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HIV is a daunting public health problem for adolescents worldwide. An estimated 2.4 million adolescents (10-19 years old) are living with HIV, and new infections are increasing in many countries. Adolescents generally have poorer HIV outcomes compared to adults, leading to increased death and disability. The HIV epidemic is changing...

Jonathan Juliano, MD, MSPH, DTM&H, professor of medicine in infectious diseases and epidemiology was honored with the Bailey K. Ashford Medal at the annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), held last month in New Orleans, Louisiana. The prestigious Bailey K. Ashford Medal is awarded...

Investigators and trainees in the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Ecology Lab (IDEEL) at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases participated in the annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Nov. 13-17 in New Orleans. From molecular surveillance of malaria and new genomic sequencing...

The Office of Fellowships and Training at the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases ensures educational and mentored research training and field experience for eligible masters, doctoral or post-doctoral candidates. Managed by Kristin Reed, MPH; Marla Allen, MPH; Dzidzai Muyengwa, MPH; and Benjamin Chi, MD, MSc, following is...

It’s a sweltering November morning, and the Bwaila Hospital complex is abuzz with activity. Amidst the bustle, a newly constructed building stands out – the Reproductive and Sexual Health (RuSH) Clinic, a beacon of hope for reproductive and sexual healthcare. As the clinic opens its doors at 8 a.m., clients...

What’s it like to provide medical assistance in locations only accessible by foot? Harini Sridhar, a fourth-year medical student at UNC School of Medicine, discovered the answer firsthand this summer. With the support of the Office of Global Health Education, through the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, she joined...

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...

The applied nature of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Ecology Lab (IDEEL), at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, has a direct impact on the health and well-being of millions of individuals around the globe, while also having an immediate effect on health policies at all levels. Jessica Lin,...

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...

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, yet one of the most common causes of death among women globally, despite screening measures proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Malawi, efforts have focused on scaling up cervical cancer screening programs, as well as vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Still,...

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...

Vector-borne diseases are a growing public health issue in the U.S. with more than 70,000 cases of tick-borne disease reported in 2022 alone. While the majority of these cases are due to bacteria that cause Lyme disease, tick-borne viruses represent an emerging but poorly understood threat. The Bourbon virus (BRBV) is...

African American women in the criminal justice system face a heightened risk of acquiring HIV, particularly during the critical transition from incarceration to the community. Despite this, many lack access to essential prevention services and effective treatments like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Becky White, MD MPH, an infectious disease physician and...

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...

Alcohol misuse is a major driver of the HIV epidemic, impacting the spread and treatment of the virus both in the U.S. and globally. Misuse can increase the prevalence of the virus and diminish the health of those living with HIV, by increasing sexual risk behaviors, reducing adherence to antiretroviral...

Martina Kovarova, PhD, a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and associate professor of infectious diseases, has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop new Tuberculosis treatment options using ISFI (in-situ forming implant) technology. The TB Alliance, the global not-for-profit developer...

ID Week took place October 16-19 in Los Angeles, CA, the joint annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the HIV Medicine Association, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. UNC’s Division of Infectious Diseases was...

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...

Benjamin Chi, MD, MSC, the Institute’s Associate Director of Fellowship Programs, has successfully renewed a K24 mentoring grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. This will be the second five-year grant cycle for which Dr. Chi has received this award. Dr....

Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, a member of the Institute and assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology, working with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina State University and the Animal Hospital of Boone, found data collected from pet dogs at routine veterinary checkups can be used...