June 8, 2021
Dr. Alex Gertner, an alumnus of the UNC Gillings School of Global Health, received an Annual Award from AcademyHealth for research into the use of effective treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) in Medicaid beneficiaries. His research provides evidence for increasing access to and improving the quality of treatment of OUD with buprenorphine.
June 3, 2021 DNA methylation (DNAm) is known to be linked with kidney function, but earlier research had not revealed whether human diversity affects this association. Now, a study has reported several new trans-ethnic and ethnic-specific DNAm associations with kidney function. This is an important finding for public health because it informs future steps to understand and address epigenomic diversity.
June 2, 2021 A team of researchers, led by a Gillings School alumnus, has produced a mathematical simulation that evaluates how many COVID-19 cases could be avoided in North Carolina if more people get vaccinated and follow mask and physical distancing guidelines.
June 1, 2021 The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health launched the Humanitarian Health Initiative to leverage the School’s global health expertise in support of humanitarian efforts around the world. A new series of internships tapped students to contribute to HHI efforts.
June 1, 2021 To understand and improve the science used to develop multi-faceted treatment strategies for obesity, experts at UNC convened the first annual Interdisciplinary Nutrition Sciences Symposium in 2019. They have recently published their findings from this conference in Advances in Nutrition.
June 1, 2021 Dr. Stephen Hursting has been named the next director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, N.C.
May 27, 2021 A UNC-Chapel Hill study of beverage consumption in a South African township shows that a country-wide tax on sugary beverages has worked to influence more healthy personal choices, with individuals reporting a reduction in the amount of sugar they drink.
May 27, 2021 Expertscape, an online database that assesses and ranks the expertise and contributions of physicians and medical institutions worldwide, rated multiple UNC biomedical researchers as top-rated experts in their fields for its 2021 rankings.
May 24, 2021 In Durham, North Carolina — less than 15 miles from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — a public health campaign called “Back on the Bull” has been supporting local businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gillings School became involved when the Mayor of Durham invited faculty members to manage a community health ambassador program with the goal of helping small businesses in Durham County reopen safely following lockdown.
May 20, 2021 Taking more steps per day, either all at once or in shorter spurts, may help you live longer, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021.
