Division News

Congratulations to Courtney Van Houtven, PhD, who is giving a plenary address at the 3rd International Conference on Evidence-Based Policy in Long-Term Care, which will be held this coming weekend in London. Van Houten will deliver the lecture, “Economics of Informal Care: Do We Know Enough to Advocate for Policy Change?” This plenary session will review empirical findings about the economic impacts of informal care and discuss policies in the U.S.

The American Heart Association is funding research for all disparities in cardiovascular disease to assist the AHA in reaching its 2020 Goals and overall mission of building healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The School of Medicine will hold its orientation for new faculty on Thursday, October 9, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This all-day event will include an introduction to the School of Medicine structure and key policies, information on academic integrity, and information on understanding appointments, promotion and tenure at Duke. To register, click here.

The sixth annual American Hospitalist Academy will be held from October 20-23 in Englewood, Colorado.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation is accepting proposals for research grants and fellowships. The Prevent Cancer Foundation expects to grant 3 awards of $80,000 over two years, including both grants and fellowships. Applications are due August 27. Read more.

[caption id="attachment_1281" align="alignright" width="148"] George Gopen, JD, PhD, Duke Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric[/caption] Registration is now open for a free seminar series, "Writing from the Reader's Perspective," to be held this fall in the Medical Student Amphitheater in Duke South. The 12-hour workshop, taught by Duke Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric George Gopen, will focus on improving attendees' writing skills by helping them understand the perspective of readers.&nb

The Chancellor’s Program Project Accelerator is a new internal funding source intended to accelerate development of large, multi-investigator research programs within the Duke Schools of Medicine or Nursing. The Program Project Accelerator will fund up to three one-year awards of up to $100,000 to promote competitive applications for external funding within one to two years of the award. The application deadline is October 6. For more information, email Suzy Johnson at suzy.johnson@duke.edu or call 919.681.8222.

The Alzheimer’s Association is offering research funding for investigators who are less than 10 years past their doctoral degree. The program will allow newly independent investigators to develop preliminary or pilot data, to test procedures and to develop hypotheses. Up to $100,000 per year is available for up to two years. Letters of intent are due by September 24.

The Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on Friday, Aug. 29 at 8 a.m., will feature a special presentation by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald. Secretary McDonald will present VA: A Higher Calling in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center for Health Education. Nominated by President Obama as the eighth Secretary of Veterans Affairs on June 30, Secretary McDonald was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 29, 2014.

Daniella Zipkin, MD, was the lead author of a recent systematic review of evidence-based risk communication in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Zipkin’s article, available here,  analyzed 84 studies to find the most effective strategies for provider-patient communication about health risks. Congratulations, Dr. Zipkin!