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  DURHAM, N.C. – Heart attack patients age 65 and older who have reduced heart function might still benefit from implanted defibrillators, according to a Duke Medicine study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But fewer than 1 in 10 eligible patients actually get a defibrillator within a year of their heart attacks, the study found.

John Sampson, MD, PhD, will be chair of the new Department of Neurosurgery. In February, the Duke University Board of Trustees approved the creation of a Department of Neurosurgery within the School of Medicine. The current Division of Neurosurgery, within the School’s Department of Surgery, will be elevated to department status, effective July 1, 2015. Dr. Sampson has served as chief of the Division of Neurosurgery since February 2014.

The new, state-of-the-art Hudson Building at Duke Eye Center was dedicated today, June 11.  The 4-floor, 116,000 square foot facility is named in honor of William Hudson, CEO of Durham-based LC Industries and chairman of the Duke Eye Center Advisory Board. LC Industries, the largest employer of visually impaired people in the country, donated $12 million for the building in 2010. It pledged an additional $4 million in 2013. The building will open to patients on June 29.

South Carolina and North Carolina have many things in common: southern heritage, a love of good food and family, beautiful beaches and mountains. The two states also share burdensome health issues like unacceptably high rates of diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart disease, and health disparities.

Delford L. Stickel, MD, professor emeritus in the Department of Surgery, passed away on May 11, 2015. Dr. Stickel was a nationally-renowned surgeon who in 1965 performed the first kidney transplant in North Carolina and at Duke.

Congratulations to the 346 students in the Duke University School of Medicine who graduated on May 9, 2015, marking the successful culmination of their hard work and dedication. Students received degrees through the following programs:

At the annual Spring Faculty Meeting on May 5, the School of Medicine recognized faculty members for their service and achievements in academic leadership, scholarly inquiry and teaching excellence. For more information about the awards, visit Faculty Awards The 2015 award recipients are as follows:  

For the fifth consecutive year, the Duke University School of Medicine has received a record number of underrepresented minority applicants for its biomedical graduate programs.

Nine members of the School of Medicine faculty were named to endowed professorships by Duke University on April 30, 2015.

Nancy C. Andrews, MD, PhD, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, an advisory organization to the president and Congress composed of experts in all scientific fields. Andrews is one of 84 newly elected members of the NAS who are recognized for achievements in original research. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive.