EDI News

Race, and how people are treated differently because of it, leads to major differences in health outcomes for cancer and other diseases. As a bit of an outsider, Akinyemiju (pronounced Ah-keen-yah-MEE-jew) saw this aspect of culture and health as something to be examined and dissected. She has built her career doing that.

At age 93, Pearl Asbury joined a study at the Duke CTSI office in Kannapolis at the North Carolina Research Campus to better understand kidney disease in people of African ancestry. “I always wanted to be involved in a study just for Afro-Americans. It is wonderful because for so much of our history, our health has not been understood,” said Asbury, who became the 100th person to enroll.

Kevin Thomas MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, has been named Duke University School of Medicine’s first Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Duke CTSI, Duke University School of Medicine, and Duke University Health System together have launched a new initiative aimed at achieving equitable representation in clinical research.

The Duke University School of Medicine has been selected as one of 11 medical schools from across the United States and Canada to participate in the Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education (ART in Med Ed) project, a national collaborative to dismantle systemic racism and bias in academic medicine.

After a yearlong planning process, the School of Medicine details its commitment to dismantling racism in a new strategic plan.

Like many, Annise Weaver, MSEd, CRC, found herself feeling powerless in 2020. As she watched news reports of racial injustices occurring in the country that in turn prompted worldwide protests, Weaver wondered if it was truly possible for her to make a meaningful, lasting difference in the fight to dismantle racism.

The Duke University School of Medicine has announced the recipients of the 2021 Michelle P. Winn Awards, which recognize exceptional achievement within the field of diversity and inclusion. This year’s recipients are Maureen Cullins, Jacqueline Barnett, DHSc, MSHS, PA-C, Marcus Taylor, and the team of Gabriela Maradiaga Panayotti, MD, and Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, MD.

Only around 6% of practicing ophthalmologists are minorities, and only 3% of ophthalmologists are Black. As part of Duke Health’s broader Moments to Movement anti-racism initiative, leaders at Duke Eye Center like Herndon are working to continually improve these statistics through initiatives to recruit and mentor medical students and residents from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds and fight against racism and discrimination in their everyday work. 

Read in Vision magazine

Medical Student Jasmine Chigbu, MS3, the founder and CEO of MTM, won not only the grand prize, but also the Fidelity Community Catalyst Innovation Award.

Commentary by Dr. Kafui Dzirasa and colleagues, published in Science Magazine.