Vishnu-Prakash

Rao

N/A, Durham, NC 27517

Fellowship Track: Research
Start Year: 2026
Originally from: Silver Spring, MD

Education and training:

Career goals:

To better understand human physiology to improve patient care and conduct translational research
To continue to learn and grow as a clinician regardless of my career stage

Reasons I chose Duke:

On interview day, I felt a strong sense of community, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to learning (which turned out to be the case)
There are good people who want to see you succeed in leadership positions
My research interests aligned with the strong metabolism and physiology research program here

Happy surprises:

I was surprised by how much the area reminds me of where I grew up
The food is really good here. I’ve lived around a number of big cities (DC, LA, Philadelphia) and didn’t know what to expect when I was told this was a foodie area. I’m a big fan of tasty food from different cuisines at reasonable prices (i.e. less fine dining forward) and that’s what I’ve got from the research triangle so far
I feel more energized living here due to the lack of light pollution and being surrounded by nature
Everyone (APPs, co-fellows, leadership, pharmacists, etc.) goes out of their way to help you even if that means taking on more work for them

Positions