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.

Before October 7, 2023, David Hasan, MD, MSc, professor of neurosurgery, never pictured himself doing humanitarian work overseas. But that all changed once the Israel-Hamas war began. The father of a young daughter, he was particularly saddened after seeing children on both sides injured and killed. Hasan, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, set out to do whatever he could to help, traveling to Gaza in late 2023 with a group of doctors to perform surgeries.

As a leader with the employee resource group, ¡DALHE!, Dalia Antunez is helping to build community and expand professional networks for Duke’s Hispanic/Latiné employees and allies.

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.