Promote Healthy People, Healthy Planet and Improve Care for All
Should mothers with COVID-19 be separated from their newborns?
April 9, 2020 In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, questions have arisen about how to prevent the transmission of the virus to newborns from mothers who are suspected or confirmed to be infected. Dr. Alison Stuebe has written a commentary in Breastfeeding Medicine addressing the risks and benefits of temporary separation.
The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Mental Health, Environmental Guidance and Health Education
April 9, 2020 Health behavior alumnae participated in a hackathon to design a web platform to help people cope with the stress of managing COVID-19 information streams. Environmental scientists Dr. Mark Sobsey and Dr. Lisa Casanova have contributed to WHO guidelines on water and sanitation. Alumna Dr. Jennifer Platt is leading a health education initiative for people with alpha-gal syndrome who have COVID-19 questions.
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.
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.
UNC researchers propose new method for identifying core functions of evidence-based interventions
March 24, 2020 Putting evidence-based interventions into practice can be difficult when health care settings and populations differ from the original context of the intervention. A new study that includes research from the Department of Health Policy and Management tackles that challenge by proposing a theoretical framework that could enable effective adaptation into healthcare policy, practice and research.
‘100% Vitamin C’ marketing claims increase appeal of sugary fruit drinks
March 24, 2020 Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major factor in the obesity epidemic among both children and adults, and fruit-flavored drinks with added sugar are by far the most popular variety of these among children. In a new study, UNC researchers examine how adding vitamin claims, fruit images and health warnings to the labels of fruit drinks affected consumers’ perceptions.
UNC researchers to address arsenic-induced diabetes with $12.2M grant
March 16, 2020 Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will band together across disciplines to find and formulate solutions for arsenic-induced diabetes in the state. The 5-year program is funded through a highly competitive award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which totals $12.2 million.
Soldavini receives inaugural UNCG/NCCC Engaged Scholarship Prize
March 11, 2020 Jessica Soldavini, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Nutrition at the Gillings School, is the winner of the first-ever UNC Greensboro/North Carolina Campus Compact Engaged Scholarship Prize in the graduate student category. She received a $500 award during the 2020 PACE Conference.
New research could help caregivers identify exclusive breastfeeding challenges in the first week of life
March 11, 2020 While breastfeeding is recommended as the sole source of nutrition in the first six months of a baby's life, for some new moms, that is not always possible. Dr. Alison Stuebe and her research team have identified a set of clues that can help clinicians recognize in as early as the first week when feeding interventions and supplemental nutrition may be necessary.
Gower honored in Abu Dhabi as finalist for REACH award
March 9, 2020 Dr. Emily Gower was recently honored at the Recognizing Excellence Around Champions of Health (REACH) awards during the Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu Dhabi for her innovative work on trichiasis treatments.