Michael Tadross, MD, PhD, Aryana Yousefzadeh, PhD, and colleagues identified a neural pathway involved in opioid reward learning, challenging long-held assumptions about how the process works. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/new-tools-reopen-old-path-less-addictive-opioids

New tools reopen an old path to less addictive opioids

What if pain relief and addiction didn't have to go hand in hand? Duke researchers report a discovery that could help scientists design safer opioids. Their Nature study found that a small group of br...

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A new Nature study from Duke University School of Medicine introduces Raygun, an AI framework that can redesign proteins while preserving their structure and function. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/molecular-shrink-ray

Like a molecular 'shrink ray'

The tool, called Raygun in a nod to science fiction, can create shorter, longer, and highly modified versions of proteins while preserving their structure and function. The findings, published in Natu...

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As Americans face growing financial strain, a @dukepsychiatry.bsky.social study links falling credit scores to suicide risk in veterans. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/financial-stress-linked-suicide-risk-among-veterans

Financial stress linked to suicide risk among veterans

Missed mortgage payments? Drop in credit score? Researchers find new markers for suicide risk.

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A new Duke University School of Medicine study suggests adolescence may be a critical window for addressing obesity before metabolic changes become more deeply embedded. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/scientists-are-discovering-something-surprising-about-obesity-teenagers

Scientists are discovering something surprising about obesity in teenagers

The teen years may be a critical window when the gut microbiome and its influence on weight is still taking shape and more open to change.

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“This is such an exciting time in science. It's making possible things we couldn't dream of doing years ago.” @dukemedschool.bsky.social’s Debra Silver, PhD, is unlocking how the human brain is built, opening windows into why development can go wrong.

The Brain’s Blueprint Maker

Debra Silver, PhD, is pursuing one of neuroscience’s biggest questions: What makes a human brain human? She researches it with the same mix of precision and adventure she brings to her passion for scu...

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Lawrence A. David, PhD, and collaborators used DNA fragments in wastewater to reveal dietary patterns across 19 North Carolina communities, offering a new tool for public health and food security research. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/what-wastewater-says-about-what-we-eat-and-who-we-are

What wastewater says about what we eat and who we are

A new study suggests what’s flushed down the drain can offer a real-time snapshot of what communities are eating. Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina...

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"We're seeing an explosion of patients asking, 'What can you do for this extra skin?'" A new Duke study examines the new realities of body contouring in the GLP-1 era. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/age-glp-1s-plastic-surgeons-face-new-reality

In the age of GLP-1s, plastic surgeons face a new reality

Study finds rapid weight loss before body contouring surgery may raise complication risk.

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What is an “inflammatory hangover”? At Duke University School of Medicine, researchers are studying how repeated stress may affect brain health and aging. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/inflammatory-hangover-and-aging-brain #AcademicSky #MedSky

The ‘inflammatory hangover’ and the aging brain

Duke researcher Leah Acker, MD, PhD, is studying how repeated stress and inflammation in the body can quietly build up over time, creating an “inflammatory hangover” that may speed up brain aging and ...

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Today the DCRI officially marks our 30th birthday. 🎂Three decades of shaping clinical research, and we're just getting started. Here's to 30 years and beyond. Explore our history and more photos: dcri.org/about/30-yea...

New weight-loss drugs are delivering strong results. Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine are studying why responses vary and how to improve outcomes. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/inside-glp-1-revolution?utm_campaign=SoMnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

Inside the GLP-1 Revolution

New weight-loss drugs that combine natural gut hormones are helping people lose significant weight and better control blood sugar, but scientists are still working to understand exactly how they work....

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Anna Lehmann, PhD candidate working in the Heitman Lab, found Aspergillus fumigatus can briefly duplicate chromosomes to survive antifungal treatment, then revert without a trace. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/phd-candidate-discovers-hidden-way-fungal-pathogen-may-resist-treatment

PhD candidate discovers a hidden way that a fungal pathogen may resist treatment

Some fungal pathogens survive antifungal drugs by mutating.

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Beth A. Sullivan, PhD, has been appointed vice dean for basic and preclinical science at Duke University School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2026. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/sullivan-lead-basic-and-preclinical-science-duke-school-medicine

Sullivan to lead basic and preclinical science at Duke School of Medicine

Beth A. Sullivan, PhD, has been appointed vice dean for basic and preclinical science at Duke University School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2026.

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ICYMI: Duke study identifies MESH1 as a central mediator of cancer-associated muscle loss through its role in CoA degradation. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/hidden-enzyme-may-explain-muscle-loss-tied-cancer-treatment

Hidden enzyme may explain muscle loss tied to cancer treatment

Team from Duke University School of Medicine and Duke NUS identify an enzyme that helps explain why muscles weaken in some cancer patients.

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Nishant Shah MD is focused on a major gap in heart disease prevention. A study of nearly 2M patients found fewer than half with high cholesterol are on treatment. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/stories/closing-cholesterol-gap

Closing the Cholesterol Gap

Instead of treating numbers in the moment, new cholesterol guidelines emphasize lifetime exposure by urging patients to reach lower LDL levels sooner and keep them there. Cardiologists are now mapping...

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A routine eye scan used in the NICU may help predict developmental delays in very preterm infants, according to new Duke Health research in @jamaophthalmology.bsky.social. The retina may offer a non-invasive “window into the brain”, helping identify risk earlier. More: https://duke.is/c/rw6a

Aging is a lifelong process — and one we may be able to influence. Duke University School of Medicine researchers are studying the biology of aging to help extend healthspan. https://medschool.duke.edu/stories/longevity-unlocked-science-healthy-aging

Longevity unlocked: The science of healthy aging

Aging is increasingly seen as a lifelong process that we can influence and alter to a remarkable degree. Researchers are learning more every day about the complex metabolic, cellular, and molecular pr...

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Celebrating the 2026 Physician-Scientist Strong Start Award recipients @dukemedschool.bsky.social: Eugene Vaios, Christopher Reed, Michael T. Forrester, George Cortina, & Krista Haines. Supporting bold research + the next generation of #PhysicianScientists. Read more: mailchi.mp/duke/opsd-ju...

At ADA2026, Duke researcher Jonathan Campbell suggests glucagon could help boost the effectiveness of next generation obesity drugs, with early studies showing unprecedented weigh loss results. 🔗 Read more: https://medschool.duke.edu/news/surprising-hormone-behind-next-generation-weight-loss-drugs

A new Nature study from Duke reveals that GPCRs signal through liquid-like protein clusters formed by β‑arrestins—an unexpected mechanism with implications for drug development. #MedSky #AcademicSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/new-study-reveals-droplet-mechanism-behind-key-drug-targets

New study reveals ‘droplet’ mechanism behind key drug targets

Duke researchers Sundarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD, and MD-PhD student Preston Anderson have worked together to realize how G protein-coupled receptors signal through liquid-like protein clusters that cou...

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Duke University School of Medicine research identifies a rapid pathway, the “neurobiotic sense,” with implications for behavior and aging. #AcademicSky #MedSky https://medschool.duke.edu/news/wisdom-gut?utm_campaign=SoMnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

The wisdom of the gut

Scientists have long known that aging leaves its mark throughout the body — from fraying DNA to a slowing immune system. Now, a growing wave of research suggests an unexpected starting point for some ...

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Duke University School of Medicine scientists are studying how to restore cartilage and move beyond symptom management for osteoarthritis. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/making-joints-young-again?utm_campaign=SoMnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky #AcademicSky #MedSky

Making joints young again

Osteoarthritis is a common condition where the cartilage that cushions joints breaks down over time, leading to pain and stiffness, especially as people age. Duke researchers are working on ways to go...

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From Duke medical student to North Carolina’s chief psychiatrist, Carrie Brown, MD'04, HS'04–'08, MPH, is helping expand behavioral health care statewide while shaping policy and access. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/carrie-brown-finds-perfect-fit-north-carolinas-chief-psychiatrist

Carrie Brown finds ‘perfect fit’ as North Carolina’s chief psychiatrist

Carrie Brown, MD'04, HS'04-'08, MPH, credits her first clinical rotation as a Duke University medical student at John Umstead Hospital, a former psychiatric inpatient facility in Butner, North Carolin...

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We’re grateful to see Durham formally recognize May 20 as #ClinicalTrialsDay — highlighting the importance of clinical research and the people who make it possible. Thank you to the patients, researchers, and teams advancing better care worldwide. #ClinicalResearch #ResearchMatters

Where does learning take hold in the brain? Duke researchers identified a single synapse in the basal ganglia that shapes how songbirds learn and refine complex behaviors. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/how-songbirds-learn-sing-one-brain-connection-time #AcademicSky #MedSky

How songbirds learn to sing, one brain connection at a time

Study pinpoints a single brain connection in songbirds that helps turn practice into skill, offering one of the clearest explanations yet of how the brain learns complex behaviors like speech and musi...

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Duke University School of Medicine researchers built a biological “wire” to reprogram brain circuits. In mice, the approach increased resilience to acute stress. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/study-unveils-precise-way-rewire-brain-circuits-boost-resilience-stress @dukepsychiatry.bsky.social

Study unveils precise way to rewire brain circuits to boost resilience to stress

Broken or disrupted circuits in the brain contribute to many neurological disorders. A new custom-built biological “wire” developed at Duke University School of Medicine points the way toward a new tr...

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See more about mental health warning signs, precautions, & assistance available for those facing crisis beginning w/ calling 9-8-8, from Sarah Wilson w/ Duke School of Medicine and Durham Veterans Affairs. https://www.wral.com/22357287/ @dukemedschool.bsky.social | @dukepsychiatry.bsky.social

Jen-Tsan Chi, PhD, and team at Duke find that ascites may help ovarian cancer cells survive and spread by blocking ferroptosis. A cholesterol drug may help disrupt this protection under certain conditions. https://medschool.duke.edu/news/common-cholesterol-drug-may-weaken-ovarian-cancer-defenses

A common cholesterol drug may weaken ovarian cancer defenses

Study reveals ascites is more than a patient symptom, but an active player in helping ovarian cancer spread and grow.

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Chronic abdominal pain affects 10–15% of kids and is a leading cause of school absence. Duke Psychiatry's Dr. Nancy Zucker led a study comparing 2 interventions—one that encourages curiosity re: symptoms and one that helps distract from them. Their findings ⤵️ https://ow.ly/ZNNh50YXyiN

From extreme heat to community resilience, Duke’s latest Climate and Health Big Idea Grants support collaborative research addressing climate-driven health challenges. medschool.duke.edu/news/heat-wa...

From heat waves to air quality, Duke funds new research on climate health risks

With philanthropic support, Duke University aims to turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions for the growing health impacts of climate change.

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The power of NC Children's. PCORI just awarded $12.9 million to team up with UNC to improve care for autistic children with constipation, who experience the condition at three times the rate of other kids. More: https://duke.is/p/yqpw @dcrinews.bsky.social | @dukemedschool.bsky.social | #autism