The Department of Medicine’s third annual Research Day presented an opportunity for our trainees and faculty to appreciate what a flagship the department is in research and showcase the work taking place across the divisions.
Keynote speaker Ivan Maillard, MD, PhD, Laurence Joseph Dinner Chair in Leukemia Research and head of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented, “Notch Signaling in Immune Health and Disease: Chapters of a Personal and Scientific Journey.”
"Ivan's research has profoundly impacted the field of hematology, particularly in understanding notch signaling and hematopoiesis and immune cell development,” said Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Kathleen Cooney, a colleague of Dr. Maillard’s going back to her days at the University of Michigan. “For 15 years, his laboratory has uncovered critical roles for notch receptors and ligands in graft-versus-host disease, bridging fundamental biology and translational applications. His discoveries on stromal niches and fibroblastic reticular cells have opened new avenues in immune and hematologic disorders.”
Dr. Maillard, also known as a strong mentor, stressed the importance of mentorship in the careers of trainees. He recalled an informal group of friends and scientists interested in blood research that he pulled together at Michigan to compare notes, criticize each other's papers and grants, and do research together.
“I was happy to find out recently that it still exists at Michigan. Even today, they have found the model valuable, and that's something I've tried to replicate later on in my positions. I really encourage you to think about that,” he told the audience. “It is important to create the correct niche around you, and the correct microenvironment. That's something that we have a lot of influence on in sort of selecting who we want to talk to and work with.”
The day also included research presentations from both junior and seasoned faculty, and lightning talks of selected abstracts.
Faculty research presentations
Jessica Regan MD, assistant professor, Cardiology, “Clonal Hematopoiesis and Multi-Omic Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease”
Daniel Edmonston MD, MHS, assistant professor Nephrology, “From Real-World Evidence to Real-World Action: Closing Gaps in CKD Screening and Treatment
Sonali Bracken MD, PhD, medical Instructor, Rheumatology & Immunology, “B Cell TLR7-IRF5 Pathway Mediates Lung Fibrosis in Allo- and Autoimmunity”
Featured research spotlights
Research Spotlight: Kevin Wiehe PhD, Norman L. Letvin Associate Professor in Medicine, director of research, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, “Computational Approaches to HIV-1 Vaccine Development”
Research Spotlight: Nicki Hastings MD, MHS, Professor, Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, ”From Evidence to Impact: Accelerating Practice Change Through Research”
Oral abstracts
Michael Forrester MD, PhD, Medical Instructor, Pulmonary, ACCM, “Cytochrome P450 2B10 activates butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) into a pro-apoptotic quinone methide: implications for human BHT exposure and fibrotic lung diseases”
Taylor Kress PhD, Post-doctoral scientist, Nephrology, “RelA Deletion in Dendritic Cells Prevents T cell Proliferation and Limits Renal Damage in a Model of Autoimmune Associated Chronic Kidney Disease”
Pablo Morales PhD, Post-doctoral scientist, Endocrinology, “Priming Fat Tissue for Metabolic Resilience: Early Cold Exposure or b3-Adrenergic Agonism Programs Adipose Plasticity and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Obesity”
The morning wrapped up with a lunch panel discussion on, “Communicating the value of biomedical research to non-scientific audiences,” with Emily Smith, PhD, assistant professor, Emergency Medicine, Heather Whitson, MD, MHS, professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, David Ashley, MBBS, PhD, Rory David Deutsch Distinguished Professor of Neuro-Oncology, and Greg Phillips, executive director, Media Relations and Public Affairs, Duke University Communications.
Panelists said that some of the most valuable lessons they have learned from doing media interviews include being relatable to audiences, putting human faces on stories, and working with Duke’s communication professionals to best amplify a message.
The day ended with poster presentations of more than 130 submissions.View photo album of full day at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCBS8s