Peter Klopfer, professor emeritus of Biology, civil rights activist and co-founder of the Duke Lemur Center, died on June 5 at the age of 95. He is survived by his wife, Martha, and their three daughters.Klopfer helped develop the field of behavioral ecology — the study of animal behavior and its evolution — and made seminal contributions to our understanding of mother-offspring bonding. His research helped elucidate the now well-known role played by the hormone oxytocin in mediating affective bonds.He later… read more about Peter Klopfer, Civil Rights Activist and Co-Founder of the Duke Lemur Center, Died »
In the Duke biology course "Experiments in Animal Models of Human Neurodegenerative Disease," undergraduate students learn how to conduct meaningful research with medical impact. Students in the class, taught by biologists Nina Sherwood and Emily Ozdowski, conduct hands-on research using fruit flies to investigate Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to loss of mobility.“This lab is different from a normal classroom in that we… read more about In This Duke Biology Class, Students Research a Disease That Steals the Ability to Walk »
Food isn’t just about taste, it’s a fascinating intersection of biology, chemistry and data collection. In this series, we are exploring the research shaping what we eat and why, from breakthroughs in nutrition and sustainability to using to technology to improve crop yield.When Mariano Alvarez arrived at Duke University as a postdoctoral researcher, he never imagined he would run a seed company. But the origins of his startup, Avalo, can be traced directly back to Duke’s biology department, its greenhouses, and a few… read more about How a Duke Biologist is Reimagining Agriculture »
Oak trees are a familiar part of the landscape here in the Triangle, shading us from the heat and peppering Duke’s campus with acorns of different sizes and shapes. But far beyond North Carolina, the mountains of Mexico and Central America harbor one of the richest concentrations of oak diversity anywhere on Earth. A new international study co-authored by Professor of Biology Paul Manos provides the clearest picture yet of how that extraordinary diversity came to be. The… read more about New Study Traces How Oaks Rapidly Diversified Across the Americas »
WASHINGTON -- Global warming is causing rivers to slowly lose oxygen, threatening fish and other lives in the waterways, a new study shows.Researchers in China used satellites and artificial intelligence to track and analyze oxygen levels in more than 21,000 rivers across the globe since 1985. They found oxygen levels have dropped an average of 2.1% since 1985, according to a study published Friday in Science Advances. That doesn't seem like much, but it adds up, and if it continues or accelerates, rivers in the Eastern… read more about Duke Biologist Emily Bernhardt Discusses New Study On Global Warming Causing Rivers to Lose Oxygen »
Three students with extensive research records under their belts have been named 2026 Faculty Scholars, the highest award given by the Academic Council to undergraduate students.The students are Daniel Levin, a biology major; Emily Song, who is studying biomedical engineering; and Anushka Kumar, who crafted her own Program II individualized major. The trio was chosen from 27 applicants.Meet the scholars:Emily SongEmily Song’s interest in neuro-engineering began long before college through work with the… read more about Trinity Undergraduate Students Named Faculty Scholars »
Duke University has been awarded $4.4 million from The Duke Endowment for the Duke Lemur Center (DLC), including support for a newly created academic director position. Primatologist and Duke alumna Elizabeth Lonsdorf (T '96) will join the DLC and the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology in this new role on Aug. 1.The new position fills a need identified by an interdisciplinary faculty review committee last year. Working with Executive Director Greg Dye, Lonsdorf will be responsible for… read more about Trinity Alumna Elizabeth Lonsdorf Joins Duke Lemur Center as New Academic Director »
Michael Kiel is a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, majoring in Environmental Sciences with minors in Biology and Chemistry. During his time at Duke, he participated in research through Bass Connections and completed a Graduation with Distinction honors thesis in the Levin Lab studying the effects of environmental exposures on neurobehavior. As he prepares to graduate, Kiel reflects on the academic opportunities and communities that shaped his Duke experience. This interview has been edited for clarity and… read more about Michael Kiel '26: Discovering a Passion for Research »
Eighteen current students in The Graduate School, including eight students in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, have received awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) for 2026. Since 1952, the NSF GRFP has supported more than 70,000 outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Fellows receive a three-year stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, and access to professional development opportunities.The… read more about Eight Trinity Students Receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships »
On April 16, over 100 Duke University students presented their research at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.Students presented posters, gave flash talks, shared their senior theses and attended lectures with Duke alumni. Discover some of the highlights of the day. read more about Discovery on Display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium »
From genetically engineered humans to seeding other worlds with new life, to how long you can be clinically dead and still be revived. Those are just a few of the many questions Mohamed Noor explores, using references to “Star Trek” to teach non-biology majors about biology.The professor, executive vice provost, and author of the book “Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds” has been a Trekkie since he was eight years old. After watching reruns of the original… read more about Mohamed Noor Uses ‘Star Trek’ to Teach Non-Biology Majors About Biology »
Sancia Milton knew what she wanted: a strong research university with a solid liberal-arts base. She found the right combination at Duke, “plus beautiful weather, a perfect campus size and basketball,” she adds.Her exact course of study was another matter. While creative writing and poetry have always been central to her identity, so has a penchant for biology — and a fascination with classical studies. “I came to Duke with a lot of interests,” she says, “and no clear sense of how they could fit together in a major.” It was… read more about Sancia Milton '26: Biology or English? She Chose Both »
The giant squid is a rare ocean creature. So rare, that it’s often grouped with other mythological sea beasts, such as the Kraken, Cthulhu, and merfolk.But the giant squid is real.Although seldom seen, giant squid sightings do happen. And one fisherman from Japan has encountered not one, but two, of the massive marine invertebrates while on his boat. Below, check out the latest giant squid sighting, a haunting encounter.The footage comes from fisherman @yonemorikouta, but has been reposted on YouTube. The original video was… read more about Duke Biologist Says Giant Squid, Rare Creatures are 'Something We Should Care About' »
Duke University undergraduates Daniel Levin, Anushka Peer, Emily Song, and Caroline Zhang have been honored as Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. This prestigious award recognizes accomplished sophomore and junior researchers who plan to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. Each Goldwater Scholar receives up to $7,500 annually toward the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board.“Congratulations to Duke’s newest Goldwater Scholars,” Provost Alec D. Gallimore said. “Duke is tremendously… read more about Three Trinity Undergraduates Named 2026 Goldwater Scholars »
About two dozen members of The Blue Ridge Mycological Society follow a dirt path in rural Schuyler among towering trees and abundant plant life during early March, looking for an entry point to the kingdom of fungi. The group, founded in 2017 by Pat Mitchell, comprises outdoors enthusiasts engaged in better understanding how fungi proliferates in the Commonwealth and identifying unique species. It’s a social club with a unique quirk — and a taste for mushrooms.“The Blue Ridge area always has been sort of a famous hotspot… read more about Duke Biologist Rytas Vilgalys Emphasizes Biodiversity of Fungi in Blue Ridge »
The Bass Connection team, Duke iGEM: Synthetic Biology for Human Health and Society (Duke iGEM), earned a gold medal at the 2025 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Jamboree for its project RESPIRA: Responsive Engineered Strain for Polymicrobial Infection Recovery in Airways. Students from across Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and Pratt School of Engineering comprise the core of Duke iGEM. Cameron Kim, assistant professor of the practice in Biomedical Engineering explains that RESPIRA… read more about Duke iGEM Team Wins Gold at 2025 International Jamboree »
Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University.The findings, published in PLOS Biology, challenge decades of assumptions in evolutionary genetics and may have implications for population health and conservation.“Almost every individual of any species studied has at least one lethal mutation,” said lead author Sarah Marion, who began this work as a biology graduate student at Duke and is now a postdoctoral… read more about Newly Transferred Jumping Genes Drive Lethal Mutations »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
AJED is proud to continue the biology department’s 39-year tradition of supporting Durham’s Share Your Holiday program. This initiative provides holiday gifts to low-income families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.Started by Anne Lacey, former Director of Graduate Studies Assistant, this effort reflects the generosity of our community. Over the years, Biology has raised over $2,000 annually, helping more than 870 people.🎁 How to Donate 💵Cash/Check: Place in an envelope marked Share Your Holiday and… read more about Biology Continues 39-Year Tradition with Share Your Holiday »
In today’s edition of “Landing a faculty position”, Ling Loh from the Career Development subcommittee interviews Anyi Mazo-Vargas from Duke University. read more about Landing a Faculty Position: Anyi Mazo-Vargas »
Every year, the research intelligence company Clarivate publishes a list of Highly Cited Researchers. These researchers have multiple publications which rank in the top 1% by citation in their fields and are further selected for exemplifying excellence and integrity in their work.The Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list was recently released, and 29 Duke scholars were featured on the list of 6,868 researchers. These leading researchers hail from across Duke University, Duke Health and Duke-NUS Medical School… read more about Trinity Scholars Featured in the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 List »
On North Carolina’s low-lying coast, where trunks of dead trees rise silver and bare from dark waters, a team of storytellers trace how the past continues to shape the future. Through the Bass Connections project, Ghost (Forest) Stories: Unearthing History and Climate Change, they bring together science, history and art to reveal how centuries of human activity have transformed the Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula, while uncovering what it all means in an era of rising sea levels and intensifying hurricanes… read more about Ghost (Forest) Stories: Uncovering the Past to Understand a Changing Coast »
Duke biology graduate student Brendan Lam studies the vision of harvestmen, a type of arachnid that looks like a spider. People may be scared of spiders, but Lam says: “Spiders do much more good than harm.”Their tiny yet powerful optics may inspire new kinds of miniature cameras; other benefits offer a reminder that the creatures we fear most often help us see the world more clearly. read more about Check This Out: Spidey Super Powers »
Class of 2027 students Megan Bonne, Sally Maroa, and Kimmy Parboosingh have received the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service. Created by the Obamas and Airbnb's Brian Chesky, this two-year scholarship for juniors supports young leaders who are committed to careers in public service. read more about Three Trinity Students Receive the Voyager Scholarship »
On July 25, 2025, the Trent Seman building was alive with energy as over 120 student researchers from 11 programs shared the results of their summer work. The Summer Research Showcase brought together students from Duke and from institutions nationwide, each presenting posters on projects that spanned the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and health policy. read more about Research That Saves Lives – and Changes Them »
The American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has long harbored secrets. For centuries, Indigenous peoples in eastern North America have brewed “magic water” by boiling bark from the twiggy shrub and using it to treat all manner of maladies, from sore muscles to skin tumors. Diviners have also shaved down the forked branches and pointed them at the ground, arms outstretched, to locate water underground. And in the fall, when most other plants are beginning to go dormant to store energy for spring, the American… read more about Biology’s Sheila Patek and Justin Jorge Show How Witch Hazels Take Flight »
It’s a scene fit for a nature documentary: In the frigid ocean surrounding Antarctica, the water boils over as seabirds dive from above and marine animals like seals and whales rise from the depths to all feast on krill.But zoom out and this flurry of activity is just a tiny speck in a desolate seascape. Scientists have been puzzled by how these various species are all able to find the same food source at the same time.“It’s hard to get across just how forbidding this environment is,” said Sönke Johnsen, a professor of… read more about Teamwork in Antarctica: Seabirds Forage Better When Relying on Other Species »
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula of North Carolina—Early last month, on the opening day of bow hunting season here on a swath of swampy state land, a team of researchers slipped bright orange safety vests over their waders so as not to be mistaken for deer. “We’re hunting too,” said Spencer Rhea, an ecologist at Duke University. “Hunting for trees.”Rhea and his colleagues had gathered to investigate “ghost forests”—otherworldly stands of bleached dead trees drowned by flooding or poisoned by saltwater that… read more about AI Reveals Vast ‘Ghost Forests’ Along U.S. Coast »
Approximately 100 students attended the Academic Resource Center’s (ARC) Peer Education Symposium on Friday, September 5. This event, hosted in the Biological Sciences building, showcased a wide variety of Duke leadership professionals who instructed students working in peer education and support roles on ways to enhance their supportive and pedagogical skills. The student participants attended four fifty-minute sessions of their choice, allowing them to focus on the subjects best suited to their specific peer education… read more about Peer Education Symposium Trains over 100 Students »