Division News

Voices of Medicine: Laura Svetkey, MD, Changing the Cultural Soup

By Laura Svetkey, MD

I’m old enough to have grown up when the idea of a woman being a doctor could raise eyebrows. My medical school class of 1979 had the highest percentage of women in the country, about 30%. I can’t recall a single woman professor or attending. Sexist and homophobic remarks were casually dropped by speakers, teachers, leaders – who were almost entirely white men.

Robert M. Califf Confirmed as Commissioner for the US Food and Drug Administration

Robert M. Califf, MD, Duke University adjunct professor of medicine (cardiology) and former director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), has been confirmed as commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration following a vote by the Senate today. Califf’s appointment to the position will mark his second time heading the agency, which he also led during the final year of former President Barack Obama’s administration.

School of Medicine is Third in Nation for Federal Medical Research Funding

Duke University School of Medicine was awarded more than $608 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2021, ranking third nationally among academic medical centers, up from 10th last year, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

The Department of Medicine's award of that total was $174,530,472. 

New funding awards - September 2021

Sponsored Research 

Melissa Daubert of Cardiology has received an award from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled "Coronary Artery Calcium in the PRagmatic EValuation of evENTs And Benefits of Lipid lowering in the Elderly: CAC PREVENTABLE Ancillary Study." Total funding will be $7,892,380.

Inaugural Vice Chiefs for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VCDEI) announced

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Committee (DEIAR) announced the individuals selected to become the inaugural Vice Chiefs for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VCDEI) for each division within the department of medicine. These individuals are all wonderful thoughtful leaders who have shown a commitment to improving DEI within the department.

New Funding Awards - August 2021

Sponsored Research 

Jatin Roper of Gastroenterology has received an award from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled "Ultra-bright fluorescent nanoparticles for colorectal adenoma detection." Total funding will be $461,090.