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Our researchers tackle critical challenges with global implications. They actively engage in research projects that lead to life-saving therapies, improve public health, address environmental challenges, and improve quality of life for people in N.C. and across the globe.

Addressing Infectious Diseases Around the World and at Home

Carolina is a global leader in infectious disease research that spans the basic, clinical, and population sciences. Our researchers have contributed to many of the discoveries that have transformed the prevention, management, and treatment of a variety of infectious diseases and a range of chronic diseases with infectious origins. Our collaborative campus catalyzes interdisciplinary partnerships across virology, epidemiology, pharmacology, and medicine in ways that lead to truly novel and path-breaking science that has transformed how the world mitigates infectious diseases.

The Gillings School of Global Public Health contributes significantly to Carolina’s global research heelprint, particularly within the epidemiology department, which is known for its sophisticated statistical methodological expertise. The school’s focus on international collaboration, student engagement, and projects in developing countries makes it a vital part of the University’s efforts to improve health outcomes worldwide. Gillings faculty partner with researchers and communities across 35 countries.

The UNC Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases (IGHID) is a powerhouse for global health initiatives, with a robust research program contributing to over $75 million in research funding. Their work spans across four continents, including a constant presence in Africa for more than two decades. The institute partners with local universities and ministries of health in Malawi, Zambia, Nigeria, and South Africa, and works in China, Vietnam, and Nicaragua.

Faculty at IGHID, many of whom hold joint appointments with Gillings, are some of the most internationally recognized infectious disease experts: from Mike Cohen who leads the global HIV Prevention Trials Network ,to Joe Eron who directs the Clinical Core for the UNC Center for AIDS Research, to Billy Fisher who has been on the frontlines of critical viral outbreaks across the globe, to Jeff Stringer who has transformed global women’s health.

And there are even more talented researchers working in this space, a few of whom are highlighted below:

  • Ross Boyce studies malaria and vector-borne diseases in East Africa, particularly in rural, under-served communities. His work includes employing geographic information system-powered mapping of malaria’s spatial epidemiology to pinpoint hotspots for targeted community interventions, potentially reducing local transmission.

    Locally, Boyce recently published a study that examined the rapid emergence of Lyme disease in N.C., between 2010 and 2020, helping health care workers provide faster treatment by identifying the spread. Partial funding for this impactful work was provided by a Creativity Hubs award Boyce received in 2020.

  • Matthew Painschab was just awarded an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award – an incredible accomplishment that very few scientists have received. Painschab’s work sits at the intersection of cancer and infectious disease, investigating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in HIV-infected patients in Malawi.
  • Vivian Go has led UNC Project Vietnam for over 20 years, with three clinical research sites in Hanoi and satellite sites in nine other provinces, all aimed to improve the lives of populations vulnerable to HIV and its co-morbidities, including tuberculosis. She is a world-class leader in social and behavioral sciences, with a specialty in the integration of intervention research, implementation science, qualitative methods, and mixed methods.

An Impactful Partnership Below the Equator

This month, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) will host visitors from around the world and community members from its island home of San Cristóbal during the sixth annual Galápagos Research and Conservation Symposium. At the consortium, Carolina researchers, along with many international peers and collaborators, will highlight the work they are doing to protect the archipelago and improve life for the citizens of the islands.

The GSC was founded by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and partner institution the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Today, the center facilitates research on ecology, oceanography, and genetics, with findings applicable to similar island ecosystems globally. The research ranges from iguanas and hammerhead sharks to the evolution of plankton to community and human health.

One of the most impactful efforts is the Galapagos Barcode Project, which employs local citizens to catalog the genetic biodiversity of the Galápagos. This work provides marketable skills to local community members after pandemic-era tourism restrictions severely impacted their economy.

The center recently received a $1.5 million award from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable to create the Kenan Galapagos Fellows Program, which will support three graduate students per year for three years and one post-doctoral fellow per year for two years, expanding opportunities for students to form the basis of their graduate and early research careers at this one-of-a-kind facility. The first graduate fellowships will begin in fall 2024. These fellowships will bring the dream of a lifetime to reality for these Carolina students, allowing them to walk in Darwin’s footsteps and to continue a legacy of transformative research in this amazing natural laboratory. There is so much to learn from work in the Galápagos that can be translated to other fragile ecosystems, like North Carolina’s own barrier islands.

Student Experiences and Scholarly Engagement

Global opportunities abound for our students. From Fall 2022 through Summer 2023, more than 2,700 students benefitted from a study abroad experience, more than any other year in Carolina history. UNC-Chapel Hill ranks 13th among all U.S. higher institutions for the number of students earning credit for study abroad. Our study abroad students benefit from Carolina’s impressive research networks and sites across the globe.

We also benefit from the diversity of thought and perspective of our international students and scholars who contribute to research efforts back here on campus. This exchange of knowledge and perspectives fosters innovative solutions with worldwide applicability. More than 2,500 international students from more than 100 countries enroll at Carolina each year.

Our Global Reach

There are far many more projects, countries, and investigators than could fit into this one piece. Carolina’s deep and broad bench of leading international research has transformed the prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and has impacted the lives and well-being of people across the globe. Our faculty members participate in joint research projects and exchange knowledge with partners worldwide to solve the most pressing issues of our time. And we promote the exchange of ideas and perspectives through opportunities for students and trainees, equipping global citizens to make bigger impacts.

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