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UNC School of Medicine

Category: Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine

  • Ric Boucher, MD

    Boucher Explains to US News & World Report How Coronavirus First Infects the Nose

    Ric Boucher, MD Richard Boucher, MD, discussed a major new scientific study that shows the coronavirus first infects the nasal passages, where cells have more of a protein that the virus needs to attach itself. “If the nose is the dominant initial site from which lung infections are seeded, then the widespread use of masks to protect the nasal passages, as well as any therapeutic … Read more

  • Richard Boucher-new-mask-newsweek-article

    Boucher, Baric Map SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cells of Nasal Cavity, Bronchia, Lungs 

    Richard Boucher, MD In a major scientific study published in the journal Cell, scientists have characterized the specific ways in which SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – infects the nasal cavity to a great degree – replicating specific cell types – and infects and replicates progressively less well in cells lower down the respiratory tract, including the lungs. … Read more

  • Austin Leads Compilation of Resources For Age-Friendly Best Practices in Pulmonary Care

    C. Adrian Austin, MD, MSCR C. Adrian Austin, MD, MSCR, instructor in the division of geriatric medicine and division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, led the compilation of a tool-kit for age-friendly pulmonary and critical care best practices. The project was sponsored by the American Thoracic Society. Key points include: In older patients with a critical illness, pre-IC … Read more

  • Thomas Bice, MD

    Bice Talks About Life After a Ventilator

    Thomas Bice, MD Thomas Bice, MD, MSc, assistant professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, discusses the use of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic and their lasting effects on patients which can lead to post-intensive care syndrome. “There are two groups of patients who end up with mechanical ventilation. The majority are on a ve … Read more

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    Fischer, Lazear Named Winners of Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship

    William Fischer, MD, and Helen Lazear, PhD William Fischer, MD, assistant professor in division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine in the UNC Department of Medicine, and Helen Lazear, PhD, assistant professor in the UNC Department of Microbiology and Immunology, were named recipients of this year’s Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship in Academic Medicine for their research a … Read more

  • Rivera Appointed Secretary-Treasurer of the American Thoracic Society, President in 2023

    Patricia Rivera, MD, ATSF (Credit: UNC Media) Patricia Rivera, MD, ATSF, professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, has been elected the secretary-treasurer of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and will serve as president of the organization in 2023. “This a banner day for the Division and the School of Medicine,” said Shannon Carson, MD, pro … Read more

  • Thomas Bice, MD

    Bice Recognized As Everyday Hero Caring For COVID-19 Patients

    Thomas Bice, MD, MSc Thomas Bice, MD, MSc, takes care of some of the sickest coronavirus patients at UNC Medical Center. He was recently named an everyday hero by Spectrum News. “This is the most severe pandemic certainly in my career,” said Bice, while expressing his optimism for current measures to slow the peak of the virus. He also reminds people that there are may other empl … Read more

  • dover-son-book-featured-physician

    Pulmonary Fellow Kenton Dover Creates Children’s Book For Families of Healthcare Workers

    Kenton Dover, MD, with his son Levi. (WRAL.com) Kenton Dover, MD, a fellow in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, created a children’s book with his son Levi, for families of healthcare workers. The book introduces a series of questions that a young child may ask in order to understand why a parent’s job requires more time away, compared to other careers. He say … Read more

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    Bice Interviewed by WRAL with Wife Katie, Who Organizes Meal Train for Healthcare Workers

    Thomas Bice, MD, and his wife Katie Bice. Thomas Bice, MD, assistant professor in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and his wife Katie, were interviewed by WRAL.com for an article about how the local community is supporting healthcare workers. Katie is working with volunteers to prepare individually-packed meals and organize deliveries to UNC Hospital workers. … Read more

  • March- Grants and Funding

    Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: March 1-March 31, 2020

    Division of Hematology and Oncology Nigel Key, MD, ChB, CRCP, received a $180,000 grant for the “Evaluating the Mechanism of Emicizumab-related Thrombotic Microangiopathy.” Tracy L. Rose, MD MPH, received an NCI K08 grant for the project “Selective histone deacetylase inhibition with entinostat to enhance the anti-tumor immune response to immune checkpoint inhibition in urothelia … Read more

  • UNC Receives Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers Accreditation

    H. James Ford, MD The UNC Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) program has received reaccreditation from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a Comprehensive Care Center (CCC) for the period 2019-2022, building upon their initial accreditation as the first CCC in the state in 2015.  This continued designation recognizes the ability to deliver the highest level of inpatient and outpat … Read more

  • Clare Mock, MD

    IHQI Improvement Scholars Announced, Five in Medicine

    Mildred Kwan The Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (IHQI) has announced projects that will be supported through IHQI’s Improvement Scholars Program. Half of these scholars are members of the UNC Department of Medicine, and they include the following.   Mildred Kwan, MD PhD, with lead Renae Boerneke, PharmD, BCPS, CPP — Reducing the Healthcare Utilization of Broad … Read more