Author Archives: Sheerah Coe

If you’ve ever wondered who helps turn big research ideas into real patient impact, you’re probably thinking of someone like Kaila Brustkern. Kaila plays a hands-on role in radiology research, working directly with patients and study teams to move projects forward from concept to completion. Her days are anything but...

We are pleased to announce that Louise Henderson and Andrew Moon, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UNC, have been awarded a new NIH/NCI-funded grant (R21CA313041). Lauren Burke serves as a co-investigator on this project. Project Title: Early Detection of Liver Cancer Among Patients with Cirrhosis and MASLD...

If you’ve ever joined the Department of Radiology as a faculty member or APP and found your onboarding process smoother than expected, chances are Mackenzie Cranford had something to do with it. As a credentialing coordinator, Mackenzie works behind the scenes to ensure that every clinician is fully vetted, approved,...

Congratulations to our incoming 2026 Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology residents on Match Day! We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group to our program. Your hard work and dedication have brought you to this exciting milestone, and we look forward to supporting you as you begin the next chapter of...

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after a research grant is awarded—how the dollars are tracked, the teams are supported, and the details stay aligned, Josephine Muiruri is the person making it all work behind the scenes. As an Accountant in Radiology, Josephine manages post-award operations for funded research grants. In simple...

The UNC Cardiothoracic Imaging division marked a historic milestone this year, significantly expanding its educational footprint at the Society of Thoracic Radiology (STR) 2026 Annual Meeting held in beautiful Puerto Rico. Our team delivered a robust presence with four oral presentations, one scientific poster, and four educational posters. This achievement...

We are pleased to share several important leadership updates within the Department of Radiology. Lauren Burke, MD, FSAR, has been appointed as our inaugural Vice Chair of Enterprise Imaging Integration. The creation of this role represents a significant milestone as our Department continues to expand its presence across the health...

If you’ve ever needed to reach a radiologist quickly, clarify a study, or make sure an urgent finding gets where it needs to go—chances are, Brit Kim helped make that connection happen. As an Administrative Support Specialist, Brit plays a behind-the-scenes role that keeps the clinical engine of UNC Radiology...

If you walk into the Epidemiology Research Team on any given day, you’ll likely find Danielle Durham, data scientist and resident problem-solver, immersed in what she affectionately describes as “puzzles.” While her work focuses on lung cancer screening, large datasets, and statistical modeling, Danielle sees the job through a more playful—and...

UNC Radiology was proud to bring together faculty, trainees, alumni, and friends at this year’s RSNA for our annual Alumni Society Reception, hosted at Cindy’s. The evening offered a warm and welcoming space for our community to reconnect, share updates, and celebrate the ongoing achievements of Tar Heels across the...

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A research team led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled a transformative new approach to mapping the brain’s white matter pathways—one that eliminates the need for diffusion MRI (dMRI), long considered essential for tractography. Published in Nature Communications, the study introduces Anatomy-to-Tract Mapping (ATM),...

From gene expression to brain signaling imbalances, studies bring us closer to better diagnosis and treatment  SAN DIEGO — Researchers are shedding light on neural mechanisms underlying the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. These findings were presented at Neuroscience 2025, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s...