Michelle Hernandez, MD, associate medical director of the N.C. Children’s Allergy & Asthma Center, led a study that followed 23 asthma patients in North Carolina to show that even with optimized treatment for persistent asthma, patients experienced respiratory and systemic effects from exposure to low levels of ozone. Read the full story here.

Lung cell impairment can occur with exposure to e-cigarettes, but other short and long-term effects of vaping remain unknown. Read the full story here.

Ilona Jaspers, PhD, Deputy Director of the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, is featured in the August 15th Reuters article “Adult smokers more apt to use e-cigarettes than nonsmokers,” which can be found here.

For patients with end-stage chronic lung disease, every breath is tiresome and difficult. When the disease is no longer responsive to medical therapies, a lung transplant is a possibility for patients under the age of 70. Frank Sands is breathing new life after a double lung transplant. To show his gratitude, he made a financial … Read more

Researchers in lab of Ilona Jaspers, PhD, found that the common food additive cinnamaldehyde impaired cilia — the hair-like structures on lung cells crucial for proper respiratory function. Read the story here, and the New York Times article here.

This year’s ATS Assembly on Pediatrics Lifetime Contributions to Pediatric Respiratory Medicine Award went to Margaret W. Leigh, MD. This award is given for achievement in teaching, clinical care, advocacy, scholarship or research over the course of an entire career. Read the full article here.

James F. Donohue, MD, was honored with the Breathing for Life Award at the Tenth Annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) Foundation Research Program Benefit on Saturday, May 19, 2018, in San Diego, California. The Breathing for Life Award is the highest honor given by the foundation for philanthropy, scientific achievement, and commitment to mentorship. Read … Read more

At the UNC School of Medicine, researchers come to their work through various paths. For Wanda O’Neal, PhD, her tireless dedication to researching cystic fibrosis and lung conditions was born from a very personal place — a family with six kids with CF. Read the article and view the video here.

UNC School of Medicine scientists led by Robert Tarran created a new screening technique to deduce the different toxicity levels of the more than 7,700 types of e-liquid flavors available to consumers. Read the full story here.

UNC School of Medicine scientists show that therapies to break up mucus in toddlers might offer the best route to a longer life for CF patients. Read the full story here.