Iris Trujillo (left) and Walter Friday (right) in the Nutrition Research Institute discuss an experiment with doctoral student Evan Paules (center). (Photo by Alyssa LaFaro)
Our diverse research portfolio addresses global and local public health issues with a focus on health equity and community collaboration.
The Gillings School’s research portfolio comprises impactful work with a cells-to-society approach, from basic science to implementation and policy change. The research is highly collaborative, including faculty, staff and students within the School and across UNC and beyond. Our research is both local to N.C. and global. Reducing health inequities and working with communities are important components of our research, and student engagement is a foundational training element.
Some of our funded projects include:
- Developing a robust and efficient strategy for censored covariates to improve clinical trial design for neurodegenerative diseases – Tanya Garcia, PhD/Biostatistics
- Rural Water Quality and Risk Perception Near Solid Waste Landfills – Courtney Woods, PhD/Environmental Sciences and Engineering
- Engineering Research Center for Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr) – Jill Stewart, PhD/Environmental Sciences and Engineering
- Investigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in jails to address the COVID-19 public health emergency – Sara Levintow, PhD/Epidemiology
- Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science – Kurt Ribisl, PhD/Health Behavior
- Using simulation to project long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes attributable to clinic-based screening interventions – Kristen Hassmiller Lich, PhD/Health Policy and Management
- Systems-Aligned Precision Health for Longevity and Healthy Aging with Type 1 Diabetes – Anna Kahkoska, PhD/Nutrition
Examples of health equity projects:
- Leveraging Hispanic/Latino diversity to map and characterize cardiovascular disease loci – Misa Graff, PhD/Epidemiology
- Promoting Environmental Justice and Health Equity in Perinatal Health Research – Rebecca Fry, PhD/Environmental Sciences and Engineering
- Piloting a multi-level intervention to promote viral suppression among transgender women living with HIV – Clare Barrington, PhD/Health Behavior
- Meds & Eds: Evaluating (in)equity in the Economic and Community Impacts of Academic Medical Centers on Small and Mid-sized Metros – Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD/Health Policy and Management
- Healthy School Meals for All in North Carolina – Jessica Soldavini, PhD/Nutrition
