Dr. Woods completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University as a Cornell Tradition Scholar. She attended medical school at Temple University School of Medicine and then completed residency at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She worked for two years on the Navajo reservation in Chinle Arizona before joining the faculty at Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2007. She is currently a specialist in pelvic ultrasound and performs research and education in healthcare sustainability. She completed a Climate Health Organizing fellowship at Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
Dr Woods serves as the Assistant Dean for Sustainability at the Office of Sustainability in the Health Sciences and on the UPMC Center for Sustainability Steering Committee. She is course director for the medical school elective on Climate and Healthcare and is chair of the 600+ member group, Clinicians for Climate Action. Her research and advocacy efforts focus on the environmental impacts of surgery and medical procedures.
Education & Training
- Residency, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
- M.D., Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Representative Publications
- Melnyk, A., Woods, N., Moalli, P. Going Green in Gynecology: A Call to Action. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023 Accepted.
- Thiel, C Woods N, Bilec M. Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Laparoscopic Surgery. American J of Public Health, Accepted Feb 2018.
- Thiel C, Duncan P, Woods N. Attitude of US obstetricians and gynecologists to global warming and medical waste. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2017 Jan 1.
- Campion, N., Thiel, CL, Woods, N, Swanzy, L, Landis, AE, Bilec, MM. Sustainable healthcare and environmental life-cycle impacts of disposable supplies: A focus on disposable custom packs. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol 94, 2015 pp-46-55.
- Thiel, C.L., Eckelman, M.J., Guido, R., Huddleston M., Landis, A.E., Sherman, J., Shrake S.O., Woods, N., Bilec M.M. Environmental Impacts of Surgical Procedures: Life Cycle Assessment of Hysterectomy in the US. Environmental Science and Technology Dec 2014; 49(3)
- Campion, N., Thiel C/L., DeBlois, J., Woods, N.C., Landis, A.E., Bilec M.M. Life Cycle Perspectives on Delivering an Infant in the US. Sci Total Environ 2012; 191-198
Clinical Interests/Research Interests
Dr. Woods is interested in research, education and advocacy that reduces the climate impact of providing healthcare in the US. She is the chair of Clinicians for Climate Action, a group of over 500 medical professionals interested in decarbonizing the health care sector. Her research evaluates the environmental impact of medical procedures.