role.”

Jonassaint joined Pitt’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and in Hispanic and Italian studies with honors from Johns Hopkins University in 1999. She received her MD from Yale School of Medicine, and then returned to Johns Hopkins where she completed her internal medicine training, chief residency, and gastroenterology and transplant hepatology fellowships. While there, she also received a Master of Health Sciences degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Read more about Jonassaint online at the Department of Medicine’s website.