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.

Have a recommendation for a feature? Fill out this form.

Erik Zhang

May 26, 2022

Erik Zhang is a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies why people give preference to the needs and interests of family members, friends, and themselves over strangers.

Farnosh Mazandarani

May 11, 2022

Farnosh Mazandarani is a PhD student in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. She studies popular pornographic media content in the U.S. and how trends in popularity coincide with societal and cultural events, advances, and movements.

Elijah Gullett

April 27, 2022

Elijah Gullett is a senior majoring in public policy and minoring in urban studies and planning within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies how housing regulations impact family budgets and decision-making.

Yao Li

April 13, 2022

Yao Li is an assistant professor in the Department of Statistics and Operations Research within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on developing efficient and robust machine learning models to solve real-world problems.

Raj Bunnag

March 23, 2022

Raj Bunnag is a master's student in the Department of Art & Art History in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He uses printmaking to shed light on historical and present-day racist violence and politics within the United States.

Stephanie Caddell

March 9, 2022

Stephanie Caddell is a sophomore studying environmental science in the Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Science within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She studies how to connect the needs of humans with the needs of the environment to protect the earth.

Luca Maini

February 23, 2022

Luca Maini is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies how drug manufacturers compete and how the government regulates prices to get needed drugs into the hands of as many patients as possible.

Iheoma U. Iruka

February 9, 2022

Iheoma U. Iruka is a research professor in the Department of Public Policy within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences and founding director of the Equity Research Action Coalition within the FPG Child Development Institute. She studies how to promote the health, wealth, and educational excellence of minoritized children and children from low-income households.

Eduardo Tadafumi Sato

January 26, 2022

Eduardo Tadafumi Sato is a PhD candidate in the Department of Music within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies how music is defined across national borders and unpacks the social and political definitions of what makes music “national,” specifically within Brazil.

Sikoya Ashburn

January 12, 2022

Sikoya Ashburn is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She uses neuroimaging to understand how the cerebellum affects higher cognitive functions and neurodevelopmental disorders, like ADHD, in children.