Off the Top...

This Is What Community Looks Like

Durham’s community schools initiative continues to grow, weaving together academic, social and health supports to help students and families thrive. Through partnerships that include Duke’s long‑running Bass Connections project and University‑Assisted Community Schools, the model turns public schools into neighborhood hubs where families can access essential resources, build relationships, and feel rooted in their community. Fayetteville Street Elementary’s new Family Resource Center is one example of how these efforts translate into real support, offering everything from food to clothing in a welcoming, stigma‑free space. As the statewide framework expands, community schools are emerging as a powerful approach to strengthening families and improving student success across North Carolina.

Community Schools Iniative

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

Programmable Lego-Like Material Emulates Life’s Flexibility

Duke engineers are developing a new class of programmable, muscle‑like materials that could one day help medical robots navigate the body more safely and effectively. By allowing solid structures to change stiffness on command, the technology could enable tiny devices to maneuver through blood vessels, adapt to delicate tissues, or even form next‑generation stents that adjust to a patient’s needs in real time. This new type of technology could improve minimally invasive procedures and reduce risks for patients who currently rely on rigid medical tools. While demonstrated currently in a robotic fish, the long‑term potential points toward life‑saving applications inside the human body.

This research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Lego-Like

A Nerve-Based Approach to Helping Older Adults Bounce Back After Surgery

Duke researchers have identified a promising new way to protect older adults from postoperative delirium, a dangerous complication that can accelerate long‑term cognitive decline, especially in people with Alzheimer’s disease. By gently stimulating a key nerve that links the brain and immune system, the team was able to prevent the inflammation and cognitive disruptions that often leave patients “not the same” after surgery. The approach, already used clinically for other conditions, could offer a safe, non‑drug method to preserve memory and thinking during a vulnerable window of recovery.

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

Bounce Back

More from Duke...

A High School Perspective on Duke Research

Local high school students are getting an up‑close look at life as a scientist thanks to a long‑running partnership between Duke University and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Through a hands‑on science communication class, students step into real Duke labs, interview researchers and turn their stories into accessible profiles that highlight the people behind the discoveries. The experience not only builds confidence and communication skills, but it also sparks future careers--several alumni have returned to work in the very labs they once visited as teenagers.

High School Perspective

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