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Welcome to Equity Matters, a monthly newsletter from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Equity Matters is distributed to faculty, staff, and students in the Duke University School of Medicine. In this issue, Omar Mohiuddin OTR/L, MS, MPH, CLVT, discusses his interest in low vision accessibility. We also share recent EDI-related news stories, resources, and coming events. |
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Over the years as an occupational therapist, Omar Mohiuddin, OTR/L, MS, MPH, CLVT, came to realize that many accessibility issues often go unaddressed, even in spaces originally designed with older adults and persons with visual impairment in mind. That realization fueled his passion for accessibility and drives his devotion to improving the day-to-day lives of persons with blindness and low vision. | |
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In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Mohiuddin tells us about his work as an occupational therapist specializing in low vision rehabilitation at the Duke Eye Center. He also shares how he is working to make a difference as a member of the Eye Center’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and as a volunteer with a nonprofit that serves young people with visual impairment and blindness.
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The Michelle Winn Inclusive Excellence Award is presented annually to individuals in the School of Medicine who exemplify a commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership in helping to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. Any member of the school may submit a nomination. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
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An epidemiologist by training, Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD, researches the biological and social factors driving cancer outcomes in the United States and across the globe, trying to understand why some groups of people fare worse than others, and what can be done to close the gap.
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Leaders from the IDEALS Office and two PhD students recently published a manuscript in Frontiers in Education highlighting their work implementing a yearlong workshop series. The workshop focused on helping biomedical graduate research trainees develop “soft skills” that are often absent from graduate training. Johnna Frierson, PhD, associate dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion for the basic sciences, was the senior author of the manuscript. Additional authors were Debra Ragland, PhD, and PhD students Gus Lowery and Dasean Nardone-White.
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In 2023, a Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences team was one of seven faculty-staff teams selected to participate in a yearlong pilot program aimed to help address burnout, compassion fatigue, and harms, while promoting workforce wellness and satisfaction in the School of Medicine community. The team reflects on its work over the past year.
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The Fresh Produce Program, part of Root Causes, a medical student organization striving to address social drivers of health, delivers food twice a month to families living in a county where 1 in 10 people face food insecurity. The student-run volunteer program is transforming how future physicians approach patient care, but the program’s leaders see both challenges and opportunities ahead.
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A new study shows that glaucoma risk models, which primarily rely on data from European and Asian populations, are less accurate at identifying the risk for the eye disease among Black individuals. The limitation could mean patients miss out on treatments to prevent vision loss.
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Spanish is the second most common language in the United States and Durham, North Carolina. By law, clinics with patient services must make their services accessible when a language is strongly represented in the community. However, scientific research is not always accessible to Spanish-speaking families. At the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, researchers are working to ensure that research outcomes are broadly applicable.
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A colorful mural at the Duke Research at Pickett facility serves as the unifying symbol of an initiative that has advanced health equity by strengthening connections between Duke and Durham communities underrepresented in clinical research.
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The students, faculty, staff, and trainees of the School of Medicine hold a wide variety of religious backgrounds and celebrate many different holidays and observances. Use this calendar to learn about some of the holidays and observances coming up in 2025.
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January 8 • Noon-1 p.m.
Join colleagues from Mt. Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine to critically deconstruct a current newsworthy topic related to racism and bias in medicine and medical education.
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Antisemitism 101 Workshop for Duke Faculty & Staff
January 17 • 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Freeman Center for Jewish Life
This in-person, interactive, in-depth session explores Jewish identity and diversity as well as dives into the roots of antisemitism, how it manifests today, and what we can all do about it.
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MLK Humanitarian Award Ceremony
January 22 • Noon-2 p.m.
Trent Semans Center Great Hall
Commemorate the life of Dr. King and celebrate the recipients of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. Featuring keynote speaker, LeVelle Moton, 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and NCCU Head Men's Basketball Coach.
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February 13 • 6 p.m.
Washington Duke Inn
3001 Cameron Blvd
Join the Cook Society for an evening of reflection and celebration. This joyous occasion honors the legacy of Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook and his dedication to social justice and equality. Five individuals who embody Dr. Cook's vision will be recognized.
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February 21 • 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Trent Semans Center Great Hall
The Scientific Meeting on All Aspects of Women’s Health and the Influence of Sex as a Biological Variable on Health Conditions will feature speakers Sharonne Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine. Organized by the Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Career Development Program.
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