Category: Infectious Diseases

Gay Discusses Novavax Trials, Need For Diverse Participants

Cindy Gay, MD, MPH A WTKR-News 3 story from northeastern North Carolina reports that UNC has begun enrolling participants for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine phase III trial. Cindy Gay, MD, associate professor in the division of infectious diseases, describes the need for a diverse participation for the trial, including people over the age of 65, Black and Latino communities, and pe … Read more

‘Why I’m still alive’: A patient’s gratitude, two decades later

Releasing All COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to NC With Guarantee of Second Dose Is Big Promise to Keep

David Wohl, MD CBS17 News reports that the Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday they would now ask states to stop holding back on COVID-19 vaccine doses. States were initially holding back doses to ensure that there would be enough for people come back for the recommended second dose. Federal public health officials said they hope this can help speed up the p … Read more

Wohl Recognizes High Demand For Vaccine and Currently Limited Supply

David Wohl, MD WTVD-11 reports UNC Health began administering COVID-19 vaccines to people 75 years of age and older under Phase 1B on Monday and that more health care providers in North Carolina are opening up vaccinations to those who qualify under Phase 1B. Already, existing appointments at UNC Health are booked, but David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infe … Read more

FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization to Moderna Vaccine

Joseph Eron, MD Joe Eron, MD, chief of the division of infectious diseases discussed the FDA’s approval of the Moderna COVID vaccine with WGN News Nation. He talked about his role as an investigator during the trials and recognized that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are highly effective. He also emphasized the importance of getting people engaged and interested in receivin … Read more

Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: December 1 – December 31, 2020

Division of Hematology Nigel Mackman, PhD, FAHA, received an R35 grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH to fund the study “Tissue factor-dependent coagulation in thrombosis and immune responses.” Division of Infectious Diseases Jessica Lin, MD, MSCR, received an NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases R21 grant for “Plasmodium ovale hy … Read more

Study Points the Way to Boosting Immunotherapy Effectiveness Against Breast Cancer and Other Solid Tumors

Jonathan S. Serody, MD Boosting immune system T cells to effectively attack solid tumors, such as breast cancers, can be done by adding a small molecule to a treatment procedure called chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapy, according to a study by researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The boost helps recruit more immune cells into battle at the … Read more

UNC Begins Enrollment for Novavax COVID-19 vaccine phase III clinical trial

Cindy Gay, MD, MPH Cindy Gay, MD, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, is leading the phase III clinical trial of the promising COVID-19 vaccine candidate for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Medical Center. Gay, who also leads the UNC Moderna vaccine phase III clinical trial, says the work behind finding COVID-19 vaccines isn’t over. Learn mo … Read more

White House Identifies Triangle Counties As Sustained Hotspots

David Wohl, MD Newly released data from the White House indicates 87 of North Carolina’s counties, including Durham, Orange and Wake counties, are “sustained hotspots” for COVID-19. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, says there’s a limit to how many people, not only local hospitals, but also large regional medical centers, can take care … Read more

Rosengren-Hovee Receives Gilead Research Scholar Award to Study How Social Media Stigma Affect PrEP Uptake

Lina Rosengren Hovee, MD Lina Rosengren-Hovee, MD, MPH, MS, assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases, received a 2020 Gilead Research Scholar Award for an HIV study that will yield insights into the social media ecosystem that prominently affects uptake Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Young Black Men who have Sex with Men (YBMSM). Types of stigma promulgated o … Read more

Fellows Match to the Department of Medicine

While the pandemic made this year particularly challenging for fellowship recruitment efforts and interviews, a series of videos showing each program’s strengths was a creative solution, introducing viewers to faculty and current fellows, with a brief glimpse into what it might be like to join the program. And although it was impossible to replicate the experience of visiting in- … Read more

North Carolina Needs to Do More to Protect Workers From COVID-19, Civil Rights Leaders Say

David Wohl, MD A labor advocate group is asking a North Carolina court to have the state’s Department of Labor reconsider additional actions to protect frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABC-13 News reports the request comes after Labor Secretary Cherie Berry said the pandemic is not a workplace hazard. “We know that this virus can be transmitted from one infected pe … Read more