This Week @ Gillings: The Abstract

May 17, 2021

Whether you’re local or global, student or alumni, the Abstract’s weekly news digest will help you stay in the loop with our amazing Gillings School community.

Remembering Ruth Greenberg

Greenberg winner with Ruth Greenberg

Ruth Greenberg (right) with Vangie A. Foshee, 2006 recipient of the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award

Ruth Marck Greenberg, MS, powerful and beloved advocate for the Gillings School and wife of former Dean Bernard Greenberg, PhD, passed away on Friday, May 7. As well as being a devoted mother and wife, Ruth was an active member of the Chapel Hill community and remained committed to the Gillings School after the death of her husband in 1985.

Ruth helped support the family by teaching organic chemistry while Bernard earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in statistics. Bernard, who served as an early chair of the Gillings School’s Department of Biostatistics, would go on to make a great impact on the field of public health, including contributions to proper analysis of the safety of vaccines. Read her obituary.

“Ruth was a wonderful inspiration who transmitted so much warmth of tradition and was such a powerful partner to Bernie,” said Sir Dennis Gillings, CBE, FMedSci, Gillings School philanthropist and former biostatistics professor. “She made me feel a special part of the Greenberg family as a migrant from the UK in the early ’70s finding a place in the US. She is a remarkable mentor who deserves so much admiration and praise.”


Obesity and cardiovascular disease: Gordon-Larsen advises on scientific statement from American Heart Association

A stethoscope sits atop a strip of electrocardiogram paper.

A stethoscope sits atop a strip of electrocardiogram paper.

Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, associate dean for research and Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of global nutrition, is co-author of a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) on the risks of obesity-related cardiovascular disease. The AHA’s statement summarizes the impact of obesity on the diagnosis, clinical management and outcomes of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure and arrhythmias, especially sudden cardiac death and atrial fibrillation.

It draws direct connection between obesity with incident dyslipidemia – a risk factor for the developing of cardiovascular disease – as well as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep disorders. The statement also provides evidence that health care professionals should consider waistline instead of relying only on the body mass index to determine healthy weight. In addition, the statement touches on lifestyle and surgical weight loss interventions in relation to cardiovascular diseases. The co-authors found that engaging in around 150 minutes of exercise a week – particularly aerobic exercise – may be sufficient to help reduce abdominal fat, but more studies are needed to understand how lifestyle interventions for obesity impact cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Penny Gordon-Larsen

Dr. Penny Gordon-Larsen

“These AHA statements are always incredibly well-researched,” said Gordon-Larsen. “I was fortunate to work with a team of leading experts over a two year period to research and write the paper. We were led by an amazing researcher, Tiffany Powell-Wiley from the National Heart Lung Blood Institute. The AHA statements have a big impact and help guide cardiovascular disease-related policies.”

Read the full statement.


Mayer-Davis publishes perspective on U.S. dietary guidelines

Dr. Elizabeth Mayer Davis

Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, PhD, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of nutrition and medicine, has published a perspective piece in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the recent update to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. As part of the advisory committee, Mayer-Davis gave recommendations on sugar and alcohol intake.

Read the perspective piece.


Lund receives grant to develop assessment to improve life expentancy of older adults with cancer

Dr. Jennifer Lund

Dr. Jennifer Lund

Jennifer Lund, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, was recently awarded a grant from the National Institute of Aging (NIA), titled “Improving life expectancy among older adults with advanced cancer using geriatric assessment.” By leveraging detailed health information from geriatric assessment and advanced predictive analytic methods, the study team aims to develop a new prognostic model that will provide oncologists and older adults with advanced cancers with more accurate estimates of life expectancy that can be used to align treatment decisions with individual’s preferences and goals.

UNC-Chapel Hill faculty involved include Steve Cole, PhD, and Laura Hanson, MD, MPH. Other collaborators on the grant include Supriya Mohile, MD, MS, from the University of Rochester, and Paul Duberstein, PhD, from Rutgers University.

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