Category: Fellowship
Parr, Senior Author of Study That Shows Plasmodium Falciparum Evolving to Escape Malaria Rapid Diagnostics in Africa
Jonathan Parr, MD A major tool against malaria in Africa has been the use of rapid diagnostic tests, which have been part of the “test-treat-track” strategy in Ethiopia, the second most-populated country in Africa. But researchers studying blood samples from more than 12,000 individuals in Ethiopia now estimate these tests missed nearly 10% of malaria cases caused by the parasite … Read more
Novel CRISPR-Based Malaria Diagnostic Capable of Plasmodium Detection, Species Differentiation, and Drug-Resistance Genotyping
Jessica Lin, MD MSCR CRISPR-based diagnostics are a new class of highly sensitive and specific assays with multiple applications in infectious disease diagnosis. SHERLOCK, or Specific High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter UnLOCKing, is one such CRISPR-based diagnostic that combines recombinase polymerase pre-amplification, CRISPR-RNA base-pairing, and LwCas13a activity for nucleic … Read more
Parr Interviewed By The Scientist About the Development of CRISPR Diagnostics
Jonathan Parr, MD Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases, was interviewed for an article in The Scientist about the development of CRISPR diagnostics. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have been striving to develop low-cost tests to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples. Now, a team of researchers base … Read more
Wohl Discusses Pfizer’s FDA Approval, the Strain On Area Hospitals, the New Covid Variant, and When To Expect a ‘Covid Normalcy’
David Wohl, MD Wohl Hopes FDA Approval Will Encourage Vaccinations David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, talked with WRAL.com about the FDA giving fully approval to Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. “I think this helps for those people who are on the fence,” said Wohl. “Here’s another reason, another thing to think about in your decision-making an … Read more
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‘Breakthrough’ Infections Increasing in NC, But Vaccinated People Much Less Likely to Be Hospitalized, Die
David Wohl, MD Nearly one-fifth of the coronavirus infections reported in North Carolina during the first half of August were in people already fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. A WRAL.com report recognizes that while there is stable and highly effective protection against hospitalizations and severe outcomes for people who are full … Read more
Antibody Treatments Can Slow Hospitalizations Due to COVID, But Vaccines Are Best
Myron Cohen, MD Myron Cohen, MD, professor of medicine in infectious diseases and director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, said masks and vaccines remain the best line of defense against Covid in an NBC News story. “You want to prevent any disease you can, rather than treat it, because the consequences of the infection are grave,” he said. At the s … Read more
Five-Year $3 Million Grant Will Study Pay-It-Forward Approach to Gonorrhea Testing
Weiming Tang, PhD, Joseph Tucker, MD, PhD, and David van Duin, MD, PhD Pay-it-forward programs, whereby someone receives a gift or free service and then gives a gift to another person in return, have expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an opportunity for healthcare providers to reduce costs, increase uptake of interventions such as testing and vaccines, and promote … Read more
Weber Contributes Data to Discussions Regarding Student Vaccine Requirements
David Weber, MD, MPH Orange County Schools middle and high school students who are unvaccinated and want to play sports or take part in certain extracurricular activities will need to be tested twice a week for COVID-19. The school board decided in a unanimous vote to require the testing for students who want to be a cheerleader or join the band, chorus or theater this year. Davi … Read more
Sickbert-Bennett Discusses the Best Face Coverings For Children With School Starting Back
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, associate professor of infectious diseases, talked with CBS-17 about face coverings for children as school starts back, emphasizing comfort is especially important. Sickbert-Bennett has extensively researched masks throughout the pandemic and says parents should find a mask that kids are willing to wear properly all … Read more
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Weber Recognizes Masks and Social Distancing Remain Crucial With COVID Surge
David Weber, MD, MPH Doctors: Masks and Social Distancing Crucial As COVID-19 Cases Skyrocket (August 5, 2021) A WRAL.com news report acknowledges doctors are learning more everyday about the Delta variant, and as new information is released, it can be confusing and overwhelming. David Weber, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in infectious diseases, said it takes 15 minutes for delt … Read more
Boyce Awarded Doris Duke Funding for Malaria Study in Uganda
Ross Boyce, MD, MSc The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, a 2021 Clinical Scientist Development Award for his research proposal entitled, “Getting malaria off the back of women and children in western Uganda,” which aims at reducing the incidence of malaria among infants and young children in rural Uganda. Boyce, an assistant professor in UNC’s Div … Read more