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

As the World Health Organization pushes to eradicate the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030, preventing vertical transmission is key, says Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. But despite widespread availability of effective childhood vaccines, HBV remains endemic throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “Many of the … Read more

The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases is now enrolling participants in a fast-track trial of an oral COVID-19 treatment known as Bemnifosbuvir (BEM). Currently, Paxlovid is used for treating COVID-19. However, it is known to interact with common drugs that treat cholesterol, blood clots, and other conditions. Because of these side effects, … Read more

A new study published in Lancet-Global Health introduces the results of a five-year trial in Malawi that tested two implementation strategies for integrating mental health with general medical care. Led by Bradley Gaynes and Brian Pence, the study includes a cost-effectiveness analysis that will help inform scale-up decisions about the relative benefits of implementing each strategy. The following introduces a case … Read more

Healthcare providers in North Carolina have limited experience diagnosing and managing Lyme disease because few cases occur annually statewide. Researchers have published a case study that demonstrates the need for greater awareness and professional education. The article outlines the prolonged diagnostic course for a patient with locally acquired Lyme disease in North Carolina. The study … Read more

Researchers with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases published a tick-borne disease study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases using samples from soldiers stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. In collaboration with the Gillings School of Global Public Health, Womack Army Medical Center and the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, the team obtained samples from … Read more

Antiretroviral therapies (ART) stop HIV replication in its tracks, allowing people with HIV to live relatively normal lives. However, despite these treatments, some HIV still lingers inside cells in a dormant state known as “latency.” If ART is discontinued, HIV will awaken from its dormant state, begin to replicate, and cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). … Read more

During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Chemtai Mungo, MD, MPH, FACOG, a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was interviewed by Cancer Nursing Today, describing the role nurses can play in prevention and treatment. “Nurses interface with patients—women and men—throughout our health system,” she said … Read more