Author Archives: ecroe

Richard Boucher, MD, has been quoted in a US News & World Report article, “Lab Experiments Show How Masks Could Protect Against COVID-19.” The article summarizes research conducted by Dr. Boucher and MLI researchers in collaboration with the laboratory of Ralph S. Baric, MD, and subsequently published in Cell. Read the...

A major study of coronavirus infection in human airways adds to evidence that wearing a mask is an important protective step toward limiting transmission of COVID-19. The lead authors of the study in the journal Cell are UNC-Chapel Hill pulmonary expert Richard Boucher, MD, and virology expert Ralph Baric, PhD....

Ilona Jaspers, PhD, professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, and environmental sciences and engineering, has been named Director of the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology effective May 31, 2020. Jaspers previously served as the Center’s Deputy Director. Read the full article here.

The UNC School of Medicine has researchers across disciplines working together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them are several researchers from the Marsico Lung Institute working as a team to map the entry sites for SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract and explore the risk/benefit aspects of drugs commonly used...

Ray Pickles, PhD, and Robert Tarran, PhD, have both been consulted for separate articles about the possibility that smoking and vaping could increase vulnerabilities to the coronavirus. Dr. Pickles was consulted by Neoscope for an article entitled “Experts: Vaping Could Make Coronavirus Infection More Severe,” which can be found here. Scientific American...

As a wave of vaping-related deaths was thrust into the spotlight last year, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and colleagues at Carolina have become experts in all areas of the field from pulmonology to marketing. Among the experts discussed are Robert Tarran, PhD, and Ilona Jaspers, PhD, both...

Scott Donaldson, MD, has been interviewed for a Radio In Vivo podcast about a breakthrough new treatment for cystic fibrosis. The podcast can be found here.

The Campaign for Carolina has showcased the Virtual Lung Project for its innovation in combating respiratory diseases. The Virtual Lung Project is helmed by a team of UNC researchers that includes Richard Superfine, PhD, and Richard C. Boucher, MD. Read the story here.

Robert Tarran, PhD, has been consulted for a NPR story about the link between vaping and chronic lung disease. The article, “Vaping Nicotine Linked to Increased Risk of Chronic Lung Disease,” can be found here.

Scott Donaldson, MD, has been interviewed for a WECT News story about a newly approved drug, Trikafta, being used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis. The article and accompanying video, “Newly approved drug called a ‘game changer’ for patients with cystic fibrosis,” can be found here.