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8th Annual Graduate Student Welcome Event

February 4, 2022
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...

Shrestha wins 2021 Sharp Award

February 4, 2022
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,...

Fall ‘20 and Spring ‘21 Graduates of the UNC Chapel Hill Department of Microbiology & Immunology

February 4, 2022
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...

Dinnon receives 2021 Manire Award

February 4, 2022
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...

Casazza and Lopez awarded Dissertation Completion Fellowships

February 4, 2022
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...

Tian wins 2022 Junior Faculty Development Award

December 11, 2021
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...

Wolfgang granted Creativity Hub Pilot Pre-Proposal Award

December 10, 2021
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...

Inhalon Biopharma Receives $7 Million from USAMRDC to Study Inhaled “Muco-trapping” Antibody for the Treatment of COVID-19: Sam Lai Article

October 1, 2021
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 by the U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command (USAMRDC) to conduct a placebo-controlled Phase 1/2a study of...

Antibodies Stop Sperm in Their Tracks: Sam Lai Article

October 1, 2021
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, that make them less than ideal for some people. Enter antisperm antibodies, described in a study published today (August 11) in...

Dr. Jason Whitmire awarded DoD Investigator-Initiated Research Award

September 22, 2021
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”,...