News

Abstracts are now being accepted for the 7th ELSI Congress, which will be held on June 22 – 24, 2026 in Chapel Hill, NC. The submission period is January 16 – February 16. For over three decades, the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research...

Victor J. Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine, will host the 2025 President’s Forum, Health Leadership in Turbulent Times: Shaping Science, Medicine, Policy, and Trust in a New Era, on Monday, October 20, from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. ET in Washington, DC. This year’s Forum will bring together distinguished leaders to explore...

Gail Henderson, PhD of the Social Medicine Department was recently awarded a U13 grant from the NHGRI Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program. Since its creation in 1990, NHGRI’s Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program has supported a large body of empirical, analytical and conceptual research...

Payal Chakraborty is an Assistant Professor of Social Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and core faculty in the UNC Center for Thriving Communities. Dr. Chakraborty is an epidemiologist whose research focuses on understanding the impact of structural marginalization (e.g., discriminatory policies, restrictive reproductive health policies)...

After graduating with my PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology, I searched for opportunities to better understand the intersections of science with society. The perfect position arose as a joint postdoc between three incredible UNC programs: the Center for Bioethics, the Program in Precision Medicine and Healthcare, and the ELSI@UNC...

After more than a decade of working alongside communities, the Center for Health Equity Research is beginning a new chapter as the Center for Thriving Communities. With an expanded mission, scope, and suite of services, the team is excited to amplify community-engaged research at UNC-Chapel Hill and in the communities...

Dr. Fisher was awarded a grant from the Greenwall Foundation to develop an ethical framework for implementing oral food challenges in allergy clinical practice.

Dr. Walker’s new book, Of Mice and Primates (Oxford University Press 2025), reorients our moral concern about animal research, and offers a moral theory focused on what actually happens in research settings.

Mara Buchbinder, PhD, has been named chair of the department of social medicine. Dr. Buchbinder, who currently serves as the department’s vice chair, will assume the role on Feb. 1, 2025. In addition to her role, Dr. Buchbinder is professor of social medicine and adjunct professor of anthropology at UNC,...