Off the Top...

The Social Science Research Institute Celebrates 20 Years

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Duke University brings together researchers with interests in problems that cross the various social and behavioral sciences, including problems that connect with the humanities and natural sciences. It promotes multidisciplinary collaboration among students, faculty and other scholars as they work on important social issues that are challenging to address fully from within any given discipline. In this video, faculty at SSRI discuss the many ways that the institute has brought together researchers from across the university.

SSRI Celebration

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

GPS for Neurosurgeons

Cameron McIntyre, a Duke professor of biomedical engineering and neurosurgery, runs the Duke McIntyre Lab, which researches how to improve deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of movement disorders and provides the fundamental technology necessary for the effective application of DBS to new clinical arenas. The lab's research, like the project highlighted, has been supported through grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and allows doctors to see a patient’s brain in three dimensions. Using this hologram, neurosurgeons can perform complex surgeries to alleviate the tremors associated with Parkinson’s disorder and epilepsy.

Lab Work

New Blood Test Helps Predict Survival of Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients

A group of Duke Cancer Institute researchers has developed a new blood test called AR-ctDETECT that can predict the survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer. This test analyzes almost 70 genes related to prostate cancer and hormone resistance, detecting circulating tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. The study, involving nearly 800 men, found that patients with detectable ctDNA had significantly worse survival outcomes. Being able to detect this genetic information in patients could help providers better understand a particular patient’s cancer and predict disease progression.

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

New Blood Test

Activating Complex Regions of the Genome to Treat Rare Diseases

Researchers at Duke University have developed a potential new treatment for rare genetic diseases, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, by activating a master epigenetic switch using CRISPR, a technology that allows scientists to modify DNA in living organisms. This approach enables genes from one parent, which are normally silenced, to compensate for defective genes from the other parent. In the case of Prader-Willi syndrome, which causes physical, mental and behavioral issues, including constant hunger, the researchers successfully activated suppressed genes in lab-grown stem cells and neurons.

This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Activiating Approach

More from Duke...

A Star Returns to Durham to Help the Next Generation of Dancers

Hope Boykin, a Durham native and former Alvin Ailey dancer, is inspiring local students by sharing her expertise through master classes and workshops in Durham. During a recent visit, she taught about 30 students from Durham Public Schools, offering them a firsthand look at the possibility of success in the arts. Boykin, who spent two decades in New York City, culminated her visit with a performance of States of Hope, an autobiographical dance-theater piece at Duke University. Her return to Durham highlighted the impact of seeing someone from their own community achieve greatness, offering local students valuable insight and inspiration.

Dancing in Durham

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