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A Newborn Genetic Screening Study Reaches New Milestone

February 26, 2024

A research study named Early Check has screened 1,000 newborns after birth in an effort to help identify rare conditions early, provide treatment, give parents educational information, and connect families with specialists throughout the state of North Carolina.

Young Joins UNC as Gene Therapy Center Director

February 19, 2024

The Department of Pediatrics is thrilled to announce that Samuel M. Young, Jr., PhD has accepted the position as a Roper Investigator, Professor with Tenure and Director of the UNC Gene Therapy Center. Dr. Young will join the Department on June 28th, 2024. Dr. Young joins us from the University of Iowa where he is currently appointed as a Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and serves as the Director of the Molecular Auditory Research in the Department of Otolaryngology.

Four Pediatrics Faculty Selected for Passing the Torch in 2023

October 23, 2023

Dr. Cara Beth Carr, Assistant Professor in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Dr. Clara Hildebrandt, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Genetics & Metabolism, Dr. Elisabeth Leong, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, and Dr. Lindsay Marszal, Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine have been selected to be a part of the 2023-2024 Passing the Torch Cohort.

Early Check Study to Use Genome Sequencing to Dramatically Expand Voluntary Screening Offered for NC Newborns

September 21, 2023

This RTI/UNC-Chapel Hill collaboration will be the first US study offering genome sequencing and genetic risk scores for type 1 diabetes statewide. UNC School of Medicine leads are Cynthia Powell, MD and Jennifer Law, MD in Pediatrics. Early Check, a groundbreaking research study that provides free health tests to newborns up to four weeks old in North Carolina, will begin offering genome sequencing to screen for hundreds of childhood-onset genetic conditions and assess a newborn’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes in their lifetime. Enrollment for the expanded study is expected to begin Thursday, Sept. 28.

Welcome New Genetic Counselor: Jennifer Sullivan, MS

August 21, 2023

Jennifer Sullivan joined Genetics and Metabolism on August 21, 2022. In 1994, Ms. Sullivan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She received a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina in 1996. Ms. Sullivan has worked as a Genetic Counselor at Duke University since 1997. Welcome Jennifer!

Welcome New Physician Faculty: Michael Adams, MD

February 1, 2023

Michael Adams joined the Division of Genetics and Metabolism as a Clinical Instructor on February 1, 2023. Dr. Adams earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University in 2010 and his MD with us at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in 2019, followed by a Clinical Genetics Fellowship with the Pediatric Division of Genetics and Metabolism at UNC in 2021. He has been maintaining his clinical skills with us in Pediatrics while doing post-doctoral work with the Carolina Health Informatics Program at UNC since 2021. Congratulations Michael!

Welcome New Researcher: Sara Powell, PhD

September 1, 2022

Sara K. Powell joined the joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetics and Metabolism on September 1, 2022. Dr. Powell earned her PhD in Genetics and Genomics from Duke University in 2014. Dr. Powell began her post doctoral training with the UNC-CH Gene Therapy Center in 2014 and has been a Senior Research Assistant in the McCown Lab since 2021. Congratulations Sara!

Welcome New Researcher: Tierra Bobo, PhD

August 1, 2022

Tierra Bobo joined the joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetics and Metabolism on August 1, 2022. Dr. Bobo received her PhD from The Ohio State University in Human Molecular Genetics in 2016. She also, received her Bachelors of Science Degree in biological science from The Ohio State University in 2010. Most recnetly, Dr. Bobo has been a Post Doctoral Research Assistant the Gene Therapy Center working with Dr. Haiyan Fu. Congratulations Tierra!

Welcome New Genetic Counselor: Raphael Smith, MS

August 1, 2022

Raphael Smith joined Genetics and Metabolism on August 1, 2022. In 2005, Mr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the Appalachian State University. He received a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May 2022. Welcome Raphael!

Welcome New Genetic Counselor: Ashlyn Stackhouse, MS

July 11, 2022

Ashlyn Stackhouse joined Genetics and Metabolsim on July 11, 2022. Ms. Stackhouse received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019. She received a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from Virgina Commonwealth University in May 2022. Welcome Ashlyn!