News

PhD candidate Griffin Carter discusses the importance of diversity in the sciences and shares how through his research, he’s working to give hope to people with a deadly brain cancer.

Lance Okeke MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, shares how he is preparing future clinicians and scientists interested in improving the lives of people living with HIV.

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.

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).

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).

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.

Duke University and North Carolina Central University recently received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Prize. The two schools were jointly awarded a $100,000 prize for demonstrating exceptional dedication and innovation in fostering DEIA within research environments. 

Created by two medical students in fall 2022, the Native and Indigenous Medical Student Association offers students support, a sense of community, and much-needed mentors.