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The Duke Department of Medicine proudly recognized the recipients of its inaugural Research Awards during the second annual Research Day on November 7, 2024. These awards honor excellence across a broad spectrum of contributions, including frontline research staff, rising junior faculty, groundbreaking publications, and faculty mentorship. 

Moving medicine forward means getting out of your comfort zone, thinking outside the box, collaboration and innovation are key takeaways from the Department of Medicine’s second annual Research Day on November 7 — an event that underscored writ large the department’s unwavering commitment to research, academics, and to strengthening the internal medicine research community. 

The Department of Medicine encourages junior faculty members to take advantage of one of its strongest support initiatives; the Faculty Development Academy (FDA), a two-year program that provides individual career development and supplements ongoing mentorship. 

Alexandra Thomas, MD, FACP, professor of medicine and associate director of Translational Research at the Duke Cancer Institute, recently received a $3.1 million NIH grant to advance research into

Dr. Sonali Bracken, a fellow in the Division of Rheumatology at Duke University, has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Distinguished Fellow Award by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The award, given to only ten fellows across the country annually, recognizes outstanding achievements in research, advocacy, and education in rheumatology. 

The Duke Department of Medicine (DOM) is honoring the remarkable legacy of Dr. Kimberley J. Evans by creating a new residency elective dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the department. Alongside this educational opportunity, a Duke bench will bear her name, featuring a plaque to memorialize her deep impact on colleagues and trainees.

Robert Califf, MD, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been confirmed as the speaker for the annual Eugene A.

The Duke Department of Medicine (DOM) has launched a new initiative designed to promote inclusive opportunities for career advancement for administrative professionals. The Duke Administrative Career Advancement Program (DACAP), spearheaded by Pamela Keels, administrative director for Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy and Medical Oncology and Beth Lassiter, director of Human Resources, provides clear pathways for professional development, focusing on creating opportunities for administrative support staff within the Duke School of Medicine and Duke Health Integrated Practice (DHIP).

Dr. Juliessa Pavon is the principal investigator on a new $2.8 million, five-year National Institutes of Health Research Grant (R01) to help clinicians and older adults make safer, data-driven decisions about stopping medications.  

Chelsea Perfect, MD, MPH, a dedicated researcher and geriatrician at Duke, has been named a recipient of the prestigious George Maddox Aspiring Investigator Award for the 2024-2025 academic year. The award, given by the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, recognizes early-career investigators who have demonstrated a strong commitment to aging research and possess outstanding academic potential.