Author Archives: Kim Morris

Sidney Barritt IV, MD, MSCR, associate professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, has been named the director of clinical hepatology, a position previously held by Michael W. Fried, MD. Barritt joined UNC in 2006 as a T32 clinical epidemiology fellow, where he completed fellowships in gastroenterology, transplant hepatology,...

A CNBC News story reported on the cancelling of in person classes at UNC, recognizing the Covid-19 “positivity” rate jumped to 13.6% as of Sunday from 2.8% a week before. Some 135 students and staff tested positive over the last week, according to the university’s online coronavirus dashboard. Joe Eron, MD, chief of infectious diseases,...

The News & Observer recognized Crystal Rene Cené, MD, MPH, and the role she will play in leading an effort to change policies and practices in the UNC Health system to make it more accessible to the communities it serves. “In this new position, Dr. Cené will collaborate with leaders...

Crystal Wiley Cené, MD, MPH, associate professor in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology, was recognized in Becker’s Hospital Review as UNC Health’s first executive director for health equity. “Dr. Cené will collaborate with leaders to first understand the barriers to care and then lead a comprehensive research...

The Washington Post featured UNC’s in person opening and interviewed UNC Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz who “defended the fall launch as safe and consistent with its public mission.”  In the article Guskiewicz says was developed with guidance of experts in infectious disease and epidemiology. He added that as a father...

Research conducted at an EPA facility on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus shows that expired and sterilized used N95 masks are still very good at protecting wearers. With so many options, infection prevention experts at the UNC Medical Center set out to gather evidence on the fitted filtration efficiency of dozens...

Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor in infectious diseases and director of infection prevention at UNC Hospitals, told WRAL that college students should start with masks that are comfortable enough to wear a lot. “Make sure your child knows how to clean their own bathroom and knows how to clean...

FiveThirtyEight podcast host Anna Rothschild spoke to Myron Cohen, MD, director of the UNC Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, the Yeargan-Bate Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Health and Medical Affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill, about lab-grown antibodies called monoclonal antibodies,...

A Wall Street Journal article considered how lengthy hospital stays impact the need for expansions, which require more doctors and nurses and more technology to monitor patients and protect staff. This also puts a significant strain on the budgets of public and private health insurers and households “Critical care is...

Stephen Mark Kennedy, PhD, long-time coordinator for the UNC Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program, died Friday, July 24.  He served UNC for more than 30 years and was an integral leader of the fellowship program over the course of his long career. He guided more than 100 fellows through the...

The magazine Romper recently asked experts whether or not the COVID-19 virus can live on books. Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases and director of infection prevention at UNC Hospitals, told Romper “the fact that coronavirus can survive on surfaces for several hours is not...

David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in infectious diseases, said the term “second wave” has been used to describe trends during past outbreaks, including the 1918 influenza and 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, in a recent Washington Post interview. In those instances, unlike most countries’ coronavirus outbreaks, “they essentially got...