When 36‑year‑old Mykal first began feeling ill in 2019, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. What started as fatigue, weight loss, and unexplained skin problems quickly turned into fear and frustration. He went from clinic to clinic searching for answers.

“I was very sick and didn’t know what was going on,” he recalled. “I kept going to doctors and getting the same response—they didn’t know.”

Mykal’s symptoms worsened. His skin cracked and peeled. He grew frail and walking became difficult.  And still, no one could explain why.

Finding Answers at UNC Health

After nearly a year of uncertainty, Mykal traveled from his home in Hope Mills, NC to UNC Health at Eastowne in Chapel Hill.

“They figured out the problem immediately and started me on medication. I think I was more relieved than anything, to finally have an answer.”

Mykal not only found a diagnosis—HIV complicated by severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis—he found a coordinated team of caring specialists who understood the complex interplay between these conditions. The care team helped stabilize his health, manage his skin condition, and address the joint pain that would require him to use a cane for balance.

“I’m in a completely different place now,” he said. “I’ve had tests for early detection of conditions linked to HIV, along with regular screenings, and a few minor surgeries. UNC caught everything early.”

A Mother’s Strength

Through every appointment, every setback, and every breakthrough, Mykal’s mother was by his side.

“Having her as my biggest supporter has really helped me,” he said. “If she knows what’s going on, she knows what to do.”

For her, the journey was equally emotional.

“I was scared at first,” she admits. “My son was going through something, and I didn’t have answers. But as scared as I was, Mykal needed someone to accept everything that was going on and love him unconditionally.”

Care Beyond the Clinic

Mykal is also open about the darkest part of his journey.

“I battled with suicide at one point,” he said quietly. “A couple months into my diagnosis. I was going through a lot mentally.

Reflecting on his progress, Jonah Pierce, RN, ACRN, explained.

“Mykal’s willingness to not give up on himself, and to trust us, shows just how far HIV care has come. He went from being dangerously close to death, to now living a relatively normal healthy life, because he has stayed engaged in his care.”

With support from his care team—including a psychiatric provider who helped him stabilize his sleep and mood—Mykal found his footing again.

“Jonah is a gem,” Mykal’s mother said. “He cared about my son as much as I did. Knowing that someone else cared for him—that really helped me breathe.”

Mykal agreed. “Jonah would text me on a Saturday or a Sunday, just to ask how I was doing. He’d send inspirational quotes and messages. One of the first was: “You are valued. You are enough. You are loved. You matter.”

Mykal also formed a strong partnership with his physician, Tonia Poteat, PhD, PA-C, MPH.

“At first, I didn’t feel that we had made a real connection,” Poteat said. “It took time, and it required me to keep listening and for him to be willing to come back, but that’s how we gradually built our relationship.”

“As he started to feel better, he could see that we were truly trying to act in his best interest, and I think that really helped us build trust. It was wonderful to see his personality return and really shine through as time went on and we got to know each other better.”

Trust mattered. Mykal stayed engaged in care and stayed on his medication. He also stayed hopeful.

Sharing Messages of Hope

Now as a member of the ID Clinic’s HIV Community Advocacy Board, Mykal has turned his lived experience into a source of strength for others.

“If Jonah gets a new patient who is struggling with taking medication, he’ll ask if he can connect us, and he shares my number. The patient may not feel like talking yet, but I still reach out with a text to say, ‘We’re here for you.’”

For World AIDS Day last December, Mykal participated in a patient outreach and education event at UNC Eastowne. He talked with patients, wanting to help individuals who may feel overlooked, feel seen, just as others did for him.

“I know how scary healthcare is,” he said. “For the longest time, I kept being told nothing was wrong with me. But at UNC, I was heard. I was believed.”

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Emily Gower, PhD, and Joy Noel Baumgartner, PhD, MSSW

A team of researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases has quantified the link between vision impairment and academic performance in a new study of primary school students in Tanzania. Led by Joy Noel Baumgartner, PhD, MSSW, professor of social work, with Emily Gower, PhD, associate professor of ocular epidemiology, and medical student Michael Maizel as first author, the study examined vision within a broader health and wellness framework. The approach, published in Vulnerable Child Youth Studies, could provide a model for global wellness.

Designing the Study

Collaborating with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Duke Global Health Institute, the research team designed the vision study to be implemented via school-clinic partnerships which included health education and screenings for nutrition, mental health and more. Vijana Tambua Afya, translated to “Youth Health Check,” is a Tanzanian health initiative providing prevention-oriented health check-ups for adolescents, particularly those in their final year of primary school. Researchers wanted to estimate the prevalence of distance vision impairment among Tanzanian adolescents; examine the relationship between vision status and academic performance; and identify the facilitators and barriers to school-based vision screenings and access to eye care. 

The study included 509 students (ages 11-17) from both rural and urban districts, an age group rarely studied, with trained teachers and nurses performing the vision screenings.  

“Most vision health studies focus on younger children or adults,” explained Gower. “But this study specifically targeted a group often overlooked in health policy and programming, especially in low- and middle-income countries.” 

The investigators combined quantitative data (prevalence, exam scores, follow-up rates) with qualitative insights (interviews and focus groups with teachers, nurses, and parents) to understand outcomes and barriers to treatment. 

The Results

Over 11% of students screened were found to have reduced or impaired vision in at least one eye, with 6.9% of students having mildly reduced vision, and 4.3% having impaired vision in their worse eye. Meanwhile, students with vision problems were more likely to score lower on the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), with nearly 72% receiving a grade C or below, compared to 60% of students with normal vision. This measurement showed a clear association between reduced vision and lower academic achievement—a connection not often quantified in similar studies. 

“Vision health is not just a medical issue—it’s a critical factor in educational success and future opportunities for Tanzanian youth,” explained Baumgartner, corresponding study author.

“My Tanzanian colleagues, including co-PI Dr. Sylvia Kaaya at MUHAS, are sharing this data with key stakeholders to highlight that a multi-sectoral response for improved eye care across the lifespan is warranted.”

The study tracked the entire pathway, from screening to referral and follow-up care, revealing that less than 10% of referred students received necessary treatment. It also identified specific financial, logistical, and educationalbarriers, and highlighted gaps in the referral system.  

Vision Health Impacts Education Systems Everywhere – Policy and Practice 

The clear association between vision impairment and lower academic achievement in Tanzania strengthens the global case for prioritizing vision health, where similar links have been observed but may not be systematically addressed.  

In North Carolina, disparities in access to vision care persist, especially in rural communities. Approximately 25,614 preschoolers and 349,518 school-age children in North Carolina have visual problems, according to data from Prevent Blindness North Carolina. An estimated 3% of children under 18 in the U.S. have blindness or vision impairment, defined as having trouble seeing even with glasses or contact lenses, while 60% of students identified as “problem learners” have undetected vision problems making early detection and intervention critical for improving educational outcomes.  

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Asher Schranz, MD, MPH, and Ross Boyce, MD, MSc

Fellowship in IDSA (FIDSA) is one of the highest honors in infectious diseases. It recognizes individuals whose careers reflect deep curiosity, scientific excellence and a commitment to compassionate care and health equity.

Schranz is an associate professor of medicine with clinical interests in endovascular infections, viral hepatitis, and HIV.  His research is broadly focused on the intersection of infectious diseases and substance use disorders, and how to improve the care of patients hospitalized with severe, injection drug-related infections. He utilizes large datasets to study outcomes following invasive infections – such as infective endocarditis and bone, joint, and spine infections – affecting people who inject drugs, in both North Carolina and the US.

Boyce, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology, focuses on the spatial and clinical epidemiology of malaria and other vector-borne diseases, particularly in rural, underserved communities. In a landmark randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Uganda, Boyce demonstrated that infants carried in permethrin-treated wraps experienced a significant reduction in clinical malaria incidence compared to controls. Dr. Boyce also leads a multi-disciplinary research collaboration, the Vector-Borne Disease Epidemiology, Ecology, and Response (VEER) Hub, focused on issues of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases endemic to North Carolina.

“The 166 individuals honored this year represent a defining moment for ID as we continue to follow the science in pursuit of the best outcomes for our communities,” said IDSA President Ronald G. Nahass, MD, MHCM, FIDSA. “Receiving the FIDSA designation is the ID profession’s highest honor given to those who have demonstrated that they are true leaders in the field of infectious diseases. These ID physicians and scientists represent the passion and commitment needed to educate leaders around the globe about current and future health threats.”

IDSA Fellows work across settings and disciplines, united by a shared purpose: to reduce the burdens of infectious diseases and build a healthier, more equitable future. Read more.

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Ross Boyce, MD, MSc (center)

Dr. Ross Boyce, a member of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine, has been honored with the “Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award” by the Clinical Research Forum. The award recognizes his groundbreaking project in Uganda, “Treated Baby Wraps for Malaria Prevention,” nominated by UNC’s North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS). Boyce, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology, received the prestigious award at the Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Awards ceremony held May 11 in Washington, D.C.

“This year’s award winners demonstrate the immense value of our nation’s investment in clinical research, and the direct impact of that work on the health of millions of people in the United States,” said Harry P. Selker, MD, MSPH, CR Forum Board Chair and Dean of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Tufts University. “All of these studies are scientifically brilliant. I cannot emphasize enough the pride I feel for the amazing work of our colleagues and clinical research as a field.”

Boyce focuses on the spatial and clinical epidemiology of malaria and other vector-borne diseases, particularly in rural and underserved communities. In his landmark randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Uganda, Boyce and colleagues demonstrated that infants carried in permethrin-treated wraps experienced a significant reduction in clinical malaria incidence compared to controls. This intervention explored the use of treated baby wraps as a novel intervention to protect infants from malaria, demonstrating immediate impact on child health in malaria-endemic regions. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results have been recognized for their immediate impact on child health. At UNC-Chapel Hill, NC TraCS’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board service provided critical support for the project, ensuring rigorous oversight and safety throughout the research process.

About the Clinical Research Forum

The mission of the Clinical Research Forum is to provide leadership to the national and clinical translational research enterprise and promote understanding and support for clinical research and its impact on health and healthcare. Each year, an annual competition determines the ten outstanding research accomplishments in the United States. These major research advances represent a portion of the annual return on the nation’s investment in the health and future welfare of its citizens.

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Wohl participating in a preparedness exercise with SPARC.

As headlines focus on a Hantavirus cluster linked to a cruise ship, UNC Health is part of the small national network now coordinating the response. In a WRAL interview, Dr. David Wohl with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases recognized that UNC is one of only 13 federally designated Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) in the country, created to care for patients with high‑consequence infections and to help manage exactly these kinds of emerging threats.

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Michael Maizel (left) is wrapping us his first year of medical school. As an undergraduate, his vision research began with Dr. Emily Gower (left) and has continued with Dr. Joy Baumgartner (right).

How did you first get involved in global eye‑health research as an undergraduate?

I first became involved in global eye-health research when I was a freshman, working with Dr. Emily Gower. That year, I worked with her to train a model on how to detect trichiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Reviewing thousands of images of eyes, I trained the model to be able to differentiate the cornea, sclera, and eyelid margin. Since then, I’ve worked with her on numerous other studies, ranging from assessing the feasibility of integrating diabetic retinopathy screenings in pharmacy settings (which I recently presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) to evaluating the use of self-administered visual acuity tests in seniors.  

As a Health Policy and Management major with the Gillings School of Global Public Health, I wanted to do a senior project that involved ophthalmology and global health, two areas I’m passionate about. Dr. Gower introduced me to Dr. Baumgartner from the UNC School of Social Work. Her work in Tanzania is helping teens have early positive experiences with health clinics so that they will seek out services on their own if they need them later in life, especially those at greatest risk of unintended pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections. Part of this work included an adolescent vision study that she was starting. I worked with her team during my senior year to write a paper looking at vision health among primary school students in Tanzania. That paper was published in February.  

What was the focus of your research project, and what were the key findings?

Adolescents in lower-resource countries face a high burden of eye health problems. The study in Tanzania estimated how common distance vision impairment is among young adolescents, compared academic performance by vision status, and examined what helps or hinders school-based vision screening and follow-up eye care. Participants were 7th-grade students who were a part of the “Youth Health Check” program.  They attended school-facilitated, clinic-based health check-ups that included distance vision screening. Data included adolescent surveys, medical record extraction, and primary school leaving examination scores. Semi-structured interviews with parents and focus groups with school and clinic staff were conducted. Overall, based on their worst eye, 6.9% of students had mildly reduced vision, and 4.3% had impaired vision on screening. 71.9% of students with mildly reduced or impaired vision scored a C or lower on the PSLE compared to 59.9% with normal vision. Less than 10% of students referred received follow-up care. School-based vision screenings were deemed largely successful by clinicians and teachers, but there were challenges related to follow-up care, including referral linkages, households’ financial barriers to vision care, and insufficient parental knowledge of the importance of timely pediatric eye care. Given the prevalence of visual impairment and its potential link to academic performance, we’ve suggested governments consider requiring school-based distance vision screenings. Further research on screening implementation strategies and strengthening follow-up care is needed.  

At what point did you realize that contributing to global health doesn’t always require traveling overseas?

After majoring in Health Policy and Management during my junior and senior years, I realized that I do not have to travel overseas to help people in need. There are many problems with the U.S. healthcare system that need to be addressed. So, when the opportunity to get involved with this project for my senior honors thesis came about, it seemed like it perfectly intertwined all three areas for me: ophthalmology, global health, and public health. My interest in ophthalmology began after I got my first migraine towards the end of middle school/beginning of high school. The auras I get from migraines are super debilitating to me, and I can’t imagine what people with permanent visual impairments must deal with daily. This was the spark for me to get interested in ophthalmology, and my experiences over the years have only further reinforced that.  

What did you take away from your global eye‑health experience in Ghana, and how has it shaped your goals in medicine?

During the summer after my sophomore year of undergrad, I worked with ophthalmologists in Ghana through Unite for Sight, and the experience was very rewarding for me. The stark disparities in access to care were glaring, and I remain dedicated to serving low- and middle-income nations in some capacity as a future physician. I learned a lot from this experience, most notably that vision is not only a component of eye health but also a factor in overall quality of life. I was also reminded of the glaring differences in eye health between high-income countries and low and middle-income nations, and these disparities were worse than I originally thought. As of 2022, 89% of people with vision impairments stem from low and middle-income nations, and 90% of these cases could have been prevented or treated. Most importantly, I learned that there are solutions to these problems and that they can start on a community level. I truly hope these school-based vision screenings gain traction in Tanzania and are implemented more widely across the country. In the future, I hope to become an ophthalmologist who advocates for health policy reform.  

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The WHO designation is anchored by the work of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Joe Tucker, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, and Elizabeth Chen, PhD, MPH, associate professor of health behavior, will co-direct the center, with leadership from Weiming Tang, PhD.

Building on Leadership in Behavioral Science and Innovations in Human-Centered Design

Social innovation in health focuses on community-led, locally adapted solutions that strengthen health systems and expand access to care. UNC’s approach is informed by the work of Tucker and Tang, who are co-directors of UNC Project-China, and have pioneered behavioral science and crowdsourcing approaches to address complex global health challenges.

Left to right: Joe Tucker, Liz Chen and Weiming Tang

“This center will reflect a growing recognition that equity requires new models of engagement,” explained Tucker.  “By working alongside communities, policymakers, and practitioners, we can accelerate solutions that are both evidence-based and grounded in lived experience.”

Tucker and Tang apply behavioral science and crowdsourcing methods—such as open calls, designathons, and community-generated ideas—to expand participation in infectious disease research and accelerate innovation. Tucker’s research has contributed to several World Health Organization guidelines, and he serves as a member of the TDR Global Working Group.

The new center is also grounded in the work of Dr. Chen, who is focused on ways to integrate design thinking mindsets and methodologies into public health training, practice, and research.

“Communities are already innovating to solve urgent health challenges,” said Chen. “Our role is to partner with them—bringing rigorous methods, global networks, and sustained support to help these solutions reach more people.”

Chen serves as the Design Thinking Lead for Innovate Carolina. She co-founded the tech nonprofit MyHealthEd, Inc., with a mission to use human-centered design to improve the health and well-being of youth of every identity. Its first product “Real Talk” is a mobile app that uses real stories by real teens to convey relevant and credible information about health topics to teens and reassures them that they are not alone.

The team’s combined strengths in behavioral science, community engagement, and implementation research will enable the center to test and scale solutions that are both scientifically rigorous and grounded in local context–positioning UNC to lead globally in advancing community-driven health solutions.

Global Partnerships

Designated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and WHO, the UNC center will serve as a hub for advancing social innovation in health across the Americas and globally. It will collaborate closely with PAHO country offices, WHO programs, and a network of academic and community partners. Initial efforts will focus on strengthening vaccination uptake, expanding access to sexual and reproductive health services and advancing digital health innovations for underserved populations.

Core priorities will include co-creation and community engagement, using participatory approaches such as crowdsourcing, designathons, and community-led research; evidence generation and scale-up, evaluating and adapting innovations across diverse settings; capacity strengthening, training early-career researchers, practitioners, and community leaders; and
policy translation, supporting integration of proven solutions into health systems.

The center will be part of a global network of academic hubs working to scale community-driven solutions. Through this network, UNC will contribute tools, case studies, and best practices to support countries worldwide.

People interested in signing up for more information about the WHO CC can contact manager Yanqi Wang at yanqwang@unc.edu. Read the University announcement.

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Jessica Lin speaking in Washington, D.C., at the NAM Emerging Leaders Forum.

Jessica Lin, MD, MSCR, a researcher with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, was invited to participate in the National Academy of Medicine’s Emerging Leaders Forum in April, bringing one of the world’s most persistent health challenges into sharp focus—malaria as a critical issue of global equity.

In a compelling presentation in Washington, D.C., Lin recognized the continued burden of malaria, with an estimated 282 million cases and 650,000 deaths reported in 2024. While major progress has eliminated the disease from many parts of the world, she emphasized that malaria remains deeply entrenched in under-resourced settings, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations.

Drawing on her expertise in infectious disease epidemiology, Lin outlined both the progress and the challenges that continue to shape the fight against malaria. These include growing drug and insecticide resistance, limitations of current vaccines, and the role of asymptomatic “invisible” transmission. She also pointed to the increasing influence of climate change, migration, and conflict in reshaping where and how malaria spreads.

“There is no single solution to malaria elimination,” said Lin, associate professor of medicine. “What is needed is a coordinated, adaptable approach tailored to specific regions and populations.”

Her talk reinforced the importance of sustained scientific innovation paired with context-driven strategies.

Advancing Equity Through Collaboration

In addition, Lin led a breakout session that examined how global health research can advance equity in resource-limited settings—particularly in light of recent policy shifts that threaten to widen disparities in access to care and research benefits.

She contributed expertise on malaria transmission and the broader determinants that shape infectious disease risk, emphasizing that meaningful progress will require not only scientific discovery, but also investments in local capacity, stronger health systems, and partnerships that empower communities across the Global South.

The session brought together leaders from across disciplines to explore solutions that ranged from medical service delivery innovations to genetic research, climate-conscious health interventions, and training for early-career clinicians and scientists.

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