Off the Top...

Resilience and Optimism at Duke’s 2026 Research Summit

Duke’s sixth annual Research and Innovation Summit brought together more than 80 researchers to highlight new ideas, share findings, and discuss the future of research during a changing funding landscape. Across panels, talks, and the featured Daubechies Lecture, speakers emphasized collaboration and interdisciplinary work as key drivers of innovation at Duke. Participants also pointed to a growing sense of community, noting that recent challenges have strengthened connections rather than divided researchers.

Research Summit

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

Oral GLP-1s Without Fasting or Reduced Efficacy
Duke researchers have developed a new way to deliver popular medications like GLP‑1s as a pill instead of an injection, without requiring fasting or reducing effectiveness. The approach protects fragile drugs as they pass through the stomach, potentially making treatment easier and more convenient for millions of patients. By removing the need for injections, it could improve access and adherence, especially for people who are reluctant to use needles. The technology could also expand oral options for other important peptide‑based treatments, including insulin and therapies for chronic disease.

This research was supported in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

GLP-1 Approach

Where Does Learning First Take Place in the Brain?

A new study from Duke researchers could help answer a long‑standing question about how skills are formed. By studying how young songbirds learn to sing, the team showed that learning starts at a precise synapse within brain circuits also involved in human movement and communication. These findings improve understanding of how the brain builds complex behaviors like speech and motor skills. The work may also provide insight into disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Tourette syndrome, where these circuits are disrupted.

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

Learning Lessons

More from Duke...

Overlooked in Disaster Recovery: Infant Feeding

A new study from Duke’s Global Health Institute highlights a critical but often overlooked challenge after disasters: how families safely feed infants when basic resources are disrupted. Following Hurricane Helene, researchers documented how power outages, unsafe water, and supply shortages made both breastfeeding and formula feeding difficult for many families. The study shows how community volunteers stepped in to provide milk, supplies and support, filling gaps not addressed in traditional emergency response. These findings underscore a need to integrate other crucial daily needs into future crisis responses.

Disaster Recovery

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