Inspirational Stories

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) has been given approval to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial of one of its most promising antibody treatments for COVID-19. This would be a temporary treatment until a vaccine is developed. The DHVI also is developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine that would combat future iterations of COVID-19 and similar viruses, and also researching if saliva can be used as an accurate indicator of COVID-19 infection.

For 27 years, Heather Paradis, a 1995 graduate of Duke University’s Master of Science in Nursing Program, cared for cancer patients at Duke University Hospital as a hematology-oncology nurse practitioner. As she saw many patients fighting the disease, she had no idea that she would one day be on the other side of cancer care.

A potential new vaccine developed by members of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute has proven effective in protecting monkeys and mice from a variety of coronavirus infections — including SARS-CoV-2 as well as the original SARS-CoV-1 and related bat coronaviruses that could potentially cause the next pandemic. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

In 2011, Katie Corun was in her third semester of nursing school in Maryland when she began having personality changes—moodiness and anger. Neither she nor her husband of seven months, Ron, or her mother, Kathy, could figure out what was going on.

Ever since Duke Cancer Institute helped Meg Lindenberger survive breast cancer more than a decade ago, she and her husband, Bill, have been faithful supporters.

In 2016, Duke employee Brandy Chieco was a new mom with a three-month-old baby boy when her own mom, Brenda Brooks, was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, which tends to arise in the joints.

As far back as Donna Bernstein can remember, the ethos of giving back has been as much a part of her as her name or the color of her eyes. She comes from strong Jewish roots, and her parents instilled in her and her sister and three brothers the Jewish principle that everyone has a responsibility to help others through charity and service.

Young dancer conquers rare, debilitating disease and now trains among the world's elite.

After more than half a century and millions of dollars raised to support student scholarships in the Duke University School of Medicine and School of Nursing, the Nearly New Shoppe thrift store ceased operations at the end of August 2020.

In late July, while on their 2020 summer break, Duke Club Cycling riders launched a 12-hour bike marathon to support Duke Health’s COVID-19 Response Funds and local cycling organizations that advocate for cycling as an alternative and safer form of transportation.