September 29, 2021 Dr. Susan M. Smith has been named the inaugural holder of The Dickson Foundation - Harris Teeter Distinguished Professorship in nutrition. Smith joined the UNC faculty in 2016, and is a professor of nutrition at the Gillings School and the deputy director for science at the Nutrition Research Institute.
June 1, 2021 Dr. Stephen Hursting has been named the next director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, N.C.
September 13, 2019 “Our work has evolved from asking Is obesity increasing cancer risk? and What are the mechanisms linking obesity and cancer?” Dr. Hursting says. “We have largely answered the first question and are still working on the second, but our focus really has turned to What are we going to do about it?”
May 15, 2019 Cancer researchers advocate that physical activity and exercise should be chief components of cancer care and prevention. This week in Chapel Hill, scientists from the American Institute of Cancer Research confirm the direct influence of regular exercise upon reducing cancer risk as part of their annual meeting.
September 30, 2018 Previous studies have demonstrated a connection between obesity and a person’s risk of developing colon and other gastrointestinal cancers. Now, scientists are investigating approaches that can break that relationship. Dr. Steven Hursting has co-authored an extensive review of research establishing the biological links between obesity and various gastrointestinal cancers, and of studies showing how various weight-related interventions may help reverse this connection.
May 8, 2018 Eighteen researchers from the Gillings School are part of the two newly awarded Carolina Creativity Hubs, which will leverage interdisciplinary work to fight obesity and improve water access.
April 22, 2018 Research from the lab of Dr. Stephen Hursting aims to reverse obesity-linked biological changes in the body associated with cancer growth. Hursting and several lab colleagues presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
