In each e-newsletter we plan to profile research being done by one of our 40+ faculty members. This summer we are highlighting Dr. Millie Long from our IBD program.
Dr. Millie Long is an Associate Professor of Medicine who is dedicated to advancing care for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). A Chapel Hill native, Dr. Long returned to UNC in 2006 for a research fellowship in digestive disease epidemiology. She subsequently completed a Masters in Public Health in epidemiology, a clinical fellowship in gastroenterology, advanced clinical training in IBD, and a fellowship in preventive medicine. Since joining the faculty in 2010, Dr. Long has conducted health services and clinical outcomes research, as well as randomized controlled trials of new IBD therapies.
Dr. Long’s outcomes research has focused on estimating risks and preventing complications associated with IBD therapies, including non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma, herpes zoster, and pneumonia. Based on this work, sunscreen use and vaccinations are now recommended as standard of care for all patients with IBD. More recently, she worked with UNC colleagues Dr. Robert Sandler and Dr. Michael Kappelman to develop an internet-based cohort called CCFA Partners (www.ccfapartners.org). Initially launched in 2011, this cohort includes more than 14,000 patients with IBD. With subsequent funding from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), CCFA Partners has been transformed into a patient powered research network (PPRN) that seeks to understand the role of various risk factors and interventions on validated measures from the NIH Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Importantly, patients set the research agenda by proposing and voting on important research questions.
Beyond research, Dr. Long sees patients in the UNC Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center of Excellence. For the past five years she has directed the UNC School of Medicine Clinical Epidemiology Curriculum. She holds leadership positions in several GI societies, including Chair of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America Professional Education committee, and is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology Research committee and the American Gastroenterological Association Maintenance of Certification Task Force. Outside of work, Dr. Long enjoys running, swimming, and spending time with her family. A list of relevant publications can be found here.
To learn more about our division’s research click here.