UNC Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP)

Apply for the Community Health & Wellness Resource (CHWR) Team’s 2026 Summer Research Internship! Undergraduate interns will gain hands-on research experience, work with researchers, and build skills through mentorship and professional development. Apply by February 27th: https://bit.ly/4bxLISP

Join nutrition leaders, professionals, and advocates from across NC at the NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference on March 3rd! This 15th annual gathering brings together people working to expand access to nutritious food for children. Register today! https://bit.ly/3ZDC6P2

Headshot of Tish Singletary

Today we celebrate a Community Advisory Board member, Tish Singletary, MA. As the Branch Head for the Community & Clinical Connections at the NC Division of Public Health, she brings 20+ years of expertise at tackling healthy eating, active living, health equity, & chronic disease clinical care.

Federal SNAP snafu affects nearly 85,000 NC college students who receive federal food assistance Another nearly 100,000 students are likely missing out, but lack of knowledge, difficulty, stigma keeps them from signing up.

Food insecurity is especially overlooked among college students, says Jessica Soldavini. The recent SNAP benefits delays and lack of awareness that students may be eligibility both become barriers for college students to access healthy, affordable foods.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/484LvmC

CHWR Team Receives Caplan Foundation Award to Develop & Test a Go NAPSACC Social Emotional Module - Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention The Caplan Foundation has awarded funding to principal investigator Dr. Falon Smith, Director of Go NAPACC and Research Scientist with the Community Health & Wellness Resource (CHWR) Team for the proj...

Dr. Falon Smith and the Community Health & Wellness Resource Team have been awarded funding from the Caplan Foundation for the project Preventing Exclusionary Practices in Early Care and Education: Promoting Social and Emotional Development.

Learn more: https://unc.live/3J8q3F3

Building cancer prevention capacity: HPDP researchers receive CDC Special Interest Project grant to scale cancer prevention and control interventions The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a Special Interest Project (SIP) grant to scale cancer prevention and control interventions. The CDC funds SIPs that address a topic of...

Drs. Rachel Hirschey and Alison Brenner have been awarded a Special Interest Project grant from the CDC to scale cancer prevention and control interventions across the US.

Read the story: https://unc.live/4nrFHJw

CHWR Team Researchers Awarded NIH Grant to Support Healthy Growth of Young Children with Down Syndrome - Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded funding to Dr. Erik A Willis and co-investigators at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Dr. Heather Wasser, Dr. Seema Agrawal,  and Emmy ...

Congratulations to the Community Health & Wellness Resource Team for receiving an NIH grant to launch HomeGrown! This family-centered program is designed to support healthy growth and development in young children with Down syndrome. Read more here: unc.live/464gy2b

A Spoonful of Policy - UNC Research Stories Lindsey Smith Taillie pushes for healthy food policies across the globe to improve eating habits for families and children.

HPDP Research Fellow, Lindsey Smith Taillie was featured on UNC Research Stories. Learn about her journey from an environmental activist in her middle school cafeteria to becoming a food policy expert and co-founded the UNC Mini Mart at HPDP.

Read the story: endeavors.unc.edu/a-spoonful-o...

Juneteenth honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederacy. The NC African American Heritage Commission curated resources to build awareness for the holiday, educate ourselves on liberation in NC, and share events to celebrate across NC: aahc.nc.gov/juneteenth

Frontiers | Scaling up the Med-South Lifestyle Program in public health settings to reduce chronic disease risk: a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study IntroductionMajor disparities persist in heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, with rates highest among those living in the southeastern and central parts of...

New research shows the Med-South Lifestyle Program can be scaled across rural public health sites to reduce chronic disease risk in the South.

Participants experienced:
📉 Reduced weight & blood pressure
🥬 consuming more fruits & veggies
🪑 Less sedentary behavior

Read: doi.org/10.3389/fpub...

young girl holding cucumbers over her eyes. Text reads: "UNC Research is... brining healthy childcare to NC"

Text reads: "UNC Research is... North Carolina"

UNC Research is bringing healthy childcare across NC & beyond. Go NAPSACC works with childcare providers to improve the health of young children across NC and the country.

This is research with purpose. Learn more about our research here: go.unc.edu/GNS

#UNCResearchisNC

photo of family enjoying a healthy meal outside. Text reads: "UNC research is... making Southern food healthier."

Graphic with text that reads: "UNC Research is... North Carolina"

UNC Research is making Southern food healthier. The Med-South Lifestyle Program helped 500+ NC residents:
✅ lose weight
✅ eat more fruits & veggies
✅ lower their blood pressure
Learn more: go.unc.edu/q6PSw
#UNCResearchIsNC

Carolina’s Catalyst: Pan-Campus Research Centers & Institutes - UNC Research Our university’s collaborative spirit is embodied by a network of interdisciplinary units that fuel discovery, attract top talent, empower students, and generate real-world impact.

UNC Research highlights how campus centers are tackling society’s biggest challenges together. We’re proud to see HPDP being recognized for the work we do in prevention of chronic disease and promoting child health across 80 NC counties!

Read the full story here: research.unc.edu/2025/05/07/c...

Childhood Obesity Special Issue Released Honoring Community Health & Wellness Resource Team’s Late Founder & Director, Dr. Dianne S. Ward - Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Childhood Obesity has released a special issue honoring the Community Health & Wellness Resource Team’s late founder and director, Dianne S. Ward, EdD, FTOS, FACSM. Dr. Ward was a beloved friend, educ...

Childhood Obesity has released a special issue honoring the Community Health & Wellness Resource Team’s late founder and director, Dianne S. Ward. The issue celebrates her legacy of improving child health and wellness in early care and education settings.
Read the story here: tinyurl.com/385v2my7

The FFORC team has developed resources for you to learn about SNAP-Ed, how it supports children, families, veterans, healthcare, and local economies in NC, and how we can advocate for it's continued funding.

Find the full reports: tinyurl.com/fforcsnaped

@unc-fforc.bsky.social

HPDP research team publishes two studies about the impact of alcohol home delivery on alcohol consumption trends and related consequences - Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention HPDP researchers have completed two studies into the impact of increased alcohol home delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The studies found that increased access to alcohol home delivery was associ...

HPDP researchers, Drs. Jimikaye Courtney and McKenna Roudebush, just published two studies on the impact of increased alcohol home delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Get the story here: hpdp.unc.edu/2025/03/hpdp...

Close up of hands, people holding hands together.

March is #WomensHistoryMonth! 🎉 Let us honor the contributions of the women in our lives who keep pushing for a healthier, more equitable future for all!