Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology
Phone: (412) 692-4920
e-mail: simbram@upmc.edu

Specialized Areas of Interest

Medical journalism.

Biography

Dr. Maria Simbra had several educational activities and accomplishments this year. Not only is she a board certified neurologist, but she also has special expertise in medical journalism as a medical reporter for KDKA-TV. As a clinical assistant professor, she teaches third-year medical students about outpatient neurology during their rotations through the department. First- and second-year medical students were able to take advantage of her experience as a medical journalist by attending an elective mini-course on medical journalism in spring 2006.

Dr. Simbra’s medical journalism career provides many opportunities to teach, write and produce in areas that benefit clinicians, journalists and the public. She is a member of the board of directors of the Association of Health Care Journalists and led several sessions at its annual meeting in March 2006. Her reviews and articles have appeared in Public Library of Science-Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and Neurology Reviews. She also won the 2006 Award of Excellence from the National Association of Medical Communicators at its annual meeting in Phoenix in April 2006. Her television news report “Too Much Tylenol” was presented at the award ceremony.

For the next academic year, Dr. Simbra hopes to expand her teaching activities, both at the local level with more mini-electives, and at the national level at conferences.

Dr. Simbra's publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database.