For patients who find themselves slowly beginning to lose vision, today’s doctors have gene replacement therapy as a treatment option. However, there’s a small window of time when the therapy will work best, meaning if a patient isn’t seen soon enough, vision cannot be restored.

For many years, the late Neil L. Spector, MD, who was a leading cancer researcher at Duke Cancer Institute, struggled with Lyme disease. Initially, he was misdiagnosed and when finally treated with antibiotics, some of his symptoms improved but his heart was irreparably damaged due to Lyme carditis, a condition that occurs when Lyme disease bacteria enter the tissues of the heart.

Michael Boyce, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, never expected to be studying the lungs. He is an expert in glycobiology—the intricate mechanisms behind how sugars attach to proteins, and the role these sugars play in sending signals that influence cell biology, organ function, and more.

Carol Deane advances her long history of support for Duke by establishing a Presidential Distinguished Chair