UNC-Chapel Hill researchers do a little bit of everything — from tackling nationwide issues of racism and disparities, to unpacking the ethical implications of gene-editing, to preserving an Asian language at risk of disappearing. And now, many are pivoting their studies to address a global pandemic. We are proud of what they are accomplishing and are excited to showcase this work in the second annual print edition of Endeavors.
Researchers across campus are working diligently to discover how SARS-CoV-2 affects the human body and how to treat COVID-19, halt its spread, and deal with the challenges it presented our society. In fact, in 2020, Carolina was rated by Microsoft Academic as the most cited American university for coronavirus research.
While COVID-19 has shaken the world, it has also pushed society to be more innovative and creative — two attributes that have been essential to the success of researchers at UNC. Carolina students, faculty, and staff are engaged in an abundance of projects, making UNC the most cited university in the nation for coronavirus research.
UNC virologists Timothy Sheahan and Ralph Baric have been working around the clock to develop new treatments and vaccines to fight the novel coronavirus. In this Q&A, Sheahan discusses current projects, new discoveries, and the challenges that come with studying a virus like SARS-CoV-2.
Employing wastewater epidemiology — proven useful in outbreaks of polio and opioid use — UNC microbiologist Rachel Noble is leading a state-wide collaboration tracking novel coronavirus outbreaks across North Carolina, gaining insight that testing individuals does not offer. Preliminary results have shown that by using wastewater, researchers can identify COVID-19 hot spots five to seven days before they are reflected by clinical testing results.
