The human brain works in different ways for each of us. But Madhav Swaminathan, MD, professor of anesthesiology, says that shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to feel excluded. Witnessing his autistic adult son thrive as an office assistant at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development has been the motivation behind Swaminathan’s push to create welcoming, inclusive spaces for neurodiverse individuals at Duke.

Over the 26 years she has been at Duke, Jeanine Holland has been driven by a desire to serve others and make a lasting difference on local communities. In this month’s Spotlight, Holland discusses her passion for service, which was instilled in her as a child and remains part of who she is. She continues to serve even today in her role as administrative coordinator in the School of Medicine’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

When Oke Anakwenze, MD, was a medical student, it was hard for him to find mentors who looked like him. It was even harder once he began training in orthopaedic surgery, a field of medicine that is lacking in racial and ethnic diversity. In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Anakwenze shares how he’s trying to make the experience of finding mentors a bit easier for today’s underrepresented in medicine students, both in his role as shoulder section head in the Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and as diversity committee chair for the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Appointing and promoting faculty involves much more than simply reviewing CVs. Just ask James Tcheng, MD, associate dean for academic appointments. In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Tcheng gives a glimpse into the world of faculty appointments and promotions, offering insights into why it’s important to incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion into the appointments, promotion, and tenure (APT) process.

In this month’s EDI Spotlight, we highlight a group that is working diligently to address the needs and challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community. The Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisory Council (SAGDAC) is a think tank that helps support collaboration and a wide range of innovative LGBTQ+ initiatives across Duke.

Adriana DaCosta’s experience as a student in the Duke Physician Assistant Program has opened her eyes to many things, among them the need for improved access to health care for Black and Hispanic communities. The realization has led her to partner with a local organization and the Duke Cancer Institute to offer CPR training and resources for historically marginalized groups at health fairs.

Raquel Ruiz, MBA, MAEd, first discovered the importance of including diverse participants in research studies while working as a research assistant in college. Ever since, she has worked in some capacity to help advance health equity. Her passion for EDI most recently led her to the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI), where part of her team’s work includes building community trust in research.

Fourth-year medical student Mary Moya-Mendez, MS, MHS, shares what motivated her to get involved with a Duke University School of Medicine organization aimed at helping students with a first generation and/or low income (FGLI) background navigate medical school.

Dane Whicker, PhD, grew up as a gay person in Arkansas during a time when marriage equality was a decade away, slurs were both common and accepted, and allies or members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities were hard to find or nonexistent. Those experiences taught Whicker the value of support, acceptance, and open communication while inspiring him to make a difference for other people growing up in difficult circumstances. 

When Sharena Ballard-Hart took over efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC) in 2016, she was the only person of color in her unit. The role allowed her the opportunity both to learn more about EDI efforts and resources that she could apply to the BIAC and to connect with other people of color within the School of Medicine.