Duke University School of Medicine

11/12/2025

A new $700,000 estate commitment to Duke Children's is helping ensure expert, compassionate care for families facing life’s toughest challenges.

This incredible legacy gift will advance pediatric medicine and research, strengthening Duke's ability to serve thousands of children each year with hope and healing.

💙

11/11/2025

🇺🇸 Dr. David Powers began his military career as a newly minted dentist, commissioned into the Air Force just before the Gulf War. He went on to serve for two decades, treating head and facial trauma in combat zones and developing training programs for military medical teams.

At Duke Health, he continues that mission, helping patients recover from trauma, cancer, and injury through advanced reconstructive surgery.

His work is deeply collaborative and rooted in empathy, shaped by decades of military service and a commitment to restoring lives.

🔗 Read more at the link in our comments.

📷: Eamon Queeney

11/10/2025

After his father’s illness revealed a gap in care, Duke student Ben Ncube opened Zimbabwe’s first men’s health clinic, and learned firsthand how stigma affects care-seeking.

Now a master’s student in Duke’s Population Health Sciences program, Ncube has helped over 24,000 men and is launching a telehealth platform to reach one million more.

🔗 Read his full story at the link in our comments.

11/08/2025

From Navy deployments to the Duke DPT program, Rob Farris, DPT’28, continues his journey of service — this time through healing and human connection.

🔗 Read his story at the link in our comments.

11/07/2025

Even as he neared the end of a battle with cancer that he had fought since childhood, Duke University student Bobby Menges was helping others.

Inspired by their son’s relentless determination, Peter and Liz Menges created the Bobby Menges - "I'm Not Done Yet" Foundation, which recently surpassed $1 million in gifts to Duke Health and has transformed how Duke Cancer Institute and Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences support young people with cancer.

Fueled by Bobby’s own ideas and funded by an annual head-shaving event on campus called Duke Shave & Buzz, the collaboration between the Menges foundation and Duke has driven innovation and created a new model for philanthropic partnership.

“This is money raised by Duke, for Duke,” Peter said. “Together, we have built a collaborative ecosystem that keeps perpetuating bigger and bigger things. It's just incredible what has happened, and what Bobby put into motion.”

🔗 Read more at the link in our comments.

11/06/2025

🎉 Welcome back, alumni! 🎉

We’re thrilled to see you back at Duke for Medical Alumni Weekend!

Whether you're part of the Half Century Society, celebrating a milestone reunion, or a recent grad reconnecting with classmates, this reunion is for you.

📸 Share your favorite moments and tag us so we can celebrate with you!

11/05/2025

At 90 years young, Dr. Ed Hammond is still reaching new heights — literally!

A Duke graduate and faculty member since 1967, Dr. Hammond has shaped the fields of health informatics, biostatistics and family medicine for decades.

Last week, he marked another milestone: a tandem skydive in Raeford, North Carolina, alongside colleague Chuan Hong, assistant professor in the Duke Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics.

📸 Swipe through to see Dr. Hammond soaring!

11/04/2025

When your brain was forming, an enzyme had to pull off a powerful chemical reaction. One wrong move, and the process could fail, leading to a rare disorder that causes seizures and, ultimately, death.

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have uncovered how the enzyme MoaA safely manages this life-or-death reaction. Their discovery reveals how a flexible molecular tail acts as a sensor to trigger the reaction, and what happens when that mechanism breaks down.

🔗 Read more: https://medschool.duke.edu/news/how-tiny-enzyme-helps-build-big-brain?utm_campaign=SoMnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

11/03/2025

A program led by Duke's Danny Benjamin, MD, PhD, MPH, has expanded nationwide, equipping the next generation of physician-researchers with the tools, mentorship, and data they need to improve rural health outcomes.

The STAR Program welcomes medical and undergraduate students from across the country, offering hands-on research experience, clinical shadowing, and mentorship focused on rural health.

The program aims to not only train future researchers, but also expand access to high-quality clinical trials in the communities that need them most.

Read more ➡️ https://medschool.duke.edu/blog/danny-benjamin-md-phd-mph-expanding-clinical-research-rural-communities?utm_campaign=SoMblog&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

11/01/2025

🎃 Yesterday, the Duke Medical Center Library & Archives opened its doors to the eerie and extraordinary at It Came from the Archives!

From haunting death masks to vintage medical oddities, attendees uncovered fascinating pieces of Duke’s past. The event was a great chance for participants to enjoy candy, curiosity, and a spine-tingling stroll through history!

10/31/2025

10/31/2025

As daylight saving time ends and we turn our clocks back on November 2, Duke research suggests that heart attacks can’t be blamed on the one-hour time change.

Duke University School of Medicine study of 170,000 patients found no spike in heart events around daylight saving time, but sleep loss still poses risks for long-term health.