News and Events

In this week’s Spotlight interview, Heather Van Mater, MD a pediatric rheumatologist, talks about her role as co-director of the Pediatric Autoimmune Brain Disease (ABD) program, where she works closely with colleagues in neurology and psychiatry. She also talks about how she became interested in medicine and her current research focused on autoimmune brain diseases. She shares what she most enjoys about her work as well as her passions outside of Duke and offers some advice for trainees.

A new drug offers hope for young boys with the progressive neuromuscular disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by potentially offering an alternative to high-dose glucocorticoids that have significant side effects. Interim results from a 24-month clinical trial at Duke Health and other institutions suggest that the drug, vamorolone, may retain or improve the effects of current steroid treatments but reduces health risks associated with long-term steroid use. 

The 2020 flu season is upon us and like many, we have concerns and questions. For answers, we talked to Tony Moody, MD, associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases and professor of immunology at Duke University Medical Center.

For the first time at Duke, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is awarding a Center of Excellence in Genome Science (CEGS) grant, to a group of Duke researchers, providing $14 million of research support over five years.

Catherine M. Wilfert, MD, died on Sunday, September 13, 2020. Dr. Wilfert graduated with distinction from Stanford University and summa cum laude from Harvard Medical School as one of five women in her class in 1958. She was a professor of pediatrics and microbiology and division chief of pediatric infectious diseases in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine for many years until the mid-1990s.

New and competing renewal awards made to faculty in the Department of Pediatrics through the month of August 2020 are announced.

Jonathan Routh, MD, Paul H. Sherman, MD Distinguished Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Urology, associate professor of surgery, pediatrics and population health sciences, will assume the role of Medical Director of Children's Surgery.

This week's Faculty Spotlight shines on Patsy Park, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Cardiology. Park talks to us about her responsibilities as a pediatric cardiologist who also specializes in fetal cardiology and the wide range of patients she sees in the course of a typical day. She also talks about how she became interested in congenital heart disease and what inspired her to go to medical school.

Michael Deel, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Hematology-Oncology, recently received a 2020 Hyundai Scholar Hope Award from Hyundai Hope On Wheels (HHOW). The official grant presentation was conducted via a virtual handshake ceremony on September 9 to coincide with National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

To help students and teachers, the Pediatrics Resident Diversity and Inclusion Committee conducted its annual school supply drive, encouraging faculty, staff and trainees to donate.