May 14, 2026
Researchers are developing programmable immune strategies that allow T cells to resist exhaustion and sustain anti‑tumor responses. Tumors survive in part by sending “don’t attack me” signals to T cells. Many current immunotherapies rely on antibody drugs to block these signals, but these treatments don’t work for all patients and can lose effectiveness over time. …
December 29, 2025
In this CBP In the Loop: Fall 2025 newsletter, explore top CBP research stories about developing a new non-addictive painkiller, targeting cell stress to maximize immunotherapy success, and a new neuroscience tool for tracking arousal states. Also read about recent research awards, graduating PhD student profiles, and stories from students in the CBP Biomedical Master’s …
December 17, 2025
The Department of Cell Biology and Physiology held its annual holiday party on December 10, 2025. Students, faculty, and staff from the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology gathered on December 10 to show appreciation for each other and celebrate another successful year of research and collaboration. The event included an array of food and …
December 16, 2025
Vicki Morgan will retire in March 2026 after 33 years of service to the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, leaving behind a legacy of care, dedication, and excellence. Victoria Morgan, affectionately known as Vicki, the business manager for the Cell Biology and Physiology Department (CBP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, …
October 29, 2025
Kathleen Caron, the chair of the UNC School of Medicine’s Cell Biology and Physiology Department recently met with a journalist from New Scientist to discuss the importance of lymphatic biology and its potential to transform our understanding of major health conditions. “In the past 20 years, we have experienced a renaissance in lymphatic biology,” said …
September 26, 2025
Cells get stressed too and when they do, cancer therapies fail. A UNC researcher may be on the cusp of finding a solution to T cell exhaustion. When the immune system experiences prolonged cell stress, immunotherapy fails. Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune cells, such as T cells or B cells, to attack and destroy …
August 29, 2025
Experts at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy are focused on a pain drug candidate that can target an area of the brain that controls the ‘unpleasantness’ associated with pain. Chronic pain is a struggle for so many and has staggering impact on the lives it affects. Matt Mauck, MD, …
July 15, 2025
Four CBP PhD Curriculum students received this year’s Cellular Systems and Integrative Physiology (CSIP) T32 (NIH/NIGMS) Training Awards. The mission of the CSIP T32 Training Program is to develop a robust pool of responsible, rigorous scientists who have the skills to investigate the integrative, regulatory, and developmental physiology of higher organisms and their organ systems …
July 2, 2025
From working with wild squirrels to discovering unknown G protein-coupled receptor kinases, Ellen Weiss’s research opened new doors for understanding the human eye and retinal degenerative diseases. In 1990, when Ellen Weiss picked up the phone as a postdoc in Gary Johnson’s lab at the National Jewish Center in Denver, Colorado, she had no clue …
June 25, 2025
Peter Mohler’s accomplishments demonstrate that cell biology and physiology graduate students can become national research and academic leaders. Peter Mohler earned his doctorate in cell and molecular physiology, the predecessor of the cell biology and physiology department and curriculum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000. For his graduate work, he …