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 Micheal Kiel '26: Discovering a Passion for Research »
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 »
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 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 »
After surviving a moderate drought, Arabidopsis develops stronger resistance to pathogens, offering insights for developing stress-resilient plants. Plants, firmly rooted in the soil, face numerous challenges, whether it is battling pathogens or coping with the pressures of a warming climate and drought. This has sparked significant interest among farmers and researchers in understanding how plants adapt to drought conditions. read more about Lucia Strader Discusses How Plants Boost Their Immune System to Recover from Drought »
A Duke patch accompanied astronaut Anna Menon to space on the Polaris Dawn mission. (Photo courtesy of Menon) The Duke SPACE Initiative (Science and Policy to Advance Cosmic Exploration) celebrated its successful launch on September 8, 2025, with an event combining ongoing research, views from space and the most traveled Duke memento in history. Directed by Dan Scolnic and Michael Troxel, the Duke SPACE initiative unites hard science with policy-making… read more about Astronaut Alum Kicks Off Duke SPACE Initiative »
The Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has launched the SPACE Initiative at Duke (Science & Policy to Advance Cosmic Exploration), a universitywide endeavor dedicated to advancing our understanding of the cosmos through interdisciplinary collaboration. All are invited to its celebratory kick-off event to be held on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m., at Penn Pavilion. The event will combine a poster presentation, a reception and a keynote talk by Duke alumna, astronaut and former Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Launches SPACE Initiative »
The Monitoring and Restoring Gene Flow in the Increasingly Fragmented Ecosystems of the Anthropocene Special Feature brings together research from across the speciation genomics and conservation biology communities to address the pressing challenges of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. Uniting insights from evolutionary theory, developing genomic technologies, and applied conservation action, the authors in this collection examine how gene flow can be effectively monitored, maintained, and restored… read more about Monitoring and Restoring Gene Flow »
Fresh from the Outer Banks, sun-kissed, slightly sore yet fully inspired, Torry Bend is eager to continue the work started at Duke’s Marine Lab this summer. The professor of the practice in Theater Studies spent six weeks in Beaufort, North Carolina, directing Arts+ Resilience Through Puppetry and exploring the art form’s roles in teaching climate sustainability and community building. They came. They saw. They built a leviathan. The Arts+ team (from… read more about When Puppetry and Environmental Resiliency Go Hand-in-Hand »
Abigail Pickens decided on Duke because of the strong interdisciplinary opportunities that allow her to major in both Biology and Music at the same level of scholarship. Entering her final year, the senior has consistently been able to immerse herself in scientific research while continuing to develop her musical talents.Pickens traces her affinity for science to her high school AP Biology class, where she developed a love for research that followed her to Duke. From her first year on campus, she has been involved with… read more about Abigail Pickens '26: Molecular Melodies »
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (July 16, 2025) — A report released today by a coalition of North Carolina institutions outlines a plan to establish an agricultural technology (agtech) innovation corridor across 42 counties in North Carolina, with a vision of connecting the state’s technology, research and agricultural sectors in ways that broaden how farmers participate in and benefit from agtech innovation.The corridor would connect small farms to the state’s technology and… read more about Experts Propose Plan to Establish 42-County AgTech Innovation Corridor in North Carolina »
Duke faculty member Jean-Philippe Gibert is the Joanne W. Markman and A. Morris Williams Jr. Associate Professor of Biology and a Simons Foundation Early Career Fellow in Microbial Ecology and Evolution. He and his lab study how climate change affects living things and the way organisms depend on others to survive and reproduce.We caught up with Gibert to ask a few questions about his research. Below are excerpts from the conversation. read more about Food Webs, Climate Change and One Equation to Rule Them All »
Eight faculty in Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences have been honored with named professorships, effective July 1.These endowed positions recognize leadership and commitment to excellence in scholarship and research. Their recipients are outstanding teachers, mentors and researchers whose contributions are invaluable to the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as their students and colleagues.“Trinity is defined by the strength of its faculty, and we are extraordinarily fortunate to count these… read more about Eight Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Honored With Named Professorships »