Environmental Sciences and Engineering Research
UNC researchers receive $61M grant to identify effective treatments for asthma
October 2, 2017 Dr. Anastasia Ivanova will lead a five-year, $61 million study to identify more effective treatments for asthma attacks and will do so by combining two important tools -- precision medicine and 'big data' analysis. The work is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Climate change expected to increase premature deaths from air pollution
July 31, 2017 A new study by Dr. Jason West estimates that future climate change, if left unaddressed, is expected to cause roughly 60,000 deaths globally in the year 2030 and 260,000 deaths in 2100 due to climate change’s effect on global air pollution. The study adds to growing evidence that the overall health effects of a changing climate are likely to be overwhelmingly negative. Photo by Global Panorama.
Paper records recommendations to improve safety of drinking-water wells in NC
July 13, 2017 A new paper by Dr. Jackie MacDonald Gibson offers recommendations that could improve the health of North Carolinians who rely on private drinking-water wells. The paper summarizes recommendations made by the Research Triangle (N.C.) Environmental Health Collaborative at a two-day well-water summit.
Gillings School researchers contribute to Hurricane Matthew recovery
June 22, 2017 An article in Endeavors magazine features environmental sciences and engineering researchers who are studying the impact of fall 2016's Hurricane Matthew on North Carolina counties.
UNC researchers study impact of traffic-related particulate matter upon premature mortality
March 20, 2017 UNC environmental researchers including Dr. William Vizuete have found that previous research may have underestimated premature mortality due to particulate matter from traffic emissions.
Legal marijuana sales creating escalating damage to the environment
February 20, 2017 By 2020, legal marijuana sales in the U.S. will generate more annual revenue than will the National Football League. However, growing the plant has serious repercussions for the environment, according to a new study by Dr. William Vizuete and a U.K. colleague.
Gillings School is top public health school at public university for NIH funding
February 16, 2017 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that the Gillings School was the top public health school at a public university in receiving NIH funding during fiscal year 2016. The School received 107 awards, for a total of $65,454,312 in funding.
Study investigates role of cadmium and microRNAs in preeclampsia
February 10, 2017
Drs. Rebecca Fry and Samira Brooks have explained an underlying biological mechanism by which exposure to cadmium may increase the risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. Their study was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology.
ESE researchers awarded large supercomputing grant from DOE
A team of researchers, including two UNC faculty members and an alumnus, has been awarded a large grant from the United States Department of Energy (DOE). Through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment program, they will receive 115 million core hours of use on the world’s third-fastest supercomputer.
Study finds disparities in drinking water quality in Wake County, NC
In Wake County, some predominantly African-American neighborhoods in urban areas completely lack access to nearby municipal water systems. As a result, residents are exposed to notably higher quantities of microbial contaminants via well water.
