Health, medicine & scientific discovery

Carolina students, faculty and physicians continuously work to discover scientific breakthroughs that will help advance medicine and better individual and community-wide health.

person receiving blood pressure reading
Greg Scherrer and five members of his lab pose in his lab

Developing non-addictive pain meds

A quarter of the way into the 21st century, the United States finds itself in the grip of two intertwined epidemics: chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Greg Scherrer, professor at the UNC School of Medicine is tackling both epidemics by developing an entirely new class of therapeutics that relieves pain but is not addictive. 

Your support in action

Portrait of Kristy Ainslie leaning against a whiteboard bordered by blue and white argyle pattern.

Ask a Professor: Kristy Ainslie on a new type of vaccine

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy professor discusses her lab’s work on an inverse vaccine to treat autoimmune diseases.

A close-up view of Stephen Eckel holding his IV dosing device

Donor funding bridges innovation ‘valley of death’

Strategic giving is critical in helping Carolina researchers translate their research into real-world solutions.

Three people pose and smile in a lab.

Eyes on the brain

Carolina researchers use smart glasses to peer into the mind.

Support health, medicine & scientific discovery initiatives

Supporting health, medicine and discovery initiatives at Carolina means equipping scholars with the necessary tools to understand and get ahead of tomorrow’s health challenges.

Acceleration Fund for Practice

Enables Gillings to use its expertise and resources to help North Carolina communities confront emerging public health challenges and drive innovative, sustainable solutions.

The Alberta Beat Dolan Endowed Scholarship Fund

Provides scholarship support for undergraduate dental hygiene students.

Health Behavior

Provides support to the department to design and evaluate interventions that help individuals and communities adopt healthier behaviors and reduce health disparities.

Public Health Student Scholarships

Provides support for merit scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students.

Contact us

Have questions or want to explore how your giving can make the greatest impact? We welcome the opportunity to connect and learn more about what inspires you. Reach out to start a conversation about your philanthropic goals and how you can support health, medicine and scientific discovery initiatives.