EDI News

Sarah Wilson, PhD, always had an interest in fighting for justice and fairness, starting as early as high school. That drive to address inequities experienced by people in various communities still exists today. An assistant professor in psychiatry & behavioral sciences at Duke, she is involved with several projects, including a new intervention to mitigate racial implicit bias in clinicians.

Clayton Alfonso, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, strives to make sure everyone who enters his exam room feels welcome and respected and receives evidence-based care.

Duke University School of Medicine’s Black employee resource group, called ME2, held its third annual Juneteenth celebration on June 20. The event featured keynote speaker Damon Tweedy, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke.

Michael Boyce, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and co-director of the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program, a national program to enhance faculty diversity at research universities, organized by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Duke University School of Medicine has announced the 2024 Michelle P. Winn Awards honoring individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion over the past year.

The recipients of the 2024 Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award are: 

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Duke Asian American and Pacific Islander Affinity Group will kick off a month of celebrations with the unveiling of a unique traveling mural at Duke Regional Hospital on May 3. The unveiling is the culmination of several events that brought together employees from across Duke, symbolizing the sense of belonging and inclusiveness that the affinity group strives to create.

Tammara Watts, MD, PhD, is the associate director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Duke Cancer Institute. She is charged with strategic planning and implementation of the DCI’s Plan to Enhance Diversity (PED).

The Duke University School of Medicine Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has announced the recipients of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Catalyst Fund.

For Debra Ragland, PhD, who works closely with PhD students in the School of Medicine, addressing issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the biosciences is simple. She says it’s a matter of creating a supportive environment where the students feel heard.

In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Madhav Swaminathan, MD shares how he became involved with a group focused on increasing inclusion of neurodiversity, a disability that he says is often hidden yet deserves more attention in EDI work.