Meet Physicians and Scientists

Gifts from generous donors have helped researchers who are working to answer basic questions about the human brain—answers that could lead to important discoveries in disease and improve patient outcomes.

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.

What if we could disable the defense mechanisms that enable cancer cells to evade treatment, or even control their genes to prevent them from developing into tumors in the first place? Can we enhance our brain’s ability to forestall damage from Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions? Is it possible to develop a vaccine for everything?

Drs. Armstrong and Newgard, have devised an innovative, community-based effort focused on children’s health and nutrition to fulfill her wish.

David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD, is leading a Duke Cancer Institute study on cancer biology and radiation response. By understanding how cancers develop, how tumors respond to therapy, and how they become resistant to therapy, his team is working to develop new therapies that save lives

Anru Zhang, PhD, hopes to give physicians another tool to treat disease and improve health – by turning patients’ electronic medical records into a treasure trove of information.

Race, and how people are treated differently because of it, leads to major differences in health outcomes for cancer and other diseases. Tomi Akinyemiju, a social and molecular cancer epidemiologist, sees this aspect of culture and health as something to be examined and dissected, and has built her career doing that.

Duke has long been a leader in brain research and working to find treatments and cures for diseases like Alzheimer's. The new Duke-UNC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is playing a key role in this.

When we get a cold, or a cut on our hand, we will heal. This concept of resilience is being studied and researched at Duke, and basic science research may hold many of the keys to unlocking the power of the human body to resist infection and disease.