New drug holds potential to defeat coronaviruses
June 28, 2017 Scientists at the Gillings School have confirmed that an experimental antiviral treatment prevents the development of SARS coronavirus disease in mice. The drug, GS-5734, also inhibits MERS-CoV and multiple other coronaviruses (CoV), suggesting that the treatment may inhibit all CoV.
ACL reconstructions on the rise in US, particularly among teen girls
June 16, 2017 A new study has found that, in the United States, there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions among females 13-17 years old.
Study findings suggest some individuals are genetically more vulnerable to harm from air pollution
June 9, 2017 Findings from a study led by a doctoral student of epidemiology suggest that some individuals are genetically susceptible to experiencing especially negative effects from air pollution, even when pollution levels fall below current U.S. accepted standards.
Drug company payments associated with physicians’ prescribing choices for cancer drugs
June 2, 2017 Gillings School investigators found an association between physicians receiving payments from pharmaceutical companies for meals, talks and travel and those physicians prescribing the companies' drugs for two types of cancer. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
New findings on genes, hypertension highlight importance of studying populations with African ancestry
May 17, 2017 A recent study identified three novel genomic regions related to hypertension susceptibility in individuals with African ancestry.
Study documents trends in food and beverage consumption by infants and toddlers
May 9, 2017 A new study by doctoral candidate Gandarvaka Miles calls for policy guidance and caretaker education to help infants and toddlers achieve healthy diets.
Physical activity helps to counteract weight gain from obesity-causing gene variant, study finds
May 4, 2017 To determine how physical activity and genetic variants related to obesity interact to affect weight gain, Dr. Misa Graff and colleagues performed genome-wide interaction meta-analyses using more than 200,000 individuals. The international study was published in PLOS Genetics.
Study identifies novel gene loci for traits related to obesity
May 3, 2017 Drs. Anne Justice and Kari North are part of an international collaboration that explored whether and how smoking tobacco may alter one’s genetic susceptibility to obesity and distribution of body fat. Their study was published in Nature Communications.
Study confirms link between alcohol consumption, breast cancer risk in black women
May 1, 2017 Based on studies that primarily have included data from white women, alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for breast cancer. Now, a study co-authored by epidemiology doctoral student Lindsay Williams, Dr. Melissa Troester and others confirms the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk for black women, an understudied group.
Study finds small, mostly-male schools are less likely to have sexual assault policies
April 20, 2017 A new research paper highlights the wide variation in definitions of consent at universities across the United States.
