AJPH editorial: Populism threatens the public health response to COVID-19
November 13, 2020 In an editorial published in the American Journal of Public Health, doctoral candidate Caitlin Williams and Dr. Benjamin Mason Meier write that populist policies have hindered public health responses to COVID-19 and could have lasting consequences on health and human rights.
Common SARS-CoV-2 mutation may be more susceptible to vaccine
November 12, 2020 A new study published in Science confirms that the D614G spike mutation allows the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to replicate faster, outcompete and transmit more easily between hosts compared to the original virus. However, the mutation that enabled this strain to spread so quickly around the globe may also make it more susceptible to a vaccine.
Adimora receives UNC’s most prestigious faculty award
November 6, 2020 Dr. Adaora Adimora, professor of epidemiology in the Gillings School and Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of medicine with UNC’s Division of Infectious Diseases, has been honored by her peers with the 2020 Thomas Jefferson Award.
Planey pinpoints health disparities in COVID-19 testing and workers with disabilities
November 5, 2020 Geographic analysis can help identify those that are at higher risk of specific disparities due to social and geographic factors. Dr. Arrianna Planey is a co-author on two recent studies that used such analysis to identify potential health disparities in North Carolina and New York.
Devlin advises on North Carolina COVID-19 vaccination plan
November 2, 2020 Dr. Leah Devlin, professor of practice in health policy and management, recently co-chaired an advisory committee for a COVID-19 vaccination plan developed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Researchers receive $900K+ in grants to investigate links between arsenic exposure, COVID-19 risk
October 30, 2020 Researchers in the UNC Superfund Research Program will use two new grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to research how exposure to arsenic and other environmental contaminants may contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infection risk and severity.
Study finds more physical activity, less TV equals more years cancer-free
October 28, 2020 Increasing physical activity and watching less TV may help people live more years cancer-free. Dr. Carmen Cuthbertson, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology, shared these findings in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Lab-grown mini-lungs mimic the real thing — including COVID-19 infection
October 23, 2020 Living human lung air sacs in tiny dishes promise to accelerate COVID-19 research.
Oberlander in ‘Perspective:’ The 2020 election will be critical for U.S. health care reform
October 22, 2020 With a potential shift in political control on the horizon and COVID-19 cases rising, the outcome of the election on November 3 could be vital for the future of the Affordable Care Act, according to Dr. Jonathan Oberlander.
NIH funds community engagement research efforts in areas hardest hit by COVID-19
October 19, 2020 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a $12 million award for outreach and engagement efforts in ethnic and racial minority communities that are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The award — made to RTI International — will support teams in 11 states that are part of the NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. In North Carolina, the CEAL principal investigator is Dr. Anissa I. Vines of the UNC Gillings School.
