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Articles by Bernadette Gillis
Study links gut bacteria to poor growth in preterm infants
Families with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) know all too well the importance of tracking their baby’s growth. Gaining weight is a major milestone on the path to going home. But even with carefully managed nutrition, some babies struggle to grow. In a recent study, Duke University School of Medicine researchers sought to understand why.
From sidewalks to support systems
The reasons why some women hesitate to exercise in public spaces aren’t always a lack of time or motivation. For some, it comes down to fear of racism and discrimination. That’s according to early findings from researchers at Duke University School of Medicine. The study found that these fears, along with harassment, keep many women, especially Latinas, from moving freely in their own communities.
Filling the Gaps in Uterine Fibroid Research
As an academic, Whitney Robinson, PhD, has researched uterine fibroids for more than a decade, but her familiarity with the condition began much earlier. Growing up, she saw the impact of fibroids on the women in her family – her mother had a hysterectomy in her 40s to treat fibroids. At 44, Robinson did the same. Already passionate about researching treatments for fibroids, her experience as a patient deepened her dedication.
Duke Receives Grant Aimed at Improving Health of Durham Residents
Duke Health, in partnership with the Durham County Department of Public Health, has been awarded a grant totaling $750,000 from The Duke Endowment to support a coalition aimed at improving the health and well-being of Durham residents. The award supports Partnership for a Healthy Durham over five years. With this award, the Partnership has joined 24 other organizations and agencies across North Carolina and South Carolina making up the initiative to address chronic health issues.
Research Series Focuses on Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities
Duke University School of Medicine’s continued on March 9 with a focus on social determinants of health and health disparities.
A Fair Process: Lisa McElroy Strives to Make Transplant Selection More Equitable
Lisa McElroy, MD, encountered skepticism when she made the choice to pursue a research career focused on eliminating health disparities in organ transplantation. But she stuck to what she believed was a worthwhile pursuit, and today as assistant professor of surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, she is a leader in improving the understanding of why inequities exist in accessing organ transplant.
Anti-Ableist Advocacy: Christopher Lunsford Aims to Change the Conversation Around Disability
He didn’t always have an awareness of it or a word for it, but Christopher Lunsford, MD, was affected by ableism throughout his life. It affected how he coped with the challenges that came with being hard of hearing since birth and having a speech impediment. It wasn’t always easy to make his way in a world that focuses mostly on the experiences of people who can hear and speak clearly. Going on rounds during medical school proved especially difficult.
Clinic for Transgender Children and Teens and Children with Differences of Sex Development
Differences of sex development is a broad term that covers several medical conditions. Many conditions are diagnosed when the child is identified at birth as having ambiguous genitalia or genitalia that are discordant with their genetic sex. The most common DSD condition is 46, XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). These babies are born girls biologically, but because their adrenal glands are making too much steroid, their genitalia has a masculinized appearance at birth.
Creating a Sense of Community for LGBTQ Students
During her time as an undergraduate at Duke, Alex Stonehill made a point to join several LGBTQ student organizations. Focused on fulling her own social needs, she said she was mostly driven by a desire to socialize and form bonds with others with similar identities. But over time she came to understand that such organizations offer much more.
Kevin Thomas Looks to Lead School of Medicine Toward a More Equitable Future, and He’s Up for the Challenge
Kevin Thomas, MD, had little interest in cardiology when he first entered medical school, but it is difficult now to separate his journey toward becoming a cardiologist from his current work advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). In November 2021, Thomas, an electrophysiologist and associate professor of medicine in Duke’s Division of Cardiology, was named the Duke University School of Medicine’s vice dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion by Dean Mary E. Klotman.
Undeterred: Erica Taylor Embraces Being a Role Model and Changemaker in Diversity and Inclusion
Erica Taylor, MD, often thinks about what her career path might have looked like had it not been for a supportive family and a lot of mentors bolstering her confidence along the way. It certainly wouldn’t have looked like her becoming Duke’s first Black female orthopaedic surgeon, chief of surgery at Duke Raleigh Hospital, and an influential leader within the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) realm at Duke.
School Launches Plan to Dismantle Racism
Since launching its Moments to Movement initiative in June 2020, Duke University School of Medicine has begun work to better understand the root causes and harms of racism and to develop strategies to reduce racial inequity.
A Plan for Change
After a yearlong planning process, the School of Medicine details its commitment to dismantling racism in a new strategic plan. Like many, Annise Weaver, MSEd, CRC, found herself feeling powerless in 2020. As she watched news reports of racial injustices occurring in the country that in turn prompted worldwide protests, Weaver wondered if it was truly possible for her to make a meaningful, lasting difference in the fight to dismantle racism.
$2.5 Million Bequest Advances Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Offers Families Hope
Jeanne Caldwell didn’t have Alzheimer’s disease, yet she knew firsthand the devastation it can cause. For 11 years she cared for her mother who had the disease. After her mother’s death in 2015, Caldwell was determined to do what she could to make sure other families did not have to endure the hardships of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. She was moved to make a planned gift to support Alzheimer’s disease research at Duke.
Heeding the Call: Dismantling Racism
This article first appeared in the DukeMed Alumni News Fall 2020 issue. 'Say their names.' That’s the call made by many in reference to the numerous Black people who have been killed by police or civilian vigilantes in this country. It’s a call that some say represents the long-overdue need to address systemic racism in the U.S. And it’s a call that many students, faculty, and staff say must include Duke University School of Medicine.
Experimental cord blood therapy for autism studied
Results from a Phase I trial were published April 5 in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. The study found that among 25 children ages 2 to 5, more than two-thirds appeared to show improvements in speech, socialization, and eye contact, as reported by parents and assessed by researchers. The Phase I trial was designed to evaluate the safety of treating children with autism with an IV infusion of their own umbilical cord blood, which their families opted to bank at birth.
Clinic Offers Care, Support for Transgender Youth and Others Facing Gender Issues
Editor's Note: This story originally ran in Duke Medical Alumni News. Adrian Chamberlin, 17, considers himself one of the lucky ones. Unlike many transgender teens, he has the support of his family and friends. The Raleigh teen experienced depression like many others in his situation; however, since coming out to his family last year, he’s happier now than he has been in a long time. “I needed to tell my family because I was keeping this whole chunk of my life apart from them,” he says.
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