Newsroom

Myron (Mike) Cohen, MD, Yeargan-Bate Professor of Medicine, Microbiology, and Epidemiology and Associate Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs, will conclude his tenure as Director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) at the end of June 2026. Dr. Cohen is internationally recognized for his research on HIV...

When Alexia Dayan Lecaros Zavalla, a 23-year-old medical student from Lima, Peru, arrived in Chapel Hill in October, she was greeted with an opportunity that would help to shape her future. In her sixth year at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, one of Peru’s most prestigious private medical schools, Lecaros was...

Chapel Hill, NC—A new study led by researchers at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill shows an urgent need for improved detection and treatment of Lassa fever, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Lassa fever–a severe...

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A Phase 2 study led by Dr. Joe Eron, a member of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, shows an investigational once‑weekly, all‑oral combination of islatravir (ISL) and lenacapavir(LEN) maintains high levels of virologic suppression through 48 weeks in adults living with HIV....

The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) provides learners at all levels the opportunity to do global health research. This includes Master of Public Health (MPH) students at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Many of these students are mentored by IGHID investigators leading research in...

Since 2008, new HIV diagnoses in the US have been reduced by about half; however, progress is not equally distributed. In 2022, only about 65% of people diagnosed with HIV in the US—and North Carolina—were virally suppressed, falling short of the national target of 95% viral suppression. Southern states, including...

Chapel Hill, NC — Researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID), in collaboration with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and UNC Project-Malawi, found adults receiving rituximab as part of cancer treatment face a significantly higher risk of developing symptomatic malaria in an endemic region....

A UNC Vietnam team led by Vivian Go, PhD, and Bill Miller, MD, PhD, researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases–in collaboration with Hanoi Medical University and the Vietnam Ministry of Health–found that tailoring implementation strategies to local clinic needs significantly improved the delivery of a...

Talha Khan spent the summer in Munich at LMU German Hospital, gaining firsthand insight into Germany’s healthcare system while observing radiology practice and conducting cost‑effective research at one of Europe’s premier medical centers. Independently, he found his mentor who was willing to sponsor his research experience at LMU German Hospital...

Noor Alghanem completed a clinical externship at American Hospital Dubai, a leading private health care provider in the Middle East. She observed advanced surgical care and reflected on the value of learning from innovative, high‑resource health systems as part of a global medical education. “I know a lot of global...

Through the Office of Global Health Education, students traveled to Africa to engage in immersive hands‑on clinical learning and support research in malaria surveillance, offering a deep look at patient care, public health challenges, and the adaptability required to work in low‑resource settings. Accra, Ghana Toritseju Kpenosen went to Accra,...

Two medical students traveled to South America last summer, through the Office of Global Health Education, gaining firsthand experience with clinical care and public health in Peru and Bolivia. Their time in Cusco and Sucre deepened their understanding of local health systems, strengthened their Spanish skills, and offered meaningful exposure...

Through the Office of Global Health Education, medical students traveled to the Asia‑Pacific region over the summer to engage in rich clinical and community‑based learning experiences, deepening their understanding of health care delivery across diverse cultural and resource settings. Time in the Philippines and Japan offered a blend of hands‑on...

Students participating in global health electives through the Office of Global Health Education have the opportunity to engage in immersive learning experiences across the world. Last summer several went to South Asia, including India, Nepal and Pakistan. These placements offered hands‑on clinical exposure, rich cultural exchange, and the chance to...

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) remains one of the most aggressive and least understood subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, particularly in regions with high HIV prevalence. Despite its severity, data from sub-Saharan Africa have been limited, constraining clinicians and policymakers in developing effective strategies for early detection and treatment. At the First Annual...

The African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) held the 15th international conference on cancer from November 2-5, in Hammamet, Tunisia. UNC Project Malawi investigators participated, with groundbreaking presentations from Dr. Amon Chirwa, cancer medical officer; Tarsizious Chikaonda, data scientist and study coordinator for the TINY Ulysses Study;...

Chapel Hill, NC – New research published in JAMA Network Open highlights a critical challenge facing people living with HIV as they re-enter the community after incarceration. A Zambia study led by Michael Herce, MD, MPH, MSCR, an investigator at the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases—in collaboration with colleagues...

Supported by a Conquer Cancer grant, Matthew Painschab, MD, a member of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, helps improve outcomes for patients through optimizing infection management and mitigating antibiotic resistance. As an assistant professor of medicine. He spends much of...

The Institute’s UJMT LAUNCH Fogarty Global Health Fellowship program celebrates two outstanding alumni whose NIH‑supported research is advancing global health science and strengthening the next generation of international investigators. Alex Kayongo Awarded NIH K43 Emerging Global Leader Award Alex Kayongo, MBChB, MSc–a Fogarty-trained immunologist (2016-2017/UJMT Fellow) and global health researcher...

Ciniso Shabangu shares how his scientific journey—from early hepatitis and cancer research in Taiwan to advanced NeuroHIV studies at the UNC HIV Cure Center—has shaped his commitment to understanding how viruses persist in the body. His work now focuses on uncovering how HIV hides in the brain and the technologies driving those discoveries. ...