June 1 marked the start of the 2020 hurricane season — and it’s slated to be an active one. In this Q&A, UNC researcher Rick Luettich talks about this year’s above-average hurricane forecast, the impact these storms have on inland populations, and how COVID-19 may affect vulnerable communities.

In its second funded project, Pinnacle Hill, the research and development partnership between UNC and Deerfield Management Company, will support the development of a potential treatment for Angelman Syndrome, a neuro-genetic disorder that currently has no effective treatment.

As of early April, global carbon emissions decreased by 17 percent, in part because the COVID-19 shutdown led to a steep decrease in road and air traffic emissions. But while a drop in air emissions sounds positive, UNC environmental scientist Sarav Arunachalam says the situation is not straightforward.

How will COVID-19 affect the already vulnerable coastal communities preparing for the 2020 hurricane season? UNC environmental anthropologist Caela O’Connell unwraps this question in her new research project.

UNC sociologist Alexandrea Ravenelle is interviewing 200 precarious workers — gig platform workers, creative freelancers, and essential low-wage workers in drugstores and grocery stores — to uncover how the pandemic is impacting their lives now and, ultimately, in the long term.