EDI News

Like many Americans, the murder of George Floyd in 2020 was a wake-up call for Taylor Abele, a PhD student in the Department of Immunology. Not only did the horrific event motivate her to get more involved in changing systems that lead to inequalities, but it also provided her with the courage to stand up for herself and other LGBTQ+ individuals.

Non-Hispanic Black patients are less likely to receive guideline-appropriate treatment for ovarian cancer than non-Hispanic White patients, significantly affecting their treatment quality and survival chances.

Many people incorrectly assume that having a disability lowers a person’s quality of life. Christopher Lunsford, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, wants to change that misconception. Lunsford works to increase the conversation around disability as a facet of diversity, emphasizing that disability advocacy can and should be a focus of institutional excellence. Building a stronger disability consciousness, he says, can help improve treatment for patients and teaching for students and trainees.

Giselle Y. López, MD, PhD, was a keynote speaker, along with Gabriela Maradiaga Panayotti, MD, for the inaugural Duke Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Hispanic Heritage Month Gala on Sept. 15th at Duke’s Trent Semans Center for Health Education. She has Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, and spoke about her experiences as a Latina medical professional, emphasizing the importance of community in Latin American cultures.

The city of Durham held Pride: Durham, NC, on Sept. 24, with many from Duke Health coming together as a community to celebrate inclusion, community, family, pride, and activism. As a financial and programming sponsor, Duke Health invited employees and their families to participate in the festivities.  

The day included a parade and a “medical village” hosted by Duke on East Campus to highlight Duke’s LGBTQ+ affirming care services, including a Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic staffed by volunteer team members. The event was organized by the LGBTQ+ Center of Durham. 

Study links lower test scores among Black North Carolina fourth graders to environmental exposure in racially segregated neighborhoods.

The Duke University School of Medicine welcomes incoming students from across the country and around the world as they start their health professions careers at the School of Medicine this month.  

Although typically classified as a single ethnic group, people of Hispanic heritage have markedly different risks for brain tumors based on their geographic origins, suggesting greater diversity that warrants attention in the health care setting.

This summer, eight scholars from across the country were paired with a faculty research mentor to learn laboratory skills, designing a research project, and effectively presenting future research.

The fellowship program aims to build a community committed to advancing science through diversity and inclusion.