Research UNCovered


Research UNCovered showcases the many faces of research at Carolina, from undergraduate students to faculty, across all disciplines. Learn what inspired our researchers to pursue their field, how they’ve overcome obstacles, and a little about their lives beyond their labs and offices.

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Clare Harrop

September 2, 2020

Clare Harrop is a research assistant professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences within the UNC School of Medicine and a fellow in the FPG Child Development Institute. She studies early developmental trajectories in children, particularly girls, with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Baba Mass

August 19, 2020

Baba Mass is a research technician in the Voruganti Lab within the UNC Nutrition Research Institute. He studies how genes and diet impact serum uric acid levels — a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Unhealthy amounts of uric acid can cause kidney and heart problems.

Priscilla Layne

August 5, 2020

Priscilla Layne is an associate professor in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Through literature and film, she studies German identities, how culture affects national boundaries, and the representation of marginalized peoples.

Johnny Randall

July 29, 2020

Johnny Randall is the director of conservation programs at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. He researches rare plant reintroduction and Venus flytrap genetics as they relate to conservation efforts.

Jieni Zhou

July 22, 2020

Jieni Zhou is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She studies how shared positive experiences in romantic relationships contribute to relationship quality and physical health outcomes.

Claudio Battaglini

July 15, 2020

Claudio Battaglini is a professor of exercise physiology in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies how exercise can help alleviate cancer treatment-related side effects.

Nilu Goonetilleke

July 8, 2020

Nilu Goonetilleke is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology within the UNC School of Medicine. She studies the immune cell response to several major human infections, like HIV, and develops strategies to limit the causes and spread of disease.

Seth Noar

June 24, 2020

Seth Noar is a professor within the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and a researcher at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. He studies how people can effectively use communication to change behavior and improve health.

Emily Hynes

June 10, 2020

Emily Hynes is a PhD student in the Department of Music within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She studies women who made music within prisons of the American South from the 1930s to '40s and creates interactive digital maps to convey this information.

Aaron Anselmo

May 20, 2020

Aaron Anselmo is an assistant professor in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He develops new strategies and technologies that alter the microbiome by removing pathogens and increasing beneficial bacteria.