News

This week’s Faculty Spotlight shines on pediatric infectious diseases physician Yeh-Chung “Daniel” Chang, MD. Chang talks to us about how he first became interested in becoming a pediatrician from a very young age, and specifically, infectious diseases during medical school and his pediatric residency; his interest in viral infections in pediatric transplant patients and in vaccine responses and the development of antifungals for this population; and the significance of his most important mentor, Dr. Bill Steinbach.

Kathleen A. McGann, MD, receives Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD Faculty Achievement Award for displaying dedication to compassionate patient care and excellence in the teaching and mentoring of young physicians. The Duke University School of Medicine congratulates all of the recipients of this year’s faculty awards.

Twin 9-year-old girls at Duke Health became the first in the United States to participate in a Pfizer and BioNTech Phase 1 study to evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in preventing COVID-19 among healthy children below the age of 12.

Ann M. Reed, MD, Samuel L. Katz Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and physician-in-chief of Duke Children’s, recently announced that Michael Smith, MD, MS, has been named interim chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics, effective July 1, 2021.

A Duke Health analysis of COVID-19 cases among youngsters attending YMCA camps in six central North Carolina counties shows minimal spread of symptomatic infections among the children and the camp counselors.

Research from Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill suggests that schools can consider returning to in-class instruction if they mitigate COVID-19 transmission on campuses, despite the level of COVID-19 cases occurring in the community, especially when students, teachers and staff consistently wear masks, wash their hands, and practice physical distancing as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 

William J. Steinbach, MD, was recently named the new Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Pediatrics, effective March 1, 2021.

Guido Ferrari, MD, professor in the Department of Surgery, and Tony Moody, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and immunology at Duke University School of Medicine discuss reports that some healthcare workers are denying COVID-19 vaccination.

Six members of the Duke faculty, including Sallie Permar, MD, PhD, have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

A Duke Health-led research team has identified a key marker that will help speed effective vaccine designs for cytomegalovirus (CMV), the most common congenital infection worldwide and a leading cause of infant brain damage.