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.

Gillings School celebrates 'food hero' Alice Ammerman on World Food Day 2020

October 16, 2020
Food insecurity impacts more than 1.4 million people in North Carolina. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers have increased. Dr. Alice Ammerman is leading one innovative approach to a solution: creating standardized procedures for food vendors to safely donate excess prepared food.

Samuel-Hodge wins inaugural Gillings Faculty Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research

October 12, 2020
Dr. Carmen Samuel-Hodge has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Gillings Faculty Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research.

Clement helps coordinate health care and emergency response to COVID-19 across North Carolina

October 12, 2020
Kimberly Clement manages North Carolina’s Healthcare Preparedness Program (HPP), in the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Emergency Medical Services. Clement is responsible for oversight of the program and partnership building, but she says her job changed drastically when HPP activated for the COVID-19 response.

Students' winning policy proposal calls for COVID-19 care navigation in NC prisons, jails

September 15, 2020
UNC Gillings student Nikhil Rao and his team won a recent COVID-19 Policy Hackathon. The team’s winning policy proposal, titled "Need for Care Navigation Program for Inmates within North Carolina Public Carceral Facilities," called for the N.C. Department of Public Safety and Department of Health and Human Services to intervene to alleviate COVID-19 burden on one of the state’s most vulnerable populations.

UNC faculty support new public campaign urging North Carolinians to “Get Behind the Mask”

September 11, 2020
The “Whatever Your Reason” campaign, a new statewide public effort to encourage every North Carolinian to wear a mask in the collective fight against COVID-19, was launched recently by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Two Gillings School researchers advised on the campaign.

Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 model provides new tool for COVID-19 discoveries

August 31, 2020
A new COVID-19 mouse model developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill captures many of the features of human disease and has helped advance a vaccine candidate to clinical trial.

Gillings School to lead multi-year evaluation of NC’s Medicaid transformation

August 28, 2020
Faculty at the UNC Gillings School have entered into a $2.5 million contract for the current year with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The School will serve as the official evaluation center for the state’s landmark Medicaid transformation — a partnership that will have an incredible impact on public health in the state. 

Chatham Food Hub helps communities access local food during COVID-19 pandemic

August 18, 2020
The Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and UNC Health worked with Chatham County and N.C. State Extension partners to create a one-stop food hub at Bray Park in Siler City. The hub offers free meals and non-perishable foods for low-income customers as well as meals for purchase from local restaurants and farmers struggling to remain solvent during the pandemic.

Gillings School celebrates long-term partnership with IntraHealth International

August 10, 2020
For 11 years, UNC Gillings students have turned to global health nonprofit IntraHealth International to gain real-world experience and make an international impact while still in school.