The UNC Department of Medicine encourages the community to learn and reflect on the significance of Juneteenth (June 19), and to consider how we can work together to make our community more inclusive and equitable.  (Following is a historical overview, published June 18, 2020.) What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

Tom Miller, MD, professor of medicine in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology, will retire after 29 years as a UNC faculty member. Miller will best be remembered for his devotion to teaching medical students and residents, which he says brought fulfillment and made him a better doctor. He will also be remembered … Read more

UNC Health’s Patient Relations has announced the winners of this year’s Carolina Care Excellence Awards. Patients were asked if they would recommend UNC Health providers and their offices to friends and family, and 173 UNC Faculty Physician providers received the highest possible rating, placing them in the top quartile nationally. In recognition of their caring … Read more

Disability Awareness People with disabilities represent a diverse group with a wide range of needs, and some of these are not easy to see. Disparities abound in this population, from access to health care to education and employment. Many people with disabilities also have underlying health needs that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Unfortunately, … Read more

Barbara Gillespie, MD, FASN, Keisha Gibson, MD, MPH, and Amy Mottl, MD, participated in a virtual scientific workshop sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and the US Drug Administration on December 14-17.  They were among 90 people representing a range of key stakeholders including faculty experts in clinical trials, nephrology and other relevant topic areas, … Read more

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 on social media … Read more

Following is a letter of appreciation to medicine faculty, from Nina M. Browner, MD, for demonstrating “Herculean” efforts during the pandemic. Browner is the Bryson Distinguished Associate Professor of Neurology and vice-chair for education in the UNC Department of Neurology. December 3, 2020 Dear Dr. Falk, As a program director and physician of many potentially … Read more