Off the Top...

A Front Door to Community-Engaged Research That Benefits Durham and Duke

Duke University President Vincent Price and Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams celebrated the launch of the Duke Center for Community Engagement, aiming to strengthen partnerships within the city, the triangle region and beyond. The center will serve as an interdisciplinary hub for collaborative scholarship between Duke and community partners, focusing on addressing pressing societal challenges. It seeks to eliminate administrative barriers to community-engaged research and prioritize community input in identifying and implementing solutions. This initiative builds on Duke’s long-standing commitment to regional collaboration and community-driven change.

Community Engagement

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

Harnessing Generative AI to Treat Undruggable Diseases

A team of biomedical engineers at Duke University has developed an AI-based platform, PepPrCLIP, that designs peptides to target and destroy disease-causing proteins that were previously impervious to drug treatment. The platform uses an algorithm to create new peptides and test their effectiveness in binding with target proteins, without needing 3-D structural information. This research addresses the challenge of targeting disordered, tangled proteins, which make up over 80 percent of disease-causing proteins and are difficult for traditional therapies to target.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Therapy Testing

Celebrating the Centennial...

Centennial Trailblazer: Stelfanie Williams

With the official launch of the Duke Center for Community Engagement, this week we recognize trailblazer Stelfanie Williams, vice president for community affairs. Williams is dedicated to forging strong partnerships with diverse neighborhood and community leaders across Durham and the Carolinas. Under Williams’ leadership, Duke continues to expand its reach and connections to communities, including working with local educational institutions and partners, such as Durham Technical Community College and North Carolina Central University.

Centennial Trailblazer

More from Duke...

Literature Professor Has the Grammy Magic for Second Year in a Row

An assistant professor at Duke, Maya Kronfeld, has contributed to two GRAMMY-winning albums in consecutive years. Last year, she played keyboards on Nicole Zuraitis' How Love Begins, which won Best Vocal Jazz Album. This year, she was part of the team behind Taylor Eigsti's Plot Armor, which won Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the ceremony on Sunday. In addition to her primary appointment as an assistant professor of theory in the Literature Program, Kronfeld has recently received additional appointments in the departments of music and philosophy.

GRAMMY Gold

On the Ground and Connecting the Dots

Duke University is playing a key role in the expansion of University-Assisted Community Schools through its collaboration with North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and East Carolina University (ECU). In Durham, Duke students work on research projects that emerge from deep listening with local schools, addressing issues like volunteer training and community asset mapping. The partnership has led to the development of a curriculum designed to help undergraduates understand race, class, and local history as they work in Durham schools. Additionally, Duke is part of the Southeast Regional Coalition, which aims to expand the community schools model across the southeastern U.S.

Community Collaboration

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