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This past weekend, faculty members from the Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Education Innovation Lab presented a research poster at the 2025 APTA Education Leadership Conference (ELC) in Kansas City, Missouri. The project, titled “Perspectives of Clinical Education Faculty About Professionalism in Physical Therapist Students,” was a collaborative and intentionally mentored qualitative investigation involving both experienced and emerging education researchers within the lab.

Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, faculty, and alumni made an impressive impact at the 2025 APTA North Carolina Annual Conference, held this past weekend at Elon University. With 18 third-year students presenting 12 research posters—many co-authored by Duke faculty and alumni—the conference showcased the depth and excellence of Duke DPT’s scholarly contributions.

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.

E. Harvey Estes, Jr., MD, a pioneering physician, educator, and leader whose contributions to Duke have left an enduring legacy, passed away on October 16, 2025, after having celebrated his 100th birthday this past May.  

This fall, the Duke Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics welcomed a new cohort of PhD students in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. Hailing from across the globe, these scholars bring impressive academic backgrounds, a passion for translational research, and a wide range of personal interests, from anime and marathons to K-pop and cooking.

September 12 was National Day of Encouragement. Le Well partnered with DPT Student Affairs Office to offer rock painting, coloring and learning about Kawa.

I got my acceptance two days before Thanksgiving and immediately started crying—it felt like validation that I could do what I set my mind to, despite the self-doubt and catastrophic Reddit threads. I spent the next year working and spending time with friends and family, and in August, I moved to Durham.

Le Well marked Mental Illness Awareness Week and World Mental Health Awareness Day with two events to raise awareness, decrease stigma, and highlight resources to promote and preserve well-being.

The Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program recently hosted an energetic and inspiring Mentorship Social, led by assistant professor Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA. Now in its fifth year, the event brought together current students, alumni, faculty, and volunteer leaders to foster meaningful connections and emphasize the importance of mentorship within the Duke OTD community.

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has announced a significant update to its 2024 Standards and Required Elements (SREs), marking a key milestone for academic physical therapy and the future of faculty development.