Category: News

The recent rise in cases of measles is especially frightening for parents of babies who cannot yet be vaccinated, and many are wondering if it’s safe to get on an airplane or go to the grocery store. In this article from UNC Health Talk, a pediatric infectious disease expert answers...

UNC Children's is proud to announce that Michael Kappelman, MD, MPH was honored by the Triangle Business Journal as the recipient of a 2026 Health Care Leadership Award.

A recent story from CBS 17 highlights the journey of Dr. Kim Stephens and her family’s experience living with Hunter syndrome (MPS II). The article also features ongoing research efforts at the UNC School of Medicine focused on developing new treatment approaches for rare genetic disorders.

Afsaneh Pirzadeh, MD, Associate Professor in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, has been awarded the Medical Staff Physician Excellence Committee (MSPEC) Award for Physician Excellence in Clinical Care

Elise Hickman, PhD, in the Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine working with Dr. Megan Rebuli in Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, and Brittany Raffa, MD, Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, have been named 2026 CTSA K12 Scholars as part of the Gene Orringer Junior Faculty Career Development Program (TraCS...

According to recent reporting from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the UNC SOM is ranked among the top five public universities for NIH funding in 2025, with Pediatrics included among ten UNC clinical departments in the Top 30.

A newly established lectureship, the Department of Pediatrics Dr. Margaret W. Leigh Lectureship, will honor the legacy of Margaret “Magee” W. Leigh, MD, a now-retired physician in the UNC Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and a highly respected leader in the field. The new lectureship will bring world-renowned experts to UNC...

UNC researchers have received ~$7.3M from NHLBI to lead the Rare Bronchiectatic Diseases Consortium, advancing research on four rare lung diseases that cause progressive bronchiectasis. The effort builds on UNC’s national leadership and aims to accelerate discovery, clinical trials, and new therapies for underserved patient populations.

Martina Gentzsch, PhD was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics effective February 1, 2026. Dr. Gentzsch’s research focuses on uncovering potential targets for therapy of chronic lung diseases

Maureen Petersen, MD, Division of Allergy-Immunology, was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics effective February 1, 2026. Dr. Petersen has been a faculty member at UNC since 2024, following her career in the US Army.