Ancestral diversity affects biomarkers of kidney function, study finds
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.
Taking more steps daily may lead to a longer life
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.
Obesity may slow progress against cancer deaths
May 12, 2021 Cancer death rates have fallen dramatically in the United States. Factor in obesity, however — as Gillings School researchers did, and the picture changes. A study published May 10 in JAMA Network Open reports that obesity-related cancer deaths are improving, but at a slowing pace.
Findings from Kenya: Male circumcision reduces HPV infections
May 10, 2021 It’s well-established that male circumcision reduces the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in men. A recent study from Kenya, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, finds that male circumcision also reduces men’s risk of infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
Researchers develop method for evaluating long-term COVID-19 vaccine efficacy
April 27, 2021 The large-scale deployment of effective vaccines is globally recognized as the best way to end the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the high efficacy reported for vaccines currently in use — like Pfizer and Moderna — is based on an average follow-up time of only about two months after the second dose. The question remains: Will people need booster vaccinations?
A single vaccine dose may offer protection to those who have had COVID-19
March 2, 2021 The results in a new preprint study from UNC-Chapel Hill suggest that those who have previously had COVID-19 gain a similar level of antibody protection from one dose of vaccine as those who have never had COVID-19 gain from two doses.
Study shows new machine learning method may lead to optimal cancer treatment decisions
December 4, 2020 Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University have developed a computational framework to generate evidence-based optimal cancer treatment decisions informed by a patient’s genomic biomarkers. The findings, which may aid in the development of precision cancer treatments, are published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association.
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.
Groundbreaking study reveals genetic markers for Type 2 diabetes in East Asians
July 6, 2020 A recent study — the largest of its kind in any non-European population — demonstrates that while different populations of people share similar genetic predispositions for Type 2 diabetes, they also have some genetic variations that can alter their susceptibility to developing the disease.
Gillings researchers identify potential strategy for rapid scale-up of COVID-19 testing
June 29, 2020 Researchers at the Gillings School have identified a possible testing model for SARS-CoV-2 that could rapidly and efficiently screen 2 to 20 times as many people as an individual molecular-based test could.
