Medicine Grand Rounds- DOM Psychological Safety Training with Facilitator Dr. Ashalla Freeman
2024-04-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual via Zoom
Ashalla Freeman, PhD, is the Director of Access and Engagement in the Office of Graduate Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (UNC SOM) and has served as Director of the UNC Initiative for Maximizing Student Development since 2014. She develops, administers, and oversees the evaluation of programs and services that support the success of under-resourced students in biomedical research. She mentors graduate students to aid their successful navigation of higher education, manages diverse graduate student recruitment, and supports admissions for UNC’s biomedical PhD programs. Dr. Freeman also serves as Director of Postdoctoral Access & Success in the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Community Engagement at the UNC SOM. She works to elevate IE priorities from the basic sciences, and to develop and deliver IE educational workshops/trainings, and enhance the recruitment, retention, and success of BIPOC across the SOM. Dr. Freeman has significant pedagogical training and preparation in mentoring, professional/career development, and broad background in biomedical research, science education, and IE education and training.

She holds a BS degree in Chemistry from Tougaloo College, a PhD in Microbiology/Immunology (bacterial pathogenesis) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and she completed her postdoctoral training in UNC’s SPIRE Program and the Department of Microbiology/Immunology (bacterial genetics & protein biochemistry).

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Jonathan Sorah & Tammy Triglianos, DNP presents: UNC Undiagnosed Cancer Clinic (UCC): Rapid Oncology Access
2024-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Sorah is a Medical Oncologist with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center where he specializes in the care of patients with GI malignancies and advanced melanoma. He did his undergrad at Virginia Tech, medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University, before doing his residency and fellowship in Medical Oncology here at UNC. Within the Department of Medicine, he serves as the service leader for the inpatient oncology and medical oncology consult teams and has several roles focused on trainee education including the Hem/Onc Fellowship Education Committee and a career goal advisor for MS4 medical students. His professional interests are in medical education, goals of care, and inpatient medical oncology. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two rambunctious young sons, running, and hiking

Tammy Triglianos, DNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP, is an experienced Adult Oncology Nurse Practitioner and has provided care for cancer patients at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2007. Tammy is a member of the gastrointestinal oncology team and the Undiagnosed Cancer Clinic. She is also a clinical assistant professor at the UNC School of Nursing. In partnership with the UNC Lineberger Cancer Network, she coordinates a monthly APP-centric Grand Rounds.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Onyinye I. Iweala presents: "Allergic Effector Cell Activation: From Alpha-gal syndrome to Mast Cell Activation"
2024-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Iweala’s primary research interests include 1) the mechanisms of pathogenesis behind alpha-gal mammalian meat (red meat) allergy and 2) the regulation of IgE antibody responses. Dr. Iweala also enjoys caring for individuals with allergic conditions and/or immune dysfunction at the UNC Allergy Clinic. She has a particular interest in patients with alpha-gal allergy, chronic urticaria, and mast cell disorders.

Medicine Grand Rounds 2024 Blythe Lecturer- Dr. Josie Briggs presents: "Uncertainty and the Practice of Evidence-Based Medicine"
2024-04-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Josephine Briggs is an internationally recognized nephrologist and researcher.
She is a graduate of Radcliffe College and Harvard Medical School and did post-graduate internal medicine and nephrology training at Mount Sinai Medical School in NYC, where she served as the first woman chief medical resident. Her research training continued at Yale University and the University of Munich. From 1985 to 1997 she was a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan where she was Professor of Internal Medicine, Professor of Physiology and Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine.
She served for approximately 20 years in leadership positions at the National Institutes of Health, including serving as Director of the Division of Kidney, Urology and Hematology in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases from 1996 to 2007, and Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the leading U.S. Federal agency for research on integrative and complementary health practices, from 2008 to 2017. While at the NIH she was the founding director of the Precision Medicine Initiative and founding co-director of the NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory. For six years she was a member of the NIH Steering Committee. From 2019 to 2020, she served as Interim Executive Director of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and she continues to serve as a consultant to PCORI and Associate Editor for PCORI’s peer review process.
Her research interests include health policy related to kidney disease, chronic kidney disease and circadian regulation of blood pressure and renal hemodynamics. She is an expert on clinical research oversight and policy. She has published approximately 220 research articles, book chapters, and other scholarly publications.
She is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a recipient of many awards including the Volhard Prize of the German Society of Nephrology, the Alexander von Humboldt Scientific Exchange Award, and NIH Director’s Award for her direction of the NIH Collaboratory. Dr. Briggs also received the American Society of Nephrology John P. Peters Award in recognition for her wide-ranging contributions to improving the lives of patients and to furthering the understanding of kidney in health and diseases and was also the recipient of the Department of Health and Human Services 2014 Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, the Department’s highest award.
She served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) from 2018 to 2023. During her six-year term, the journal intensified the rigor of its peer review process and established a highly successful Editorial Fellowship program that integrates early career scientists into the editorial review.
She is currently and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Caprice Greenberg presents: "Thinking Differently and Promoting Disruption: New Models for a Healthcare System in Crisis."
2024-05-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Caprice C. Greenberg MD MPH is the Colin G. Thomas, Jr., MD Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Prior to that, she served as the Moretz-Mansberger Distinguished Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She is a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer and a health services researcher with a focus in quality and safety. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She has founded several organizations to ensure research impacts practice, including the Surgical Collaborative of Wisconsin and the Academy for Surgical Coaching. Dr. Greenberg has served in multiple national leadership roles, including as Recorder and President of the Association for Academic Surgery and President of the Surgical Outcomes Club.

Medicine Grand Rounds- DOM Chief Residents presents: "Chief Grand Rounds: A Year in Review"
2024-05-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Erin Dunneback, MD
Medicine-Pediatrics Chief Resident
Erin Dunneback grew up in Michigan where she later attended Michigan State University and received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Education. She couldn’t imagine leaving her beloved Spartans and stayed at Michigan State for medical school, where she was inducted into the AOA Honor Society and was an active leader in the American Medical Women’s Association. During medical school she developed her passion for hospital medicine, both adult and pediatric care and quality improvement. UNC’s strong med/peds program and faculty presence brought her down to Chapel Hill where she has completed her med/peds residency. After chief year she plans to pursue a career in adult and pediatric hospital medicine. During her free time she enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants in The Triangle, and spending as much time outside as possible.

Taylor Holmes, MD
Outpatient Chief Resident
Taylor Holmes is an Alabama native that studied biology and Spanish at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa before attending medical school at UAB in Birmingham. She moved to North Carolina to complete her residency in Internal Medicine and now serves as the Ambulatory Chief Resident for the program. Her interests include medical education and point of care ultrasound. Following her Chief Residency year, she plans to pursue a fellowship in Cardiology. She enjoys hydroponics gardening, hiking with her two dogs, and true crime podcasts/audiobooks.

Darryl Kalil, MD
Inpatient Chief Resident
Darryl Kalil and his family are from South Africa originally, but moved to the States when he was a child. Darryl
has lived most of his life in North Carolina. He attended UNC for college, and after graduating spent time back in South Africa working on research projects related to tuberculosis, and reconnecting with his family roots before going to medical school at Wake Forest. Internal medicine fascinated him early on with its rich
diagnostic dilemmas and complex problem solving. After Darryl’s chief year, he plans to pursue fellowship in cardiology, and aspires to remain active in medical education and clinical reasoning throughout his career. In his free time, he is an avid golfer and also enjoys traveling (especially back to South Africa), gardening and catching up on UNC sports. His wife and him are also very blessed with a young family including a baby boy (born in 2022) and a chocolate labradoodle!

Kathryn Langley,MD
Wake Med Chief Resident
Kathryn (Kat) Langley grew up in rural Virginia but has been trekking south on her educational journey with stops at William and Mary for a
BS in Kinesiology, Eastern Virginia Medical School for her MD, and UNC for residency. She is excited to be continuing her journey at UNC this year as the Wake Medicine Chief in Raleigh. Kat is excited to use her role as chief to promote continued education as well as wellness. Outside of the hospital (and sometimes inside) you can catch her passionately working on puzzles or playing one of her many favorite board games. She and her husband Robert also love touring the triangle’s many restaurants and breweries.

Alisa Siebrasse, MD
Inpatient Chief Resident
Alisa Siebrasse was born in Michigan and grew up in a suburb of Chic
ago. Returning to her Michigan roots, she completed undergrad at the University of Michigan where she majored in Neuroscience and Gender and Health Studies. She worked as a scribe in the Mayo Clinic Emergency Department before starting medical school at Medical College of Wisconsin. There, she cultivated a passion for Quality Improvement while working with a Cardiologist to improve the lives of patients with congenital heart disease. She was incredibly excited to match at UNC for residency and live near her family who had also relocated to Chapel Hill. Outside of work, Alisa enjoys downhill skiing, golf, traveling, and any water sports, particularly sailing and paddleboarding. Following chief year, Alisa plans to pursue fellowship training in Gastroenterology.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Patricia (Patty) Chang presents: "More Success in Heart Failure"
2024-05-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Patricia (Patty) Chang is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Heart Failure Program, Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Program, and Program Director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, where she also earned a Masters in Health Sciences in Clinical Epidemiology. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the UNC School of Public Health and serves as a long-time co-investigator on the NIH-funded Atherosclerosis Risks in Communities (ARIC) Study. She is an author on over 100 original research publications and has been a writing member on various consensus statements and reviews related to cardiac transplantation and heart failure. Her research has focused on heart failure and cardiovascular epidemiology, as she has been involved with multiple epidemiologic studies and patient-oriented studies including multicenter randomized clinical trials.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Spencer Dorn presents: “Views of Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence from the Oregon Trail.”
2024-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Spencer Dorn, MD, MPH, MHA
Dr. Spencer Dorn arrived at UNC as a fellow in 2005, joined faculty in 2009, was appointed Vice Chief of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2012, and Vice Chair of Medicine for Care Innovation in 2019. In his current role, he focuses on enhancing existing care processes and models – while developing new ones – that support the department’s 600-plus physicians and advanced practice providers and that better meet the needs of the various patient populations they serve.
Dr. Dorn’s clinical practice focuses on functional GI and motility disorders, for which he has served as an investigator on numerous clinical trials, co-authored national practice guidelines, and has been consistently named to the list of Best Doctors in America. He is an experienced physician administrator who previously led and managed one of the nation’s premier academic gastroenterology practices. He broadly understands the forces shaping healthcare, serving on national gastroenterology practice committees, and frequently presenting and publishing on healthcare delivery.
Dr. Dorn received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, his medical degree from the State University of New York at Brooklyn, and his Masters of Public Health and Masters of Health Care Administration from the UNC School of Public Health. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and gastroenterology at UNC.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Norman E. Sharpless presents: "Cancer Moonshots and Ending Cancer As We Know It."
2024-05-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Sharpless is a physician, scientist, entrepreneur and former federal official, serving as Director of the National Cancer Institute from 2017 to 2022, and as Acting Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019. Prior to government, Dr. Sharpless was the Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is on the boards of G1 Therapeutics, Karius Inc, Nucleus Radiopharma, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and the American Cancer Society; and is the co-Founder and Managing Director of Jupiter BioVentures. He is the Professor of Cancer Policy and Innovation at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy, the Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Robert Wirka presents: "Using Human Genetics to Discover New Mechanisms Driving Coronary Artery Disease."
2024-06-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
I am a physician-scientist who uses human genetics to uncover new mechanisms driving coronary artery disease (CAD). As a cardiologist, I see the devastation this disease continues to cause, despite our current therapies. This has motivated me to study the molecular drivers of this disease, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets that can reduce the burden of CAD. By studying how the genomes of patients with CAD differ from healthy people, scientists have identified signals in the human genome that point to the most critical genes and pathways driving CAD. Starting with these genetic signals, my lab 1) identifies the genes underlying these signals, 2) studies how these genes affect coronary artery biology during disease, using mouse models and human vascular samples, 3) identifies the molecular pathways affected and 4) determines how these pathways converge, like spokes on a wheel, to the central drivers of CAD. By prioritizing the study of genes and pathways we know are the most critical in driving clinical CAD, we have the best chance at developing effective therapies to mitigate this devastating disease.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Joshua Niznik & Carolyn Thorpe presents:" Innovative Uses of Real-World Data to Optimize Medication Use Through Deprescribing In Older Adults"
2024-06-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics, School of Medicine and the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a geriatric health services researcher and pharmacist with expertise in pharmacoepidemiology. Dr. Niznik’s growing program of research is focused on evaluating the quality of prescribing and deprescribing in older nursing home residents with dementia. Dr. Niznik currently has a 5-year K08 award from the NIA which will evaluate perceptions, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of deprescribing fracture prevention medications for older nursing home residents with dementia.

Carolyn Thorpe, PhD, MPH is a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy within the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has a joint appointment as Core Investigator with the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. As a pharmaceutical health services researcher with a focus on geriatric populations, her research program aims to improve the health of medically complex older adults through studies on the quality and safety of prescribing and deprescribing. She currently leads an R01 from the NIA which links several real-world healthcare datasets to examine patterns, benefits, and harms of deprescribing aspirin for cardiovascular prevention in nursing home residents with dementia.

Dr. Niznik and Dr. Thorpe have published more than 26 manuscripts together on the topic of inappropriate medication use and deprescribing and their work has been funded by the NIH, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and several Foundations. Their research teams are recognized as leaders in innovative methods for the use of real-world data to evaluate determinants and outcomes of deprescribing for medically complex older adults.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds Frank Bruni and Dr. Stephen DeCherney presents: "Frank Bruni - A Conversation"
2024-09-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Myron Cohen presents: "The Global Control of HIV and the Very Unique Role of UNC: A Success Story in Progress"
2024-09-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Myron Scott Cohen was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1950. Dr. Cohen received his BS degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1971. He received an MD degree from Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois. He completed training in internal medicine at the University of Michigan, and training in infectious diseases at Yale University. After working in 1979 in the Peoples Republic of China on Hemorrhagic Fever with Nephrosonephritis, Dr. Cohen joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina in 1980. He rose to the rank of Professor over 10 years and served as the Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases from 1991 until 2019. He founded the UNC Institute for Global health and Infectious Diseases in 2007. Dr. Cohen has served as Co-PI of the NIH HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) since 2012 and as one of the founders and leaders of the NIH COVID Prevention Network (CoVPN) in 2020. Dr. Cohen is the Yeargan-Bate Eminent Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For three decades, Dr. Cohen’s research has focused on the transmission and prevention of transmission of viral pathogens. Importantly, Dr. Cohen led the development of laboratory methods to measure HIV in genital secretions, as well as methods to determine the best antiviral agents to reduce replication of HIV in these compartments in men and women. Dr. Cohen served as Principal Investigator of the multinational HPTN 052 trial, which demonstrated that antiretroviral treatment of people with HIV infection prevents the sexual transmission of the virus. This work was recognized by Science Magazine as the “Breakthrough of the Year” in 2011. The results led immediately to worldwide changes in HIV treatment guidelines and HIV “treatment as prevention” (TASP) as the central strategy for reduction of transmission of HIV. Subsequently, Dr. Cohen has led efforts to develop additional tools to prevent HIV acquisition including long-acting injectable antiviral agents and broad neutralizing antibodies.
Since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Cohen has worked on vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for prevention of COVID-19 as a leader of the NIH CoVPN. Dr. Cohen spearheaded a “proof of concept” study that demonstrated the Eli Lilly drug, bamlanivimab, could prevent COVID-19 in long term care facilities, protecting a profusion of people at highest risk of serious symptoms and death. He worked with Regeneron to show that the combination of antibodies called REGEN-COV prevented COVID-19 for five months after administration.
Dr. Cohen is the author of more than six hundred publications and one book. Dr. Cohen is a Fellow of the American Society for Microbiology, the American College of Physicians, and the Infectious Disease Society of America. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the American Association of Physicians. Dr. Cohen received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Rush Medical College in 2000. He received the Distinguished Career Award for lifetime achievement from the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association in 2005. In 2008, Dr. Cohen received the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest honor in the University of North Carolina System. In 2013 Dr. Cohen received the Smadel Award from the Infectious Disease Society in recognition of his work in public health. Also in 2013, Dr. Cohen received the Award for Science from the State of North Carolina, its highest civilian honor.

Medicine Grand Rounds 2024 Fried Lecturer- Dr. Arun Sanyal presents: MASLD to Metabolic Medicine - The Future if NOW
2024-10-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds Dr. Nancy Messonnier presents: "Accomplishments and Opportunities for Impact in Public Health"
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Nancy Messonnier, MD, has been dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health since fall 2022.
Dean Messonnier’s dedication to achieving public health impact through successful implementation informs her leadership of the Gillings School across academics, research, practice, policy and outreach. With a focus on impact both within North Carolina and around the world, she works with Gillings School faculty, staff, students and partners to expand initiatives in public health practice, behavioral health, climate and health, generative artificial intelligence and women’s health, among other opportunities.
Before she joined the Gillings School as dean, Dr. Messonnier’s 25-year career as a public health leader was devoted to developing and implementing accessible vaccines, promoting vaccine confidence, addressing disparities in immunization coverage and preventing future pandemics — all on a global scale.
She served in influential roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) from 2014 to 2021. Dr. Messonnier led the NCIRD’s response to COVID-19 and served as the CDC’s chief architect of the COVID vaccine implementation program, helping to develop, evaluate and distribute vaccines across the United States.
She was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2021 and served as executive director for pandemic prevention and health systems at the Skoll Foundation from 2021 to 2022.
Dr. Messonnier received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, earned a medical degree at the University of Chicago School of Medicine and completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Pennsylvania.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds Dr. Dan Reuland presents: "Multicancer Detection Tests: An Advancing Frontier in Cancer Screening"
2024-10-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Reuland is a general internist whose research focus is cancer screening in clinical and public health practice. His research aims to advance our understanding of cancer screening, including its benefits, harms, and optimal implementation. He has conducted observational and intervention studies related to improving communication, shared decision making, and equity in cancer screening, particularly for colorectal and lung cancer screening. He is MPI of UNC’s research hub within the National Cancer Institute’s newly established Cancer Screening Research Network.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds Dr. Evan Zeitler presents: "The Obese Kidney: From the Fish of Physiology"
2024-10-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Zeitler is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. His clinical area of interest is in the diagnosis and care of patients with kidney disease, particularly those with diseases related to metabolism, such as diabetes and obesity. His research focuses on how diet and obesity may contribute to kidney dysfunction, using new animal models to better understand the effects of obesity on kidney cells.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Paul Chelminski presents: "Patients as Partners in Physician Wellbeing"
2024-11-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Paul Chelminski is a native New Yorker whose gateway school to the south was Duke University. After graduating with a degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, he spent two years in French-speaking west Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali. He completed all of his medical training at UNC Chapel Hill. He is an addicted storyteller who believes that relationships with patients are an overlooked source of physician wellbeing.

DOM Grand Rounds- 2024 Alan Jacob's Memorial Lectures Dr. Donald Bordley presents: "Teacher- Learner- Patient: The Heart of Medical Education"
2024-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Bordley is a native of Cooperstown, New York. He majored in English at Yale University and received his MD degree from Johns Hopkins University. He carried out his residency training, including Chief Residency, and his General Medicine Fellowship at Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester. He was Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Strong Memorial Hospital for 15 years from 1997 until 2012 and Vice Chair of Medicine for Education from 1997 until his retirement in 2018. He is now Professor Emeritus of Medicine. Dr. Bordley is very active nationally in Internal Medicine Resident Education and is a past president of the national Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine. His outside interests include bicycling, hiking, skiing and playing classical and folk/blues guitar.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds-Dr. David Weber presents: "Hurricanes and Floods: Impact with a Focus on Infectious Diseases."
2024-11-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. David Jay Weber is currently the Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Dr. Weber received his Medical Degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1977, a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University in 1985, and completed his medicine residency and infectious disease fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1985. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Weber serves as an Associate Chief Medical Office, Associate Chief Quality Officer and Medical Director of Infection Prevention for the UNC Medical Center. He is the President Elect of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Deputy Editor of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Vaccine. Dr. Weber has published more than 575 scientific papers in the peer-reviewed literature cited in PubMed and more than 700 total papers and chapters. He is a member of the CDC Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and on the following working group: National Health Surveillance Network (Chair), Dental Water Lines (Chair), and Occupational Health for Healthcare personnel. Dr. Weber is an Expert Advisor for Clean Hospitals, Geneva. He Chairs, the NC Dept. of Health, TB Advisory Committee. His research interests include the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections, disinfection and sterilization, new and emerging infectious diseases (highly communicable pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, HPAI, newly emerging pathogens including Candida auris), response to biothreats, nontuberculous mycobacteria, control of drug resistant pathogens, immunization practices, zoonotic diseases, and epidemiology of tuberculosis.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Andrea Coviello presents: "Treating Obesity: 3 Things I Want You to Know."
2024-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
As a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, my research focus has been on the neuroendocrine control of reproduction and metabolism and the influence of reproductive hormones on metabolism and cardiovascular disease. This project aligns with my research goals as it focuses on the treatment of obesity and related endocrinology disorders in relation to newer prescribed incretins and I am excited to be part of this team in my role as a co-Investigator.
My research has encompassed clinical and genetic epidemiology studies in population-based cohorts such as the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and NHANES as well as translational clinical research. I am working with the CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology) Consortium as a FHS investigator on the genetic influences of reproductive traits such as menopause as well as circulating gonadal and adrenal sex hormones and their relationships to health and chronic disease. My clinical research has included clinical trials of testosterone therapy in men. In women, I have studied the metabolic disorders associated with androgen excess in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as the metabolic and cardiovascular sequelae of higher androgens in women of white European ancestry (1RO1HL094755-01A2). I mentor a junior investigator with a BIRCWH K12 (Duke) examining the role of sex steroids in hidradenitis in women with PCOS.
My clinical trial work has shifted to focus on industry sponsored trials in obesity, diabetes, lipid disorders and fatty liver disease. I have clinical expertise in the treatment of obesity and related endocrinology disorders combined with research expertise in reproductive endocrinology in the effects of sex steroids on health and disease. I am currently developing a clinical trial program in obesity and obesity related disorders in the Department of Medicine’s Clinical Research Unit. As the Director of the UNC Weight Management Program with clinical expertise in the treatment of obesity and related endocrinology disorders I am uniquely qualified to facilitate research, specifically clinical trials, with obesity and obesity related metabolic disorders.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Klara Klein presents: "Rethinking Type 2 Diabetes: From Research to Practice."
2024-12-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
I am a MD/PhD trained investigator with an interest in conducting stakeholder-engaged clinical trials to advance the care of people living with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. My research path has spanned experiences in small molecule synthesis and drug development, molecular biology, animal models of disease, and most recently clinical trials. My early focus was on basic research, but I sought collaborative mentors who were interested in basic mechanisms involved in drug discovery that would ultimately impact human health. My early work resulted in six publications (three first author publications, including a cover article for Developmental Cell) and was funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral National Research Service Award (NIH NHLBI F30 HL118932, PI: Klein, Mentor: Caron). More importantly, my basic science training brought unique understanding of the drug development process and influenced my career goal to work in clinical trials, where I can bring bench research to the bedside.
As an endocrinology fellow, I transitioned from basic science to diabetes clinical trials. During this transition, I have continued to publish successfully. I have been fortunate to work with pharmaceutical companies on both large and small clinical trials, but I have been consistently disappointed in the lack of representation in clinical research and the time it takes for effective therapies to reach patients at need. As a diabetes clinical trialist, I have become passionate about closing the “research-to-practice-gap” through the conduct of stakeholder-engaged clinical trials. I have also become increasingly interested in leveraging the electronic medical record to expand clinical trial reach and to encourage early use of state-of-the-art therapeutics. While I have gained important experience as an investigator on industry sponsored clinical trials, I require foundational training in stakeholder engagement, implementation science, and informatics in order to independently design, execute, and implement stakeholder-engaged clinical trials that are broadly representative of the disease population.
As a tenure-track junior faculty member (starting in July 2022) with 75% protected time guaranteed and a start-up package, I aim to conduct new research with potential to (1) improve reach and representativeness of the clinical trials conducted in the Endocrine Diabetes and Obesity Clinical Research Unit (EnDO CRU) and (2) hasten to acceptance of effective therapeutics. To do so, I will focus on to elucidating the setting-specific barriers and feasibility of enrolling patients from North Carolina community-based practices and develop a tool to facilitate identification and enrollment of eligible patients across North Carolina. This work has potential to enhance enrollment efficiency, increase trial participant representativeness, and deepen community practitioner buy-in, all essential factors in promoting post-trial adoption of effective therapies.
I have assembled a mentorship team that consists of leaders in stakeholder engagement and implementation science, clinical informatics, and diabetes and kidney disease clinical trials. Dr. Jenny Flythe (stakeholder engagement and implementation science) will serve as my primary mentor. Drs. Emily Pfaff (clinical informatics) and Buse (clinical trials, diabetes) will serve as co-mentors. Under their guidance, I will pursue coursework in implementation science that will ultimately help me to engage key stakeholders to design and implement studies that best serve the patient population and the providers who care for them. I will also pursue training in basic informatics to facilitate effective collaboration with data scientists to develop tools aimed at increasing study population diversity and encourage early use of approved therapies. My mentorship team is enthusiastic about my proposed work and has the expertise required to ensure success. Each is deeply committed to training me to become an independent investigator. Completion of these aims and training objectives will cement the pathway toward becoming an independent human subjects researcher capable of developing novel therapeutics that are quickly and broadly distributed to improve both diabetes and advanced kidney disease care.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Jonathan Parr presents: Emergence of Diagnostic- and Drug-Resistant Malaria
2025-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Parr studies the molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases. He is broadly interested in applying cutting-edge molecular and genomic tools to solve problems faced by marginalized populations across the globe. His work has focused on malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other sites, but he has recently expanded his portfolio to include translational studies of viral hepatitis and syphilis. Dr. Parr is a founding member of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Ecology Lab at UNC (IDEEL, www.ideelresearch.org). He has collaborated with the World Health Organization on efforts to improve malaria diagnosis and treatment and is as an Associate Editor for Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation. During the pandemic, he has served as co-director of UNC infectious diseases’ inpatient COVID-19 services. Dr. Parr and his work have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and other media outlets.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo presents: "Opportunities and Challenges in the Infectious Disease Field: A Perspective from NIAID"
2025-01-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Marrazzo is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, where she oversees a $6.3 billion budget that supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. Prior to taking that position in 2023, she was the C. Glenn Cobbs Endowed Chair and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine (UAB). She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and was Treasurer of the IDSA from 2021-2023, having served on the board since 2018. She was Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine Council from 2015-2018.
Dr. Marrazzo has a broad research portfolio that includes the relationships between the vaginal microbiome and female reproductive tract infections, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, hormonal contraception, and risk of STI/HIV acquisition. She led UAB’s participation in the RECOVER trial, funded by NIH to study post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a large clinical trial of the meningococcal Group B vaccine rMenB+OMV NZ (Bexsero) to prevent gonococcal infection. She chaired the Biomedical Science Committee of the HIV Prevention Trial Network, the group tasked with integrating the biomedical science agenda across numerous clinical trials of antiretroviral prevention agents. She was also a Co-PI of the NIH-funded Infectious Disease Clinical Research Consortium that leads the Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Units as well as NIH-funded STI clinical trials. She has been a leading voice in educating colleagues, the community, and the media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicine Grand Rounds-Dr. Ana Felix presents: " Neurology in 2025: Evidence-Based Insights Transforming Patient Care."
2025-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr Felix is a Clinician Educator, embedded Neurologist with UNC Internal Medicine and UNC Geriatrics at Eastowne with fellowship training in Vascular Neurology and offering General Neurology evaluations. Dr. Felix is also the Neurologist for the UNC Brain and Body Program, funded by the NFLPA Trust.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Gwenn A. Garden presents: "Update on Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Treatment"
2025-01-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Garden’s Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research includes studies of the regulation of the inflammatory response in AD, as well as pathogenic molecular cascades contributing to neuronal degeneration in AD. She aims to collaborate with other researchers in order to translate her laboratory findings into the setting of research using human tissues, human stem cells, human serum and CSF samples, and potentially human patients.
Dr. Garden’s Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research includes studies of the regulation of the inflammatory response in AD, as well as pathogenic molecular cascades contributing to neuronal degeneration in AD. She aims to collaborate with other researchers in order to translate her laboratory findings into the setting of research using human tissues, human stem cells, human serum and CSF samples, and potentially human patients.

Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. David Weber presents: "Vaccine Update"
2025-02-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. David Jay Weber is currently the Charles Addison and Elizabeth Ann Sanders Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Dr. Weber received his Medical Degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1977, a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University in 1985, and completed his medicine residency and infectious disease fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1985. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Weber serves as an Associate Chief Medical Office, Associate Chief Quality Officer and Medical Director of Infection Prevention for the UNC Medical Center. He is the President of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Associate Editor of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Vaccine. Dr. Weber has published more than 575 scientific papers in the peer-reviewed literature cited in PubMed and more than 700 total papers and chapters. He is a member of the CDC Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and on the following working group: National Health Surveillance Network (Chair), Dental Water Lines (Chair), and Occupational Health for Healthcare personnel. Dr. Weber is an Expert Advisor for Clean Hospitals, Geneva. He Chairs, the NC Dept. of Health, TB Advisory Committee. His research interests include the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections, disinfection and sterilization, new and emerging infectious diseases (highly communicable pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, HPAI, newly emerging pathogens including Candida auris), response to biothreats, nontuberculous mycobacteria, control of drug-resistant pathogens, immunization practices, zoonotic diseases, and epidemiology of tuberculosis.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Rumey Ishizawar presents: "UNC Immuno-Oncology Group (IOG) Collaborative Efforts to Address Immune Related Adverse Events (irAEs)"
2025-02-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Dr. Rumey Ishizawar is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Program Director for the Adult Rheumatology Fellowship at UNC. She completed her MSTP training at the University of Virginia where her doctoral research was focused on Breast Cancer Cell Signaling through EGF Receptor Family members before pursuing Internal Medicine Residency and a Rheumatology Fellowship at Brigham Women’s Hospital. Her post-doctoral research included examining post translational regulation of cytokines and rheumatoid arthritis risk gene alleles in CD4+ T cell biology. She joined UNC School of Medicine faculty in July 2015 and initiated the UNC Immuno-Oncology Group (IOG) in 2017 which is focused on addressing immune-related adverse events triggered by immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients through a collaborative model for both clinical care and research. Beyond her work with the UNC IOG, Dr. Ishizawar is involved in quality initiatives in medical education and management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Michael Cunningham: "Don't Blink: Catching GCA Before it Blinds."
2025-03-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

DOM Medicine Grand Rounds- Dr. Christos Mantzoros presents: "MASH: The New Kid on the Cardiometabolic Block: From Better Understanding of Physiology to Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Solutions for a Still Unmet Clinical Need."
2025-03-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 4008 Old Clinic Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Current Positions
Christos S. Mantzoros, MD, DSc, PhD h.c. mult. is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He has also served as a Professor of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and adj. Professor of Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is also Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Boston VA Healthcare System and serves as Director of Human Nutrition, a division he created while at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School. He is Board Certified and Licensed to practice in both EU and USA and he actively practices in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. He has served as a Board Member of HCHC and is currently on the Board of Alba Graduate Business School.

Education and Training
Dr. Mantzoros earned his medical degree from Athens University Medical School in Athens, Greece, where he also completed his DSc in clinical epidemiology in conjunction with the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Mantzoros completed his residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He then completed a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, as well as clinical nutrition in Longwood Medical Area Program at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. He also earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health and a Master’s degree in Clinical Investigation from Harvard Medical School and MIT.

Clinical Trials and Research Expertise
Dr. Mantzoros views obesity and its comorbidities as the next frontier in translational medicine. His work has provided critical insights into the physiology of energy homeostasis, the pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutics of obesity and cardio-kidney-metabolic disease. Firstly, his pioneering studies on leptin and adiponectin defined the roles thereof in neuroendocrine regulation, energy homeostasis, and obesity, including the delineation of leptin resistance in obesity. Secondly, his lab has unveiled mechanisms governing the regulation of gastrointestinal hormones and incretins, e.g. GLP-1, and GIP, along with the effects of myokines such as activins and follistatins, elucidating their impact on the brain and body composition and offering therapeutic insights into the use of incretin analogs and myokine-based interventions for treating obesity and diabetes. Lastly, his research on MASLD/MASH, cardiovascular disease, and malignancies integrates omics technologies and AI-driven diagnostics to develop non-invasive tools and targeted therapies, providing a comprehensive approach to improving metabolic and overall health. Dr. Mantzoros’ research includes in-depth neuroscientific and metabolic studies spanning the entire spectrum from drug discovery, to preclinical, to observational and genetic epidemiology studies, to PK/PD and phase I-IV clinical trials (mostly investigator initiated and run but also multicenter RCTs, more than 135 in total), to real world studies. A trusted advisor to industry and foundations, he is also a stellar educator who has created and leads novel clinical training and education programs. Among the 185 persons who graduated from his own Laboratory, 2 are CEOs, 2 CMOs and many are VPs or scientists in pharma, 16 are full Prof. and many Associate and Assist. Prof. in academia.

Publications, Leadership, and Associations
Dr. Mantzoros is an elected member of American Society for Clinical Investigation and a Fellow of American College of Physicians and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. He has received many honors and awards, including four honorary PHDs, many honorary Professorships worldwide, the TOPS Award from The Obesity Society, the Outstanding Clinical Investigator Award from the Endocrine Society, and the Gerald Reaven Distinguished Leader in Insulin Resistance Award from the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease. He will be receiving the 2025 Outstanding Scholarly Physician award by the Endocrine Society. Dr. Mantzoros has published two books, Diabetes and Obesity and Nutrition and Metabolism. He also serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals and he is Editor in Chief of Metabolism, Clinical & Experimental, the rankings of which he elevated from bottom 20% when he took over to top 3% currently. He has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international scientific meetings. Moreover, Dr. Mantzoros has published more than 1,100 scientific papers on topics including obesity, Cardio Kidney Metabolic Health, GLP-1 RAs and centrally acting agonists, adipokines, myokines and skeletal muscle changes in healthy and overweight individuals, obesity and weight loss management, obesity and neurocognitive abnormalities and malignancies. He has also coauthored more than 220 collaborative papers with the Look Ahead Group. His corpus received more than 176,000 citations with an H-index of 162 (Google Scholar). He has applied for more than 20 patents and has received most, while others are pending.
