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The Class of 2005 took a trip down memory lane as they returned to the Duke PA building for their 20th anniversary. Benee Rich, Lisa Hasan, Rochelle, Jose Corporan, and Bill Sanford all enjoyed reconnecting with one another. The 2025 PA Week was a busy and very spirited time for Duke PA students. Each day had its own theme, with students wearing pink on Wednesday in support of breast cancer awareness. On Thursday, they represented their alma mater, and on Friday, students wore their Duke blue.

After over 12 years of exceptional leadership, Richard J. O’Brien, MD, PhD, Disque D. Deane University Distinguished Professor of Neurology, will step down as chair of the Department of Neurology on December 31, 2026. Dr. O’Brien will continue his service on the faculty, supporting the school’s academic, research, and clinical missions.

The School of Medicine Office for Faculty is pleased to announce the 2026 Duke Clinical Leadership Program (DCLP) participants.

Greetings Duke PA Alumni, The start of a new semester offers a chance for reflection, gratitude, and hopefully a little rest. It has been a big year at Duke, filled with transitions, celebrations, milestones, and growth. We will highlight these events in our newsletter so you can read about what we’ve been up to this year. 

When will things make sense? When will life really start? I’ve asked myself these questions more times than I can count since starting PA school. I used to think, I just need to get through this semester. Then it became this exam. Then this practicum. Surely after that, things would feel settled. Surely then I’d be “good.” But the finish line kept moving.

After ten years of service in the departments of Anesthesiology and Population Health Sciences, Padma Gulur, MD, will be leaving Duke to accept a position as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University in St. Louis, effective July 31, 2026.

CBB PhD candidate Edward Moseley has received a 2026 Germinator Award from the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences for his proposal for interdisciplinary research in the brain sciences.

Lindy Norman, MAT, operations manager for Duke’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, is no stranger to building something meaningful from the ground up. As the OTD program’s first staff member, Norman played a pivotal role in transforming the division from an emerging idea into a thriving academic community. She helped guide the program through its foundational years—supporting curriculum development, accreditation efforts, faculty and staff recruitment, and the launch of its inaugural cohort.

A group of students and faculty gathered on February 10 to learn from Victoria Yunez Behm, a registered dietician, bioethicist and advocate with expertise in nutrition and a passion for “food as medicine.”  Recognizing that simple instructions to “cut back fat” or “increase protein” or “eat more healthfully” can be challenging for patients and health professionals alike, Yunez Behm conveyed simple messages while teaching participants to make low-cost, high-impact, nutrient-dense snacks.

Our mission is to provide centralized services to support SOM students and others involved in the healthcare learning environment.  Check out our website. Spotlight on: The Peer Collective On Wednesday February 4, students stopped by the Peer Collective "Valentine's Day Gift Bags" creation station in the IPE Building lobby and created gift bags of gratitude and recognition.