Latest News
Another reason to exercise: burning bone fat – a key to better bone health
UNC School of Medicine researchers use new imaging methods to show that running burns fat in bone marrow, with benefits for bone health. The best effect was seen in obese mice. Maya Styner, MD, was the study's lead author.
Class of 2017 Celebrates Commencement
On May 13, the UNC School of Medicine Class of 2017 gathered with faculty, friends, and family in Memorial Hall to celebrate their graduation. The class selected surgeon Elizabeth Dreesen, MD, as commencement speaker.
Strategy significantly boosts colorectal screening for groups with low rates
UNC Lineberger researchers led by Dan Reuland, MD, MPH, report in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine that providing one-on-one support and customized tools for decision-making increased screening rates for patients at two community health centers in North Carolina and New Mexico.
UNC Lineberger’s 41st Annual Scientific Symposium to focus on signal transduction in cancer
UNC Lineberger's 41st Annual Scientific Symposium will focus on "Developmental Signal Transduction Pathways in Cancer.” The symposium will be held May 22-23 at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill.
For anorexia nervosa, researchers implicate genetic locus on chromosome 12
UNC researchers led the most powerful genomic study of anorexia nervosa conducted to date to identify the common roots anorexia shares with psychiatric and metabolic traits. Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED, was the study's lead investigator.
Mending Hearts in Nicaragua
In February, three UNC interventional cardiologists and a team of dedicated health care professionals travelled to Nicaragua to perform a life-saving, minimally invasive procedure on as many patients as they could, and to bring the best in cardiac care to a country without heart surgeons.
Zika expert to headline Science Café at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
Matt Collins, MD, PhD, will headline the May 18 Science Café at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. Collins will discuss ongoing diagnostic and vaccine development for the Zika virus currently underway at the UNC School of Medicine.
Researchers map genetic changes in glioblastoma as it progresses, test potential treatment strategy
In a pair of preclinical studies published in the journal Neuro-Oncology, researchers from UNC Lineberger and the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute report on the genetic evolution of glioblastoma as it progresses in severity and a potential strategy to treat this often fast-growing brain cancer type. Ryan C. Miller, MD, PhD, is the study's senior author.
Called to Service
As a physician, leader, and educator, Cristen P. Page, MD, MPH, is focused on improving care and updating medical training to keep up with the modern world of health care. She’ll bring all of that to bear as chair of the Department of Family Medicine.
Mobile Clinic Offers Care to Farm Workers
Once a week during the spring and summer growing season, UNC physicians, nurses, residents, and medical students travel to Benson, NC, to provide care for the area's migrant farmworker population.
Study confirms link between alcohol consumption, breast cancer risk in black women
In findings published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers confirmed the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in a study in black women. The association has been seen in other studies drawn from majority white populations.
UNC wins competitive NIH grant to study how nicotine affects lungs
UNC Marsico Lung Institute researchers Rob Tarran, PhD, and Mehmet Kesimer, PhD, will lead a $2.3-million, five-year project, which will include the study of electronic cigarettes.
UNC labs awarded Emerging Challenges in Biomedical Research grants
The UNC School of Medicine and NC TraCS announced that three labs were selected for $50,000 pilot grants to further Alzheimer’s Disease research being conducted at UNC.
Popular iPhone app to study postpartum depression expands to new countries, modules and Android version
One year after launching iOS version of PPD ACT in the U.S. and Australia, UNC School of Medicine launches an Android version and Canada launches iOS app to increase participation.
Researchers find molecular trigger for brain inflammation
UNC School of Medicine research findings could lead to new drug targets for treating multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Brotherly Love, No Matter What
UNC undergraduate Austin Ludwig works at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities to play a role in autism research he hopes will help millions of people, perhaps even his younger brother.
UNC's Robert McGinty Named 2017 Searle Scholar
Robert McGinty, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the division of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy with a joint appointment in the department of biochemistry and biophysics in the UNC School of Medicine, has been selected as a 2017 Searle Scholar. He is the first Searle Scholar named at the University of North Carolina in the past 10 years.
UNC SOM professor consults with Sesame Street to create character with autism
Listen to Laura Klinger, PhD, on WUNC's The State of Things discussing the creation of a new Sesame Street character Julia, who is depicted as having autism. Klinger, director of the UNC TEACCH Autism Program, was an expert consultant in the creation of the character.
UNC School of Medicine's Leslie Parise elected UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Chair
Parise is completing a second term on the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) and Faculty Council, where she pushed for improvements to the campus work-life environment and initiated discussions that led to creation of the Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Can virtual reality help us prevent falls in the elderly and others?
For the elderly and people with neurodegenerative conditions, balance is not taken for granted. UNC and NC State biomedical engineers are using a new virtual reality system that might one day be used to reveal balance impairments currently undetectable during conventional testing or normal walking.