Research News
From Lab Bench to Leadership: Dr. Victoria Bautch’s Impact on UNC McAllister Heart Institute
Victoria Bautch, PhD, has supported cardiovascular research at UNC for nearly 30 years. She served as a founding member of the McAllister Heart Institute, ultimately dedicating seven years to being co-director. On June 30 she will step down from her leadership position. “I just, I love science. I love figuring out how things work. There’s … Read more
Manuscript co-authored by UNC Hematology Researchers Accepted in Blood Advances
Nirupama Ramadas, PhD, Fatima Trebak, PhD, Rafal Pawlinski, PhD, and Erin Sparkenbaugh, PhD, with the UNC Division of Hematology, are co-authors of “Biased agonism of protease-activated receptor-1 regulates thrombo-inflammation in murine sickle cell disease.” Their manuscript was accepted in Blood Advances, a journal of the American Society of Hematology. The study shows APC inhibition exacerbates … Read more
Lemon Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Stanley M. Lemon, MD Stanley M. Lemon, MD, professor of medicine in the UNC Division of Infectious Diseases and a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest … Read more
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: February 1 – February 29, 2024
The UNC Department of Medicine ranked 23rd in the country in total National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for federal fiscal year 2023 and 8th among peer public universities, according to a new report published by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology Saira Sheikh, MD, Vimal Derebail, MD, … Read more
Allergist Provide Insights for Managing Food Allergies and Food-Related Anaphylaxis
Drs. Mildred Kwan and Onyinye Iweala A recent review article published in JAMA by Drs. Edward Iglesia, Mildred Kwan, Yamini Virkud, and Onyinye Iweala reviewed the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of IgE-mediated food allergies in the United States. IgE-mediated allergic reactions to food are caused by immunoglobulin (Ig)E allergy antibodies. Such reactions typically occur within … Read more
Monroe, Fager Publish “Stopping the bleed when platelets don’t stick”
Dougald Monroe, PhD Dougald Monroe, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and the UNC Blood Research Center, co-authored an article with Ammon Fager, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University titled, “Stopping the bleed when platelets don’t stick” in Nature Cardiovascular Medicine. The commentary discusses a novel bifunctional antibody that … Read more
New Trial Highlights Incremental Progress Towards a Cure for HIV-1
Cynthia L. Gay, MD, MPH, associate professor of infectious diseases, and David Margolis, MD, the Sarah Kenan Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology, and Epidemiology in the UNC School of Medicine, published results of a clinical trial showing that vorinostat and immunotherapy may modestly shrink the latent HIV reservoir. Cindy Gay, MD, MPH Antiretroviral … Read more
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: January 1 – January 31, 2024
Division of Oncology Lisa Carey, MD, received a $225K grant titled, “Clinical implications of metastatic subtype, microenvironment, and organ of involvement.” Joannie Ivory, MD, was granted $240K for her project, “Participant Enrollment in a Multi-Site Randomized Clinical Trial of Endocrine Therapy Adherence Support.” Yara Abdou, MD, was awarded $240K to investigate molecular residual disease by ctDNA … Read more
Metformin Use Shows No Increase in Gastrointestinal Adverse Events During GLP-1RA Initiation
A recent study analyzing data from four pivotal clinical trials—LEADER, STEP 2, SUSTAIN 6, and PIONEER 6—evaluated the impact of concomitant metformin use on gastrointestinal adverse events during the initiation and titration of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA). Klara Klein, MD, PhD Klara Klein, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the UNC Division … Read more
First comprehensive medical guideline on management of pouchitis released
Edward Barnes, MD, MPH, co-first author, is an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and John Haydek, MD, MSCS, author, is an advanced inflammatory bowel diseases fellow. Drs. Barnes and Haydek The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released the first comprehensive evidence-based guideline on the management of pouchitis, the most common complication … Read more
UNC Researchers Reveal Prevalence of Persistent Symptoms in Patients with Microscopic Colitis
A new study led by Walker Redd, MD, at the UNC School of Medicine, examines how multiple factors contribute to the miscommunication and understanding of the digestive disease, microscopic colitis. Walker Redd, MD It’s a hidden cause of diarrhea and the development of the disease is poorly understood. Multiple factors work against the diagnosis of … Read more
Removing the Penicillin Allergic Label: Researchers Introduce PADME
Doctors at the UNC School of Medicine, including Mildred Kwan, MD, PhD, and Cincinnati Children’s collaborate to develop an innovative, patient-initiated online platform designed to remove the penicillin allergy label from misdiagnosed pediatric patients. Here’s the scene. Your child appears to be sick. You take their temperature. Fever is over 100. Their throat hurts. You … Read more