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If you had to copy billions of letters from one sheet of paper to another, you’d probably make a few mistakes. So it might not come as a surprise that when DNA makes a copy of its three-billion-base genetic code, it can slip up too. The human’s excuse could be fatigue or boredom, but scientists have long wondered how DNA’s nearly infallible replication machinery makes the mistakes that it does. Now, they think they may know a big part of the answer.

One of the greatest benefits of being a PCLT student is the connection we get to outstanding mentors who not only care about our learning but who also truly care about us as people and guide us toward discovering the leaders within ourselves. I was very fortunate to have received great advice from within the PCLT family on finding my wonderful research mentor, who is a nationally-known expert clinician and researcher in childhood obesity.

The School of Medicine is launching a new Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program for faculty and staff engaged in research. As part of this initiative:

Are you searching for family friendly events on or around Duke campus? Look at this list on our resources page or use this link. This list is complied monthly by the Duke Office of Postdoctoral Services.  

Maestro Care is updated weekly to identify deceased patients but if you become aware of a deceased patient who is not listed as such in the medical record, please notify HIM via their new email address: himdataintegrity@dm.duke.edu.

In January, Sallie Permar and Georgia Tomaras from the Duke University School of Medicine were among 96 new fellows elected to the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group. Fellows are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

 

Melanomas have an especially lethal ability to turn off the body’s immune system, which enables these deadly skin cancers to grow and spread.   And while new therapies have been effective in releasing the immune system’s restraints to unleash the body’s own cancer-fighting powers, they only work in about half of melanoma patients and often lose their potency as the cancer develops resistance.  

Our next session prepares new investigators for an June 2018 NIH Submission Deadline (or May 2018 deadline for HIV-Related applications).  Course details can be found on The Office for Research Mentoring’s website.  For help with resubmissions or non-NIH grants, contact our office for resources.  Please note, class size is limited.  Priority will be given to SOM faculty members that are submitting this cycle, with priority given to those who have previously observed a cycle of the program.   

Goodbye 2017, hello 2018! Phyllis Perry, 63, was one of the last participants in 2017 to enroll in and complete her initial onsite visit for the Project Baseline study. Phyllis heard about the study at a senior center in Durham and enrolled at the Duke University School of Medicine. The Project Baseline study is the first initiative of Project Baseline, an ambitious effort to develop a well-defined “baseline” of human health, and a rich data platform to help researchers better understand health and disease and the transitions between them.