Author Archives: Morgan Duerden

UNC researchers, including Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, and Darren DeWalt, MD, MPH, found that a monthly $40 food subsidy improved blood pressure among people facing food insecurity. The results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. A first-of-its-kind clinical study shows that offering modest monthly grocery cards for produce leads to...

he American College of Rheumatology will be awarding Richard F. Loeser, Jr., MD, MACR, Eminent Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, the 2025 Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award at this year’s ACR Convergence meeting in Chicago,...

At the heart of our UNC Department of Medicine, patient safety is more than a priority, it’s a daily practice woven into every aspect of care. In recognition of Patient Safety Day on September 17, we highlight how our providers put patient safety into action to safeguard patients and strengthen...

Dr. Ana Felix is an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine. “I always wanted to be an Elementary School Teacher. Not until my Middle School Teacher suggested I go into Medicine, did it enter my reality- no-one that I knew had so much as gone to...

The North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Cardiology awarded UNC cardiologists Thelsa Weickert, MD, George (Rick) Stouffer, MD, and Alan Hinderliter, MD, with a grant for their project, “Expanding Echocardiography Access for Underserved Populations in Central North Carolina”. The award has the goal to fund a project focused...

Laura Hanson, MD, MPH, was awarded the Ronald J. Falk Vanguard Award, an honor recognizing a faculty member who leads with excellence across patient care, discovery and teaching. The annual award reflects the values of its namesake, Dr. Ronald Falk, an international renowned nephrologist who served as department chair from...

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Medical Staff Executive Committee. The new members from the Department of Medicine, who will serve a 2-year term, include: Dr. Kenton Dover, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Dr. Jennifer McEntee, Associate Professor of...

UNC-Chapel Hill has been announced as the recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) award. Created by the Office of Research on Women’s Health in partnership with NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, BIRCWH is a mentored career-development program designed to connect...

University of North Carolina researchers affiliated with the School of Nursing and School of Medicine contributed to new blood pressure guidelines released by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.   Sidney C. Smith, Jr., MD, Professor of Medicine in the UNC Division of Cardiology, and Leslie Davis,...

Dr. Darren DeWalt announced Julie Golding, Residency Program Coordinator, as the inaugural recipient of the Pulse of Medicine Staff Award. This award honors a Department of Medicine staff member who demonstrates exceptional dedication to their role, consistently exceeds goals, goes above and beyond their job responsibilities, and takes ownership of...

Researchers from the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University aim to use a pig-based model to study esophageal diseases, a field where scientific understanding remains limited. Researchers use large animal models to help with therapy development, testing and translation. However, fully defined models of digestive diseases are...

The UNC Division of Hospital Medicine met many milestones during Fiscal Year 2025. Nearly 50% faculty contributed to abstracts that were accepted at the Society of Hospital Medicine Triangle Chapter Research, Innovation and Clinical Vignette Poster Competition. The majority of those abstracts were presented at the national SHM Converge in...