September

UNC awarded Cancer Genome Atlas Grant

This national effort will shape the future of cancer research and treatment.

Blood vessels contribute to their own growth and oxygen delivery to tissues and tumors

The findings, published in the Sept. 15 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, could give important insights into the formation of the vasculature needed to feed new tumors.

UNC study: Insecticide-treated bed nets reduce infant deaths in Democratic Republic of Congo

Giving insecticide-treated bed nets to nearly 18,000 mothers at prenatal clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo prevented an estimated 414 infant deaths from malaria, a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers concludes.

UNC study: Color-coded chart improves parents’ understanding of body mass index (BMI)

In the study, published in the September/October 2009 issue of journal Academic Pediatrics, a sample of 163 parents of children seen at pediatric clinics at UNC and Vanderbilt University were tested to assess their understanding of BMI, their health literacy and their math abilities.

Patient-doctor communication with patients who have high blood pressure is worse for blacks than for whites, study finds

Black patients with high blood pressure experience poorer communication with their doctors than white patients do, a study led by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher has found.

UNC wins $8.6 million NIH award to establish a Center of Excellence to study underlying causes of psychiatric disorders

The National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health has named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a Center of Excellence in Genomic Science and awarded UNC $8.6 million over five years to fund a new Center for Integrated Systems Genetics, or CISGen.

New Genetic Medicine Research Building to be dedicated May 6

Construction of the new building was completed in October 2008.

Family House Diaries: A Renewed Enthusiasm for Life

Russell Ford received a heart transplant at UNC Hospitals in July 2009 after suffering from congestive heart failure for 10 years. This is his, and his family's, story.

Gene variant heightens risk of severe liver disease in cystic fibrosis

A UNC study, which appears in the Sept. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), could lead to earlier detection and diagnosis of cystic fibrosis liver disease and better treatment options for the patients affected by the disease.

UNC study rewrites textbook on key genetic phenomenon

A new UNC study appearing online July 1 in the journal Nature disputes current scientific belief by showing that X-inactivation can occur even in the absence of a gene previously thought to be the trigger of the process.

UNC scientists garner new NIH awards for high risk, transformative research

Three scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have received prestigious awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at encouraging “high risk” and innovative research.

Matters of the Heart: Helping a family member with heart disease

Cam Patterson, M.D., chief of cardiology for UNC Health Care, explains five things you can do to help a friend or family member who has heart disease.

UNC expert: Better decision support tools needed for prostate cancer screening choice

Michael Pignone, M.D., M.P.H., reviews the pros and cons of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening in an editorial he wrote for the Sept. 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers identify critical gene for brain development, mental retardation

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have now discovered that establishing the neural wiring necessary to function normally depends on the ability of neurons to make finger-like projections of their membrane called filopodia.

Multiple corticosteroid injections in pregnant women may increase cerebral palsy

CHAPEL HILL - When pregnant women are at high risk for preterm birth, giving them a single injection of corticosteroids has been shown to reduce the baby's chances of having serious lung problems after birth.