Category: Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: September 1 – September 30, 2021
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Andrea Azcarate-Peril, PhD, received an NC TraCS pilot grant award. Division of Geriatric Medicine Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD, received an NC TraCS pilot grant award. UNC’s Center for Aging and Health received a two-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services grant (with University o … Read more
Drummond Leads VCAG Project to Reduce COPD Readmissions
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience long-term progressive damage to their lungs which worsens airflow and typically leaves a person short of breath. Patients with COPD frequently experience acute worsening in their breathing, called an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). AECOPDs are a known predictor of COPD disease progression, overall mortality … Read more
6 Bedtower Earns Gold Beacon of Excellence
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has awarded 6 Bedtower (6BT) a gold-level “Beacon Award for Excellence” at UNC Medical Center. The Beacon application unfolds a story of a nursing unit’s continuous pursuit of excellence and often tells a story of resilience. Patient Services Manager Turkeisha Brown, MSN, RN, NE-BC, says the three-year recognition represents … Read more
Carolina Researchers Lead CZI Collaborative on Childhood Diseases
Principal investigators James Hagood, MD, professor of pediatrics and Richard Boucher, MD, the James C. Moeser Eminent Professor of Medicine in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine will lead a multinational, $3.5-million project funded through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to map crucial cellular roles in human health and disease. The Chan Zuckerberg Ini … Read more
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: August 1 – August 31, 2021
Division of Infectious Diseases UNC HIV Cure Center led by David Margolis, MD, was awarded $26.2 million over the next five years. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Silvia Kreda, PhD, received a phase two NIH Small Business Innovation Research Grant to continue studies for a novel oligonucleotide therapeutic strategy for treating cystic fibrosis. Division of Rheuma … Read more
‘There Are Only So Many Beds’: COVID-19 Surge Hits Hospitals in NC, Across US
A WRAL.com report describes the latest spike in COVID hospitalizations as more dramatic than previous surges. “We are seeing this week a rapid increase in cases of people with moderate and severe COVID-19 disease,” said Shannon Carson, MD, chief of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. “This surge is a different ballgame from the previous ones.” Carson also said U … Read more
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: June 1 – June 30, 2021
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Klara Klein, MD, PhD, received a physician-scientist award to cultivate her career as a translational clinician scientist. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Resident Corey Ketchem, MD, received the Bondurant-Ehringhaus Award to support research with Evan Dellon, MD, MPH, on eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and other esophageal dise … Read more
We Usually Don’t Vote on Intubation
Christopher Jensen, MD, a hematology-oncology fellow, with Katherine “Alex” Despotes, MD, and Benjamin DeMarco, MD, fellows in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, recently published “We Usually Don’t Vote on Intubation” in the Chest Journal. Their essay tells the story of a patient who requested the opportunity to cast her vote in the recent election before intu … Read more
Donaldson, Goralski Research Highlighted By MRM
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM) recently highlighted research by Scott Donaldson, MD, professor of medicine, and Jennifer Goralski, MD, assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics, from the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. Their paper “Comparison of single breath hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI with dynamic 19F MRI in cystic fibrosis lung disease” was highlighte … Read more
Hospital Workers Celebrate Seeing Fewer Covid-19 Patients
Subhashini Sellers, MD, MSc, assistant professor in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, was featured in an NBC news story recognizing a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19 as hospitals nationwide report fewer new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. “I feel like I can allow myself to feel more, and to connect with patients, and to really find jo … Read more
‘Nanodecoy’ Therapy Binds and Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Virus
NC State researchers led by Ke Cheng, PhD, created a therapeutic approach that mimics the receptor that the virus binds to and then traps the virus before it infect cells. The Department of Medicine’s Jason Lobo, MD, the Kimberly H. Tsamoutales Distinguished Term Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, is a co-author on the study. Nanodec … Read more
Some Hospitals See No New COVID-19 Patients, But Delta Variant Could Undo Progress
More hospitals in the U.S. are going days without seeing any new COVID-19 patients, but despite the positive sign, concerns remain that the delta coronavirus variant could start filling up beds again. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country had more than 400 COVID-19 hospitalizations during the first week of June. That was significantly lower … Read more