Duke University School of Medicine

04/10/2026

Meet the graduate and medical students at Duke University School of Medicine who are redefining what aging research looks like:

• Seneca Oxendine, a fifth-year MD/PhD student working with Staci Bilbo, PhD, in Duke Neurobiology, is uncovering how the brain’s immune cells, the microglia, remember early-life infections and how that immune memory may influence Alzheimer’s risk decades later.

• Hannah Maclellan, a third-year MD student, is studying how exercise doesn’t just reduce inflammation in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis; it may actually make immune cells stronger and more resilient.

• Jordan Green, a fifth-year PhD student in Chantell Evans, PhD’s lab, is revealing why neurons are slow to clear damaged mitochondria and how that delay could contribute to neurodegenerative disease.

This new generation of scientists is tackling one of medicine’s biggest challenges: ensuring that longer lives are also healthier, more active, and more independent.

📸 Photos by Eamon Queeney

04/09/2026

Can “produce prescriptions” help improve outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes?

Researchers Connor Drake, PhD, MPA, and Susan Spratt, MD, of Duke University School of Medicine studied a year‑long program that provided patients with monthly funds to purchase fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods.

While the study did not find improvements in traditional diabetes measures like A1c, it offered valuable lessons about how food‑based health programs should be designed and who they may benefit most.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the research highlights why patient screening, program engagement, and added nutrition support matter when addressing food insecurity and chronic disease.

04/08/2026

We’re proud to share new support for students in the Physician Assistant Program at the Duke University School of Medicine.

This top‑ranked, two‑year program prepares Physician Assistant students to provide high‑quality, patient‑centered care in communities where it’s needed most. Graduates play a vital role in expanding access to care and supporting patients across the lifespan.

A recent $2.5 million bequest commitment will help make this training more accessible through critical financial support, strengthening the future health care workforce and the communities they serve.

📸 Photo: Eamon Queeney

04/08/2026

At Duke, research is about people. Faces of Research shares the stories of patients and survivors whose lives have been transformed through discovery, innovation, and care. These are the moments that make research real.

Meet the inspiring people featured in the Faces of Research podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYZhPUaJyXIZqSypNTZp-ZEiqd5OD90Or&si=rqfKDO1szKjOrNcG

Duke Health | Duke University School of Medicine | Duke Cancer Institute | Duke Children's

04/07/2026

Imagine getting a treatment that activates the body’s natural repair processes to heal damage from osteoarthritis. A team of researchers lead by Duke Health hit a major milestone in a national effort to develop such a therapy.

“This milestone brings us closer to a future where we can treat the root cause of osteoarthritis, not just the symptoms,” said Benjamin A. Alman, M.D., project lead and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.

Read more about the effort, partners and next steps: https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis

Duke Orthopedics | Duke University School of Medicine | David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA | Boston Children’s Hospital | Harvard Medical School |

04/06/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Michelle P. Winn Award winners!

• Gerald Bloomfield, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Research at Duke Global Health Institute, Associate Research Professor of Global Health - Faculty Award

• Cindy Canty-Dumas, MSW, Program Coordinator, Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and the Center for Research, Community Engagement, Social Impact & Trust (CREST) - Staff Award

• Daniel Yang - Student Award

• The Duke Anesthesia for Social Health (DASH) Team - Team Award

🔗 Read more about this year's winners: https://medschool.duke.edu/news/2026-michelle-p-winn-award-winners-named

04/03/2026

An experimental drug developed at Duke University School of Medicine appears safe for older adults undergoing surgery and may help reduce the risk of postoperative delirium, a common complication that affects roughly one in four older patients.

In a phase 2 clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open, researchers studied CN‑105, a lab‑engineered peptide designed to reduce inflammation in the brain. While the study primarily focused on safety, the results support further research into whether targeting inflammation could improve recovery after surgery.

Read more about the study and what comes next at the link in the comments. ⤵️

04/02/2026

New research from Duke University School of Medicine is helping scientists better understand how Pompe disease affects the brain as patients age.

Led by Priya Kishnani, MD, the study examined a potential biomarker called glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) that may allow clinicians to more accurately detect and monitor central nervous system involvement. The findings, published in eBioMedicine, could also support the development of future brain‑targeted therapies.

🔗 Learn more about the research and why it matters for patients and families at the link in our comments.

04/01/2026

A major new study identifies the need for new methods to prevent the recurrence of painful kidney stones. Chuck Scales, M.D., the study’s corresponding and co-senior author, says that although hydration is still very important in preventing kidney stones from recurring, the research reinforces how difficult it is for people to achieve and maintain the very high fluid intake recommended for stone prevention. Findings from the largest kidney stone prevention trial to date point toward the potential need for more individually targeted hydration plans for chronic sufferers.

Duke Clinical Research Institute coordinated the study from the Urinary Stone Disease Research Network. The study was published in the Lancet March 19th.
https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/largest-study-its-kind-tests-hydration-strategy-kidney-stones

DCRI | Duke University School of Medicine | The Lancet | Duke Kidney | |

03/31/2026

Duke University School of Medicine researchers led by Nicholas Heaton, PhD, are exploring a host‑targeted approach that could block multiple respiratory viruses by altering how viruses bind to sugars on lung cells.

Early findings suggest this strategy may reduce infection while lowering the risk of viral mutation.

Results are published in PNAS and represent a proactive step toward preparing for future pandemics.

🔗 Read more at the link in our comments.

03/31/2026

Duke researchers are testing whether ketone supplements used with standard therapies can improve cardiac efficiency during exercise.

Researchers aren’t studying ketones as a performance booster, but as a metabolic tweak that helps the heart work more efficiently under stress. It could be a game changer for the millions of adults struggling with heart failure.

🔗 Read more: https://medschool.duke.edu/stories/fueling-better-outcomes-heart-failure?utm_campaign=SoMmagnify&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

03/30/2026

🎥 What does the future of health research look like at Duke?

Dean Mary Klotman, MD, speaks with Geeta Swamy, MD, Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Research at the Duke University School of Medicine, about how Duke is supporting investigators and advancing health research across the academic medical center.

From improving operations and using new technologies to sharing the impact of discovery through the Duke Research Saves Lives campaign, Dr. Swamy outlines how Duke is building momentum and what opportunities lie ahead.

Watch now:

Watch as Dr. Mary E. Klotman, EVP of Health Affairs of Duke University and Dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, meets with Dr. Geeta Swamy, Execut...