Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She is a board-certified pediatrician and a pediatric emergency medicine physician, as well as an EMS physician. In addition to her clinical roles, she serves as the EMS Medical Director and the Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

A strong advocate for justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Owusu-Ansah actively promotes these values in both academic settings and the wider community. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her contributions in these areas. Dr. Owusu-Ansah is dedicated to community engagement. Within two years, she taught CPR to over 2,000 individuals, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, who is the city’s first Black mayor, as well as all Division I Pitt athletic teams. Notably, a record-breaking soccer goalie saved her father’s life using the CPR skills she learned through this initiative. She has also expanded her efforts globally, teaching CPR to schoolchildren in Ghana and West Africa.

Additionally, Dr. Owusu-Ansah co-leads a middle school program that exposes underserved students to healthcare and lifesaving skills, including CPR, while mentoring medical students of color. As the CEO and co-founder of Akoma United, a nonprofit organization, she aims to equip underserved communities with lifesaving skills, which includes a global initiative focused on Ghana. Furthermore, she is currently working on her book and is the creator and co-owner of a short film titled “In Good Hands,” which is now a semi-finalist for the New York Independent Film Festival 2025. She also served as an advisor for the first season of the hit medical drama series “The Pitt,” which is streaming on MAX.