A message from Janet Rubin, MD, Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the division of endocrinology and metabolism and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine.
For the last two months, except the (many) researchers working specifically on Covid-19 related topics, our labs have been closed. People are taking advantage of this time to finish papers and write grants, doing all meetings on the web. Grant deadlines have not changed, with submission going smoothly. Of course, everyone in research is anxious to get back into their labs, which are projected to open June 1, where everyone will wear masks and adhere to social distancing plans.
On the Covid-19 front, UNC research has been very active both inpatient and outpatient with clinical trials. To approach the volume of trials being proposed for in-patient care, the department developed a rapid review committee, chaired by Dr. Anne Lachiewicz, which had its first meeting last week (we very much appreciate the administrative leadership provided by Dr. Carrie Lee and Ashwini Roy-Chaudhury).
As a new academic year beckons, the department will be looking for faculty who would like to utilize our K-grant writing group (contact Drs. Laura Loehr and Susan Hogan) or apply for Clinical and Translational Science Awards, supported by our R-grant writing group (contact Susan Pusek at NC TraCS).
Janet Rubin, MD
Vice Chair for Research