Division News

J. Frank Wharam, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine), presented the annual Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr. lecture at Medicine Grand Rounds on Fri., Nov. 12, 2021, as part of Duke’s Medical Alumni Weekend. His presentation was entitled, "Detecting Health Policy Effects on Clinical Outcomes and Equity: The Case of Patient Financial Incentives and Diabetes".

As we honor Veterans Day today, the Duke Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine (CAGPM) thanks all the current service members, the many veterans who have courageously served our country and their families who have supported these individuals. Our appreciation goes beyond Veterans Day, though, as researchers at the Durham VA Health Care System, Duke, and CAGPM, including Douglas E. Williamson, PhD, are advocates for the well-being of these individuals through their studies of genomic biomarkers that hold promise for improving support for the many service members and veterans who rely on mental health care post-deployment and beyond.

Maria Iglesias de Ussel, PharmD, PhD, recently joined the Duke Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine as a Senior Research Scientist! Dr. Iglesias grew up in Madrid, Spain, where she trained as a PharmD and later earned her PhD. More than 20 years ago, she came to the U.S. and continued working as a scientist, first in Virology and later in Immunology.

Jennifer Doudna, PhD, professor of chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology at the University of California, Berkeley, recently presented virtually as the Duke MEDx 2021 Distinguished lecturer.

Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine in cardiology, a professor in pathology, biostatistics and bioinformatics, a professor of biomedical engineering, and a professor in Duke’s School of Nursing, will leave Duke to assume the role of Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program, effective January 2022. Dual announcements were made on Nov. 3 by the NIH and Duke School of Medicine.

New research continues to be explored through the growing progress in genome sequences but concurrently these advances have produced a diversity of new issues to be addressed.

We are pleased to announce the speaker line up for the 2022 Duke Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine Forum Series taking place this upcoming winter and spring!

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) held its first in-person gathering since the onset of COVID-19. The annual symposium took place in San Diego, CA on October 30 through November 4, 2021.

Congratulations to five General Internal Medicine (GIM) faculty members who are recipients of recent research funding.

Keisha Bentley-Edwards received an award from International Business Machines for a project entitled "Protective for Whom: Centering Black Infant and Maternal Health in Understanding Social Determinants." Total funding will be $85,000.

Geoffrey Ginsburg, MD, PhD, a professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Pathology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Engineering, and a professor in School of Nursing, will leave Duke to assume the role of Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program, effective January 2022. In this role, Dr. Ginsburg will help direct the national scientific research agenda to improve health and accelerate research using precision medicine.