School News

Prevalence of pregnancy UTIs underscores need for better screening, treatment in low- and middle-income countries

April 7, 2020
Prenatal screening for urinary tract infections (UTIs) is standard practice in high-income countries because of the risk that untreated UTIs pose during pregnancy. But women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are still in need of screening and treatment that is accessible and accurate due to social and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the high prevalence of UTIs in pregnancy.

A new antiviral drug heading into clinical trials offers hope for COVID-19 treatment — in part because it can be taken as a pill

April 6, 2020
Scientists are hopeful that a new drug — called EIDD-2801 — could change the way doctors treat COVID-19. The antiviral shows promise in reducing lung damage, has finished testing in mice and will soon move to human clinical trials.

Gillings School students claim 9 of Graduate School’s 17 Impact and Horizon awards

April 6, 2020
The UNC Graduate School has announced that nine of the 17 Impact and Horizon awardees for 2020 are students or recent graduates of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. The awards acknowledge student research that benefits the people of North Carolina.

The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Equipment, Emergency Response and Water Surveillance

April 3, 2020
Doctoral student Alex Gertner is teaming up with fellow students and experts across the UNC System to make PPE for health care workers in need. Alumna Pooja Jani is at the epicenter of a pandemic, helping to coordinate New York City's emergency public health response. Meanwhile, alumni Scott Meschke, Christine Stauber and Joe Brown are collaborating on ways to monitor wastewater to track the spread of COVID-19.

Alumna Adia Ross named CMO of Duke Regional Hospital

March 31, 2020
Dr. Adia Kamali Ross, who holds a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the Gillings School, was named Duke Regional Hospital’s chief medical officer earlier this year. (Photo by Amy Sterns Photography)

Who gets admitted to medical education in low- and middle-income countries — and why does it matter?

March 31, 2020
Recent studies have found that doctors and nurses in low- and middle-income countries are often absent from work, sometimes seek unauthorized payments for services, and may treat patients in disrespectful or abusive ways. UNC researchers suggest a solution: reforming medical education practices to focus on admitting students who are motivated by a strong desire to serve the needs of their community, rather than by receiving external rewards.

These basic public health measures can slow the spread of COVID-19

March 30, 2020
Since the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified in December 2019, it has been transmitted around the globe. Currently, the World Health Organization reports 634,835 confirmed cases and 29,891 deaths worldwide.

Can social media help track the spread of disease?

March 30, 2020
Disease surveillance means monitoring the spread of disease through populations in order to establish patterns and minimize harm caused by outbreaks. In a recent article, UNC researchers explored how to effectively and ethically include social media and broader Internet tracking as part of public health surveillance.

Environmental sciences and engineering graduate program moves up in U.S. News rankings

March 27, 2020
The graduate program in environmental sciences and engineering is number 15 in the category of Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, according to the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings for 2021.

Carrington honored with three APHA student awards for public health leadership and achievement

March 26, 2020
First-year Master of Public Health student Makala Carrington has been driven by a desire to meet public health needs since her days as an undergraduate. Her commitment to service and academic achievement recently earned her three awards at the APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.