EDI News & Op-Eds

Faculty and staff from the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences have shared their expertise in this area within and beyond the Duke campus, from presenting webinars to penning op-eds to engaging in a range of research and other activities. Below are some highlights of their work.

Improving Medical Care for Autistic Patients at Duke Health and Beyond

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.

Trent Lecture Explores Case Highlighting the History of Segregation in Medicine

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.

NCCU Students Present on Clinical Research Internship Experiences

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.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Spotlight: Dane Whicker, PhD

The School of Medicine's Equity Matters newsletter this month features a Q&A with Dane Whicker, PhD. Whicker is working to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the School of Medicine's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the Clinical Translational and Translational Science Institute, and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

Leadership Program Spurs Transformation in Lupus Care

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.

Op-Ed: Juneteenth in STEMM and the barriers to equitable science

In a commentary in the journal Cell, 52 Black scientists including Duke Psychiatry's Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. They review racism’s history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.

Q&A with Administrative Director Tuyen Phan, MBA

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.