Category: feature

UNC School of Medicine lab of Dr. Qi Zhang utilized MRI technology to discover a mechanism to regulate microRNA. MicroRNA are essential to gene regulation, and abnormal microRNA can be linked to cancer and other diseases. Understanding the role of microRNA is important to developing better RNA-targeted therapeutics.

Dr. Evan S. Dellon, winner of a 2018 Innovation Pilot Award from the Center for Health Innovation, is the co-leader of the Anti-Siglec-8 Antibody Trial. This phase-2 trial is the first randomized trial for eosinophilic gastritis and duodenitis, and shows promise for treating these underdiagnosed diseases.

The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative will further explore the linkage between genetics and eating disorders. This study is led by Dr. Cynthia Bulik with the aim of identifying additional genes that increase a person’s risk of developing eating disorders and other commonly co-occuring mental health conditions. Over 6,000 participants will...

UNC is partnering with 19 other research institutions to identify the cause of rare forms of diabetes. This study is led by Dr. John Buse and is funded by the National Institute of Health.

Dr. Zoe McElligott is awarded $1.98M by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The McElligott lab is studying the neural circuit that promotes alcohol consumption, and hopes to find new interventions to prevent alcohol abuse.

A team of UNC Researchers led by Dr. Dale Ramseden was awarded a five-year $8.8M grant. Their research will focus on studying an enzyme called DNA polymerase theta, which has important implications for breast and ovarian cancers.

UNC researchers are partnering with colleagues at four institutions in Africa to study novel screening and diagnostic tools for three HIV-related cancers: Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer and lymphoma. Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest prevalence of HIV and HIV-related cancers.

Drs. Katarina Haley and Adam Jacks from the UNC Department of Allied Health Sciences were awarded a $3M, five-year R01 NIH grant. The goal of this study is to help clinicians define speech production disorder diagnostic profiles for stroke survivors to enhance patient care.

UNC’s Dr. Groesbeck Parham, gynecologic oncology professor, is a leader in the fight against cancer. Recently, the Zambian government recognized Dr. Parham and his team for their contribution to improving service delivery for cervical cancer patients in Zambia.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at UNC  has received the first ever NIH grant to study to the genetics of hidradenitis suppurativa, a devastating inflammatory skin disease.