Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke, focuses on how the trauma of incarceration — whether from flooded cells during climate disasters or the “extreme deprivation” of solitary confinement — shapes people’s health long after release.

In 2021, Tiffany Adams, PT, DPT, MBA, PhD, and Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, partnered to create an initiative to empower future health professionals with skills to make informed financial decisions.

Salime’s journey from ESL student to science presenter shows BOOST’s power to transform lives, combining research, mentorship, and creativity to inspire STEM dreams.

For most of rural America, access to clinical research addressing rural health — and to physician-researchers focused on this area — is extremely limited. According to Danny Benjamin, MD, PhD, MPH, that’s simply not sustainable for long-term health in most of the country. As a leader of a program designed to develop future researchers through hands-on experience and mentorship, Benjamin is working to address this shortage and bring high-quality clinical trials to rural communities.

As a provider who primarily cares for patients living with dementia at the Duke Geriatrics Evaluation and Treatment Clinic, Liza Genao, MD, understands how important it is for patients to feel understood and seen. That understanding is what motivates her to teach medical Spanish to future doctors through a course called Advanced Clinically Centered Education in Spanish (ACCES).

As director of innovation in professional pathways within the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, is helping future generations of occupational therapists of all backgrounds discover the joys of the profession.

When Patrick Smith, PhD, first began his academic training in bioethics, his uncle, who was a civil rights leader in Alabama for 53 years, taught Smith an important lesson: don't forget about the people. In this month’s spotlight, Smith shares how despite working in a field that can sometimes seem removed from the people, his uncle’s words have stayed with him.

Growing up in the rural South, third-year Duke medical student Dorothy Gheorghiu was often the only Jewish person in her school, her neighborhood, and other settings. These experiences made her keenly aware of the importance of inclusion and belonging, and she was grateful to find a welcoming community when she came first came to Duke as an undergrad. Now as president of Duke’s Jewish Medical Student Association, she is helping other Jewish students enjoy that same sense of community and belonging.

Over the years as an occupational therapist, Omar Mohiuddin, OTR/L, MS, MPH, CLVT, came to realize that many accessibility issues often go unaddressed, even in spaces originally designed with older adults and persons with visual impairment in mind. That realization fueled his passion for accessibility and drives his devotion to improving the day-to-day lives of persons with blindness and low vision.

In this month’s spotlight, second-year medical student Samuel Ndukwe discusses his work as founder and president of Duke’s chapter of Black Men in White Coats. He shares how the organization is giving hope and inspiration to young Black men and his desire for the organization to help address the disparity in the number of Black men enrolling in medical school.