In his Carolina office, above a collage of drawings by his three young children, Dr. Ross Boyce displays a 20-year-old photo of himself with 29 other soldiers. The photo captures a proud memory of U.S. Army service for the man who is now a leading epidemiologist and a research expert on diseases caused by ticks … Read more

Globally, the World Health Organization reports at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment. Many of those affected live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), but they also live in rural areas of the U.S. and North Carolina. Encouragingly, more than 90% of people with vision impairment have a preventable or treatable condition. Sustainable … Read more

Syphilis vaccine development remains a high priority with a rising number of congenital syphilis cases worldwide. Unfortunately, vaccine development is still in a pre-clinical phase, and ongoing translational work is needed to identify vaccine candidates targeting highly conserved surface-exposed antigens expressed by geographically diverse strains of Treponema pallidum (TPA). But most TPA genomic sequences originated … Read more

There are plenty of benefits that come with major academic health systems like UNC Health. Doctors and nurses get to work alongside researchers studying new advances in medical science, researchers get a first-hand look at the fundamentals of medical practice, and patients get access to a wealth of resources and specialists. And as the science … Read more

Katrina McGinty, MD, an Associate Professor of Abdominal Imaging and Director of Global Radiology was awarded a $20,000 Educational Grant from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) for “Virtual MRI Education in Low Resource Setting.” McGinty is a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases. The World Health Organization estimates that … Read more

In Sub-Saharan Africa, deaths occur in 5-10% of people living with HIV during the first year after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the causes for these early deaths are not clear. Matthew Painschab, MD, member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and an assistant professor of hematology, is a clinician and researcher … Read more

Children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected experience poor growth and development compared to children who are HIV-unexposed and uninfected. Exclusive breastfeeding with adherence to anti-retroviral therapy is a recommended practice for preventing mother-to-child transmission, but there are barriers to adherence.   A pilot study led by Stephanie Martin, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department … Read more

A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrates that artificial intelligence (AI) can enable novice users to estimate gestational age as accurately as expert sonographers, potentially transforming pregnancy care in low-resource settings. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, … Read more

Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, assistant professor of infectious diseases and epidemiologist with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, led a study published in Lancet Regional Health that examined the rapid emergence of Lyme Disease in N.C., between 2010 and 2020. Dr. Boyce says the results confirm what he has experienced clinically; specifically, an increasing … Read more

The Malawi Government has a strong commitment to caring for its citizens, often sending patients abroad, to countries such as India, for cardiac procedures that aren’t available at home. But these opportunities are limited, compared to the needs of the country’s population of 21 million, and follow a process much like a lottery. As a … Read more

Chemtai Mungo, MD, MPH, and Lisa Rahangdale, MD, MPH, presented at the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) meeting on May 4, focusing on the latest advancements in topical therapies for cervical precancer treatment in the U.S. and around the world. Dr. Mungo and Dr. Rahangdale, both obstetricians/gynecologists and clinical researchers, provided a … Read more

Clinical Trials Day honors all that has been accomplished through clinical trials, as well as the people behind them. The UNC Global Clinical Trials Unit at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) facilitates high-quality research, with investigators and research coordinators working to address the challenging questions that need answers, that impact the lives … Read more

UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Dean Angela Kashuba, Pharm.D., a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Disease, was selected for the 2024 Carolina Alumni Faculty Service Award. Established in 1990, the award “honors faculty members who have performed outstanding service for the University or the alumni association.”  “This award is a true … Read more

David Rosen, PhD, MD, and Asher Schranz, MD, MPH, members of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, found people with drug use-associated infective endocarditis are at high risk of mortality and future hospitalization for bacterial infections, including endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infections and bacteremia. The study, a collaboration with the North Carolina … Read more

The Institute for Global Health and Infectious Disease’s Global Clinical Trials Unit attracts leading trials from national feeder networks to study treatment innovations that can advance health. A new HIV study with the ACTG will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and antiviral effect of a novel combination regimen that includes therapeutic T-cell vaccines, two broadly neutralizing … Read more

April is sexually transmitted infections (STI) awareness month, and Arlene Seña, MD, MPH, a researcher with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, is sounding the alarm about the importance of syphilis prevention, testing, and treatment. U.S. syphilis cases have increased nearly 80% since 2018,  a level not seen since 1950, while babies born … Read more

Globally, mental health disorders rank as the greatest cause of disability and a leading contributor to the burden of disease. While the U.S. may struggle to meet the need for quality mental healthcare, treatment in most low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries – where 80% of those with mental illness live – is extremely limited. The … Read more

Linda Van Le, MD, the Leonard Palumbo Distinguished Professor in the Division of Gyn Oncology, served as moderator for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s Annual Conference in Los Angeles, March 7-10. Van Le gave two presentations, focused on elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem and the need for cancer treatment worldwide. “Global Health Without … Read more

March is Long COVID Awareness Month, marking four years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. But while much of society has moved on from masking, quarantining, and isolating, there are many who are managing health problems long after having COVID-19.  Researchers at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases are participating in the NIH Phase 2 Recover-Vital trial to … Read more

UNC researchers in cervical cancer prevention, members of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, filled the agenda at a recent scientific session for the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.       EUROGIN’s U.S. Chair Jennifer S. Smith, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings … Read more