News | Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology

Similarity of sputum mediator signatures between e-cigarette users and COPD depends on GOLD stage and type of e-cigarette: a pilot study

March 23, 2026

Not all e-cigarettes are equal. New research suggests 3rd and 4th generation devices show different patterns of airway inflammation, with some resemblance to COPD biology. Click here to read more!

Feasibility and recommendations for the use of silicone bands for environmental exposure monitoring in young children

February 28, 2026

In a new mixed-methods study, Elise Hickman and colleagues examine the feasibility of silicone wristbands and ankle bands as passive environmental exposure monitors in toddlers aged 28–39 months. Findings from 115 children show strong overall compliance, with ankle bands outperforming wristbands, and reveal that child behavioral traits like language ability...

Dr. Neil Alexis Featured in National Climate News Investigation on Air Pollution and Public Health

February 21, 2026

Shoutout to our very own Dr. Neil Alexis, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma & Lung Biology, for lending his expertise to a recent Inside Climate News investigation on air pollution standards! Dr. Alexis’ research on the health effects of ozone...

Dr. Neil Alexis spotlighted in UNC Health’s media coverage for his feature in NPR

February 12, 2026

Congratulations to CEMALB Director Dr. Neil Alexis, who was spotlighted in UNC Health’s media coverage (December 19 – January 8) for his feature in NPR discussing how omega-3 fatty acids may help protect children with asthma from the effects of indoor air pollution. Click here to see his spotlight, and...

Assessment of Lifetime Inhalational Exposure Burden and Associations With Chronic Rhinosinusitis

January 20, 2026

Click here to read about how new research links lifetime exposure to airborne pollutants with chronic sinus disease.

Modeling the lung in the lab

December 10, 2025

Click here to read about how Elizabeth Corteselli’s innovative lung model could reshape pulmonary fibrosis treatment!

Burning “ExposHome”: Deriving a Mixture of Combustible Materials in American Homes at the Wildland-Urban Interface for Health Studies

December 3, 2025

Click here to read more about the article!

Noninvasive repeated sampling technique reveals specific respiratory cytokine signatures for electronic-cigarette and dual-product users obtained from a remote cohort of young adults

October 30, 2025

Click here to read about the article by Meghan Rebuli.

Exploratory analysis of the impact of sex on sputum proteomic response to inhaled wood smoke in humans

October 30, 2025

Click here to read more about Dr. Alexis’ article.

Mucociliary and Cough Clearance in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia as affected by Mutations in RSPH1 or DNAH5

September 9, 2025

Click here to read more!