On July 26th, 2021, the M&I Department held their 8th annual Graduate Student Welcome event. Family members and guest of new students participated via Zoom from across the country to learn about life as a graduate student, UNC Chapel Hill, and the MCRO Ph.D. program. Department members located in Chapel Hill were welcomed in-person for … Read more
The winner of the 2021 Sharp Award was Bhawana “Suruchi” Shrestha (Lai lab). The D. Gordon Sharp Graduate Innovator Award, established in 2014, is given annually in memory of Dr. D. Gordon Sharp, recognizing his innovation, curiosity, and mentorship to graduate students. Students receiving this award exhibit exceptional creativity, perseverance, and the independence in their … Read more
We are delighted to acknowledge the following 14 Microbiology and Immunology graduate students who earned their Ph.D. degrees. Graduates and their immediate career plans follow: Clare Gyorke (Nagaragjan lab), medical writer at Ashfield MedComms Derek Carbaugh (Lazear lab), scientist at Asklepios BioPharmaceuticals (PA) Olivia Council (Swanstrom lab), postdoc at UNC Chapel Hill Peter Xu (Serody … Read more
The winner of the 2021 Manire Award was Kenneth (Kenny) H. Dinnon III (Baric lab). Dinnon’s began his graduate research studying Zika virus, Dengue virus, MERS, and the antiviral drug, remdesivir. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In response, Dinnon created a mouse model for SAR-CoV-2 infection that was used to investigate disease progression and treatments. … Read more
Becca Casazza (Lazear lab) and Lacey Lopez (Arthur lab) were awarded Dissertation Completion Fellowships for the 2021-22 academic year. The fellowships, awarded by The Graduate School, provide at least $18,000 in stipend, and pay tuition, fees, and health insurance in full. Casazza and Lopez continue a long line of success for MCRO students, 11 of … Read more
Vaccination efforts over the past century have provided numerous benefits for society, such as the ability to travel and meet friends and family during the holidays. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only reminded us all not to take these vaccines for granted, but also provided a glimpse into the future where the spread of warmer … Read more
Matthew Wolfgang, associate professor of microbiology and immunology and member of the Marsico Lung Institute, has been granted a UNC Creativity Hubs Pilot Pre-Proposal Award by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. The Creativity Hubs Award program was formed to foster multidisciplinary research for the development of novel discoveries and unique solutions to … Read more
Inhalon Biopharma Receives $7 Million from USAMRDC to Study Inhaled “Muco-trapping” Antibody for the Treatment of COVID-19 DURHAM, N.C., May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Inhalon Biopharma, a start-up immunotherapy company developing an inhaled “muco-trapping” antibody platform for treating a variety of acute respiratory infections (ARI), today announced that it has been awarded a $7 million contract … Read more
Engineered antibodies trap and immobilize human sperm in the reproductive tract of female sheep, paving the way for possible use as a nonhormonal contraceptive in people. Currently, most available birth control options are barrier methods or rely on hormones to prevent fertilization of an egg—both of which have drawbacks, such as discomfort or side effects, … Read more
Jason Whitmire, PhD (Professor, Department of Genetics, Department of Microbiology & Immunology), was awarded a Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award by the US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity of the Department of Defense (DoD). This four year award titled “Pathogenic T Cells in Guillain Barre Syndrome”, is a collaborative project with … Read more
