Tag: 2026

Dr. Kirk brings more than a decade of leadership in ambulatory care across the department. From 2014 to 2024, she was Medical Director of the Endocrinology Clinic, and since 2019, she has held the role of Vice Chief for Clinical Affairs in the Division of Endocrinology. In 2023, Dr. Kirk...

On July 29, the University of North Carolina Heart Valve team performed North Carolina’s first commercial fully percutaneous transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). The milestone makes UNC the first hospital in the state to provide the treatment and the only hospital in North Carolina that can offer transcatheter repair and...

Carolina Meadows expansion Due to a physician retirement at Carolina Meadows, the Division of Geriatric Medicine will take over medical directorship and additional patient sessions. Dr. Meredith Gilliam has taken on the role of temporary Medical Director at Carolina Meadows. New Geriatrics Clinic Assistant Medical Director Dominic Boccaccio, MD is now the...

Karina Whelan, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, has been selected as the new CAP course director. Dr. Whelan brings extensive experience in undergraduate medical education, a deep understanding of the Application Phase curriculum, and a strong commitment to continuous course improvement...

In an article on Ozempic alternatives for weight loss, Forbes Magazine asks Dr. John Batsis about alternatives to GLP-1s and other popular weight loss drugs and treatments. According to Dr. Batsis, “No natural or over-the-counter product has been shown to produce weight loss comparable to FDA-approved semaglutide or tirzepatide therapy.”...

UNC Hospitals has earned recertification as a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Accreditation by the American College of Cardiology. This recognition acknowledges the organization’s continued commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care for patients experiencing acute coronary syndromes. The Chest Pain Center is a collaboration of work...

Richard F. Loeser, Jr., MD, Director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center and Joseph P. Archie, Jr. Eminent Professor of Medicine in UNC’s Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, received a $2.265 million, 4-year, award from the National Institute on Aging for his project, “Integrin Signaling in Osteoarthritis.” Osteoarthritis (OA)...

Ashwin Somasundaram, MD, assistant professor of medicine with the division of oncology, received a Dr. Robert F. Vizza Lustgarten Clinical Accelerator Initiative (CAI) grant from the Lustgarten Foundation. His study, “A randomized, phase II study of subjects with advanced basal-like pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with a KRAS G12D inhibitor and erlotinib...

Ryan Terrell will begin a new role as Senior Business Intelligence Analyst with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, effective July 19. Ryan has been with the UNC Department of Medicine for more than a decade, most recently serving as Director of Finance. Since 2015, he has played...

Last month, over 160 attendees gathered for the the 4th annual SLAM-DUNC (Symposium for Learning about Alzheimer’s disease-related Medical Research at Duke and UNC).

M. Bradley Drummond, MD, MHS, will serve as the new Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine, effective September 1, 2026. Dr. Drummond is currently a Professor of Medicine, Vice Chief of Outpatient Services, Medical Co-Director of...

As the first accredited center in the state, this recognition highlights UNC’s leadership in multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism care and commitment to improving patient outcomes. The University of North Carolina has been officially designated as a Comprehensive Care Pulmonary Embolism Center of Excellence™ by The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium®....