News & Op-Eds

Going to the doctor can be stressful, particularly for individuals on the autism spectrum, who often have unique sensitivities and needs. Faculty and staff in the Duke Center for Autism & Brain Development are working to support Duke Health clinicians in providing appropriate care for people on the spectrum.

In July, the Carolina Theatre in Durham started a Sensory Friendly Awareness Film Series in partnership with the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. It's a free, monthly movie-going event, created specifically for children and adults with autism and other neurodivergent people.

Damon Tweedy, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Jeffrey Baker, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and history, recently delivered the Trent Humanities in Medicine Lecture about a largely forgotten incident at Duke that drew national scrutiny and attention to the issue of segregated medical care in the 1950s.

Nine North Carolina Central University (NCCU) students presented on their internship experiences at the 2023 Duke-NCCU Bridge Office Internship Program Closing Ceremony. These scholars represented the second cohort of the program. Several of the students participated in internships in Duke Psychiatry.

A new multi-disciplinary team-based care model at Duke is changing lives for patients with lupus. The integrated care team addresses patients’ medical and psychological needs to improve outcomes, especially for Black women, who statistically have higher rates and worse outcomes from the disease. Duke Psychiatry's Keisha-Gaye O'Garo, PsyD, initiated the expansion of the care team through a Duke leadership program.

We recently sat down with Tuyen Phan, MBA, an administrative director in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, to learn more about his path to research administration, his career at Duke, his Vietnamese culture, and his thoughts about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Duke Psychiatry's Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, has been inducted into the class of 2023 of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) “for his pioneering work in understanding the electrical patterns that underlie mental health disorders and his advocacy for inclusive science.”

A community of graduate students and faculty from the Duke Clinical Psychology Program dedicated to fostering inclusive excellence recently won a Graduate School award for their work. Duke Psychiatry's Zach Rosenthal, PhD, who also holds an appointment in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, is the faculty lead for the group.

Ryan Slauer, MD, a fourth-year internal medicine-psychiatry resident, and Lynette Staplefoote-Boynton, MD, MPH, a third-year internal medicine-psychiatry resident, have received this year’s James H. Carter, Sr. Community Service Award, established in honor of Carter’s dedication to serving the underserved.

Two new proposed state laws targeting LGBTQ+ youth in North Carolina would drive up suicide rates, restrict health care providers and limit schools’ ability to provide safe havens for students, three Duke experts—including Duke Psychiatry's Dane Whicker, PhD, and Sarah Wilson, PhD—said Wednesday.