New drug holds potential to defeat coronaviruses
June 28, 2017 Scientists at the Gillings School have confirmed that an experimental antiviral treatment prevents the development of SARS coronavirus disease in mice. The drug, GS-5734, also inhibits MERS-CoV and multiple other coronaviruses (CoV), suggesting that the treatment may inhibit all CoV.
ACL reconstructions on the rise in US, particularly among teen girls
June 16, 2017 A new study has found that, in the United States, there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions among females 13-17 years old.
Study findings suggest some individuals are genetically more vulnerable to harm from air pollution
June 9, 2017 Findings from a study led by a doctoral student of epidemiology suggest that some individuals are genetically susceptible to experiencing especially negative effects from air pollution, even when pollution levels fall below current U.S. accepted standards.
Drug company payments associated with physicians’ prescribing choices for cancer drugs
June 2, 2017 Gillings School investigators found an association between physicians receiving payments from pharmaceutical companies for meals, talks and travel and those physicians prescribing the companies' drugs for two types of cancer. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
UNC Gillings co-hosts conference to advance implementation science
May 17, 2017 On May 4, students, faculty and researchers from across UNC came together with representatives from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and King’s College London to share experiences with developing academic programs in implementation science.
New findings on genes, hypertension highlight importance of studying populations with African ancestry
May 17, 2017 A recent study identified three novel genomic regions related to hypertension susceptibility in individuals with African ancestry.
Gillings School celebrates 77th commencement
May 13, 2017 Families and friends of 329 new Gillings School alumni gathered on May 13 to celebrate the School's 77th commencement. Aaron Williams, executive vice president for government relations and corporate communications at RTI International, delivered the commencement address.
Study documents trends in food and beverage consumption by infants and toddlers
May 9, 2017 A new study by doctoral candidate Gandarvaka Miles calls for policy guidance and caretaker education to help infants and toddlers achieve healthy diets.
Kaplan, former epidemiology professor, dies at 86
May 8, 2017 Dr. Bert Kaplan, an epidemiology faculty member for more than 30 years until his retirement in 1999, died Friday, May 5 at the age of 86. A colleague called him "one of the early leaders in integrating social sciences into epidemiologic thinking and practice."
Physical activity helps to counteract weight gain from obesity-causing gene variant, study finds
May 4, 2017 To determine how physical activity and genetic variants related to obesity interact to affect weight gain, Dr. Misa Graff and colleagues performed genome-wide interaction meta-analyses using more than 200,000 individuals. The international study was published in PLOS Genetics.
