When Dr. Fernando Augusto de Albuquerque Mendes Filho—yes, it’s a mouthful, but we promise he’s as friendly as his name is long—first considered a move to the U.S., he had three things in mind: great people, a collegial environment, and absolutely minimal snow. Now officially a Clinical Instructor in the MSK section at UNC’s Department of Radiology, he’s found all three (plus the added bonus of excellent Southern food). Born and raised in northeast Brazil, Fernando grew up in a small town where his father was a local physician and a pillar of the community—the kind of doctor who held consultations in the family garage. From watching his dad care for neighbors to seeing patients drive up to the house for help, Fernando was inspired early by medicine’s power to build trust and serve a community. And though young Fernando once dreamed of being a professional soccer player (we mean footballer), the uncertainty on that path (“I was not that good anyway”) nudged him toward the books—and eventually, into medicine. He landed on Radiology not through textbooks but through curiosity. “During my rotations, whether it was OB/GYN, Internal Medicine, Neurology, or Orthopedics, we would have a patient and a question,

Researchers from the UNC Biomedical Research Imaging Center and UNC Radiology published their article “charting brain functional development from birth to 6 years of age” on April 15, 2025 in Nature Human Behaviour. What an awesome accomplishment! The researchers include Weili Lin, Dinggang Shen, Hongtu Zhu, Keith Smith, Pew-Thian Yap, and Han Zhang. This study highlights the importance of early childhood in brain development. By analyzing over 1,000 resting-state fMRI scans from children aged 0 to 6, researchers created developmental charts showing how brain networks connect and change over time. These charts revealed key milestones and showed that differences from typical patterns are linked to cognitive abilities in infants. The findings suggest that brain connectivity charts could help track healthy brain development. Read the Full Article

When Dr. Rom Ferre steps into the Radiology Department at the University of North Carolina (UNC), he is not just starting a new job—he is fulfilling a journey years in the making. A journey that began in France, bridged through Canada, and is now landing in Chapel Hill, where he will join as an Associate Professor in the Breast Imaging Division. A Passion Ignited by Technology and Patient Care Dr. Ferre’s love for radiology is not just about images on a screen; it’s about evolving technology and patient-centered care. From the moment he was introduced to digital breast tomosynthesis and now contrast-enhanced mammography, he was captivated. “I have never been bored with radiology,” he says with a laugh. “New technologies keep emerging, and we must constantly evolve our knowledge. Having the right tools makes all the difference in diagnosis and patient outcomes.” Why UNC? A Longstanding Connection UNC’s reputation for cutting-edge research and its collaborative environment drew Dr. Ferre in back in 2017 when he first met Dr. Cherie Kuzmiak. The visit left an indelible impression. “I was like a boy in a candy store,” he recalls. “The facilities, the equipment—it was amazing! I knew I had to be part