Kistler named to steering committee for new PREVENTABLE trial

Christine Kistler, MD, MASc, will serve on the steering committee for a new clinical trial funded by the NIH: The Pragmatic Evaluation of Events and Benefits of Lipid-Lowering in Older Adults, or PREVENTABLE trial.

Ashkin serves as co-guest editor for November issue of NCMJ

Evan Ashkin, MD, founder of the Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Program, has three articles published in the current issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal, all of which center on health and the criminal justice system.

E-cigarette flavors decrease perception of harm among youth

Led by UNC Family Medicine and UNC Lineberger researchers, a systematic review of scientific literature revealed the role flavored e-cigarettes have on product preference, appeal, harm perceptions, willingness to use, and initiation among youth.

Erin Fraher Granted North Carolina Institute of Medicine Award for Excellence in Health Policy Leadership

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine presented Erin Fraher, PhD, MPP, director of the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center, with the Award for Excellence in Health Policy Leadership at the NCIOM 2019 Annual Meeting today.

Researchers find combined therapy for RA may help speed remission

RTI and UNC-Chapel Hill researchers, including Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, and Beth Jonas, MD, analyzed results from 22 studies to support combination therapy as a way improve outcomes for some rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Byron Awarded NIH grant to correct health misperceptions about nicotine

Justin Byron, PhD, MHS, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine, is the principal investigator on a new R21 $428,000 grant from the FDA and the National Cancer Institute.

UNC collaborates with NC Department of Public Safety, Durham County Sheriff’s Office on opioid addiction treatment

Two new projects are part of a NIH-funded network to improve opioid addiction treatment in criminal justice settings.

Researchers find correlation between vaping cannabis and other tobacco use

Researchers at UNC School of Medicine found almost one in ten North Carolina adolescents reported ever vaping cannabis or marijuana. The researchers also found strong associations between the use of certain types of tobacco products and the use of e-cigarette devices to vape cannabis.

Becker-Dreps awarded NIAID grant to examine dengue and Zika interplay during gestation and childhood

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will lead a study to examine how dengue and Zika interplay during gestation and childhood, thanks to a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

AMA Awards UNC School of Medicine $1.8 million to support FIRST program

The AMA awarded $1.8 million over five years to the UNC School of Medicine to support a significant expansion of the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service (FIRST) Program to new geographic areas of North Carolina and additional high needs specialties including family medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, and psychiatry.

UNC School of Medicine’s Dr. Harry Stafford Receives Humanitarian Award

Dr. Stafford is being recognized for “his continued efforts in sports medicine and heart health. His efforts continue to impact our local communities and student-athletes across North Carolina.”

Helton named Interim Chair of Family Medicine

Margaret Helton, MD, will assume the role of Interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, effective June 1, 2019.

Ashkin receives UNC Diversity Award

Dr. Evan Ashkin has received a UNC Diversity Award in recognition of his efforts at furthering equity and inclusion in primary care and community health. Dr. Ashkin is the director and founder of the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) Program, regional medical director for Community Care of NC, and a provider at Piedmont Health Services.

UNC School of Medicine Ranked First for Primary Care for Second Straight Year

In the annual rankings of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” U.S. News & World Report ranked UNC School of Medicine 1st for primary care and 4th for family medicine.

Dr. Cristy Page Named School of Medicine Executive Dean

Cristy Page, MD, MPH, Chair of UNC Family Medicine, has been named Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine, effective February 18, 2019. This leadership position was vacated when Dr. Wesley Burks assumed the dual role of Dean of the School of Medicine and CEO of UNC Health Care.

Do high e-cigarette taxes drive Indonesian vapers to smoke conventional cigarettes?

Justin Byron, PhD, MHS is the principal investigator on a grant from the Bloomberg Foundation and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Global Tobacco Control to examine whether a new 57% tax on e-cigarette liquids in Indonesia is driving vapers back to deadly conventional cigarettes.

UNC School of Medicine welcomes fourth class of FIRST Scholars

The UNC School of Medicine is pleased to announce the acceptance of the fourth class of the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training (FIRST) Program. Medical students Alex Gregor, Lucas John, Kate Miller, and Michael Steinbacher have been accepted into this accelerated medical curriculum.

Rethinking the Strip: $1.3 Million Will Put Discovery into Practice

A landmark UNC School of Medicine study showed that the finger prick blood glucose test is unnecessary for most people with type 2 diabetes, and now researchers Katrina Donahue and Laura Young received a PCORI grant to implement their findings across the country.

Putting Service FIRST

UNC’s FIRST Program allows participants to complete medical school in 3 years and places graduates into UNC’s Family Medicine Residency Program, one of the nation’s best. These students are committed to serving in primary care in rural North Carolina. Learn more about this innovative

NIH Funds UNC Study to Investigate Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Zika

UNC researchers led by Elizabeth Stringer, MD, Sylvia Becker-Dreps, MD, and Aravinda de Silva, PhD, along with collaborators in Nicaragua, have been given a five-year, $2.7 million R01 award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to better understand the epidemiology of Zika virus in pregnancy.