Annual Report - Duke University

Annual ReportJuly 1, 2017–June 30, 2018

308 Research Dr. Durham, NC 27708(919) 668-2512https://dibs.duke.edu/

Institute for

Brain Sciences

Executive Summary 4

A Look Back at DIBS Goals for 2017–2018 6

Catalyzing Collaborative Research 82017–2018 Research Incubator Award Awardees 9

Survey Shows 6-to-1 Return on Research Investment 12

Incubator Award Research Attracts New Funding 12

Connecting Neuroscience, Philosophy to Address ‘Big Questions’ 13

Providing Exceptional Interdisciplinary Education 14DIBS Links Undergrads, Research, Faculty Mentors 15

Stemming the Opiate Epidemic through Education and Outreach 17

Neuroscience Undergraduates Recognized for Excellence 19

MOOCs: Taking Neuroscience Outside the Classroom 20

Campus Engagement: Building Brain-Science Bridges at Duke 22Understanding Power & Gender in Academia 27

Community Engagement: Inspiring, Learning from Community Stakeholders 28

Partnering with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences 29

Philanthropy: Attracting Support for DIBS Activities 32

Looking Ahead: Goals for FY 2019 33

DIBS by the Numbers, 2017–2018 34

Leadership & Governance 38

DIBS Faculty & Staff 39

Duke Institute for Brain Sciences Annual ReportJuly 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018

Executive Summary

2017–2018 was a year of enthusiastic new directions and possibilities for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. The newly established Faculty Governance Committee solicited input, listened to the broadly defined Duke brain science community, and developed a new strategic plan. DIBS also began implementing the plan, as outlined below.

The following pages highlight some of our achievements of the past year in these areas. DIBS launched several new initiatives, such as the Germinator Awards, a research seed-funding mechanism, and revitalized successful past models, such as seminar series, colloquia, and day-long symposia on interdisciplinary topics. All have been promoted extensively via regular DIBS community emails, fliers, posters, the website, the campus and medical center communicators network, and social media.

DIBS added a new center and research group to our portfolio, and now supports five interdisciplinary centers and three research groups. We also continue to provide seed funding for high-risk/high-return projects (Incubator Awards), and have expanded the financial base for these offerings through generous gifts made by members of the DIBS External Advisory Board.

This year, the Neuroscience undergraduate major “graduated” from DIBS to a permanent home in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience. DIBS continues to administer undergraduate summer programs and co-curricular activities and many Neuroscience undergrads view DIBS as their

interdisciplinary home. Under direction of the Faculty Governance Committee, DIBS is seeking to enhance the experience of DIBS graduate students and postdoctoral fellows by reinvigorating the existing graduate student consortium and creating a new consortium for postdocs. Nearly 400 students and fellows have signed up for these groups.

For public outreach, DIBS hosted the most successful DIBS Discovery Day ever; co-sponsored the April Autism Awareness Month Lecture; initiated a partnership with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences involving faculty and postdoc speaking opportunities and a major exhibit sponsorship; opened to the community a unique lecture series featuring cognitive neuroscientists and philosophy researchers; and facilitated outreach into local schools.

These activities will continue in 2018-2019, along with new efforts aimed to enhance neuroimaging resources at Duke and promote diversity and inclusion in the neurosciences. The year will also bring new efforts in the area of industry partnerships for research and training of our students and postdocs.

We hope you enjoy this summary of a great year, and that you will stay tuned for more exciting developments. We welcome email comments at [email protected], or tweet us @DukeBrain!

DIBS is organized around four strategic priorities:

• Catalyzing collaborative research

• Providing exceptional interdisciplinary education

• Building brain-science bridges among Duke departments and disciplines

• Engaging and inspiring campus and community stakeholders

DIBS Discovery Day 2018

4 Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

From the DIBS Strategic Plan 2018-2021: Our mission is to promote interdisciplinary brain science and translate discoveries into solutions for health and society.

DIBS Discovery Day attracted a record 453 attendees!

FY18 Annual Report 5

A Look Back at DIBS Goals for 2017–2018


DIBS has accomplished many of the goals that were outlined in last year’s Annual Report. We are pleased to share our progress here.

1. Define the strategic priorities for DIBS.

DIBS held nine Town Hall meetings in the fall of 2017 and accepted input via the DIBS website, then drafted and finalized what is now the Strategic Plan 2018-2021, “Blueprint for Advancing Brain Sciences at Duke.” It was distributed widely in February 2018. It has provided guidance on how best to focus our efforts and leverage resources. The full plan may be found on the DIBS website, https://www.dibs.duke.edu.

2. Enhance DIBS communication efforts, internally and externally to Duke.

A new Communications Plan, developed in concert with the Strategic Plan, is being implemented by a newly hired Communications Director, resulting in better and more frequent communications with on- and off-campus stakeholders via email, social media, the DIBS website, and the campus and medical center communicators network. Results include enhanced visibility among departments and an increase in attendees at campus seminars and public events. As part of the plan, the DIBS logo was updated to more clearly reflect our Duke identity. It now appears on The Cube, on all DIBS materials, and at sponsored events.

3. Increase the impact and breadth of DIBS seed funding for innovative research.

Our External Advisory Board made it possible to support an additional Research Incubator Award, for a total of six awards involving faculty from 12 different departments. In response to feedback from faculty and students, DIBS also launched a smaller Germinator Award open to faculty and postdoctoral fellows.

4. Transition the Undergraduate Neuroscience Major from DIBS to the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience.

This transition has officially occurred, and we look forward to a synergistic relationship going forward. DIBS will maintain support for undergraduate summer neuroscience programs, research opportunities, and co-curricular activities, and provide facilities for classes and labs. The Cube will continue to serve as a physical “home base” for the Neuroscience major.

5. Cultivate and expand the number of interdisciplinary Centers and Research Groups that are part of DIBS.

DIBS partnered with the Department of Biomedical Engineering to initiate a new Center for Neural Engineering and Neurotechnology, led by Dr. Warren Grill, and welcomed a new Research Group, Cognitive, Auditory, and Neural Bases of Language and Speech Research Group (CNBLS). DIBS continues to provide administrative support for four Centers and two Research Groups.

• Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

• Center on Addiction and Behavior Change

• Duke Center on Autism and Brain Development

• Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Science and two other Research Groups:

• Neurohumanities

• Neuroimmunology and Glia

DUKE UNIVERSITY

Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, 308 Research Drive, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708

February 2018

DUKE INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN SCIENCES STRATEGIC PLAN 2018 – 2021

“BLUEPRINT FOR ADVANCING BRAIN SCIENCES AT DUKE”


6. Foster interdisciplinary undergraduate education.

Nine interdisciplinary projects involving faculty and students of all levels were supported by the Bass Connections program under the DIBS Brain & Society Theme. Six Duke undergraduates earned the Certificate in Decision Sciences administered through DIBS. We also helped match undergraduates with a variety of brain-related research opportunities, providing them with invaluable hands-on research experience in both lab and community settings. Many went on to present their work at academic conferences and via scientific publications in top-notch journals.

7. Explore partnerships with industry.

DIBS initiated collaborations with Duke’s Alumni, Development, and Career offices to discover appropriate industry partners with the goal of identifying and creating internship opportunities for students.

8. Promote development and fundraising.

One of our signature programs, the Research Incubator Award Program, was expanded thanks to generous gifts totaling $95,000 from members of the DIBS External Advisory Board. The Wrenn Trust provided travel funding for two graduate students and continued to support the Wrenn Graduate Fellowship, now in its second of three years. All three students are pursuing research related to Alzheimer’s Disease.

External Advisory Board members also supported research underway at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and in child and adolescent mental health:

• Drs. Andrea and Harry Stylli established the Stylli Translational Research Program, focused on biomarkers for autism.

• Stacy Coulter and James Barrett provided funding to increase synergy between the Duke Center for Autism and DIBS with a goal of enhancing public awareness of autism.

• Dr. Sonya Wakil’s gift provided funding for undergraduates pursuing research related to child and adolescent mental health, facilitating travel to an international meeting. •

Nine interdisciplinary projects involving faculty and students of all levels were supported by the Bass Connections program under the DIBS Brain & Society Theme.

“Health Humanities & Social Justice: Breath>Body> Voice” was the capstone conference for the Humanities Futures Initiative. Held Sept. 14-16, 2017, with support from the DIBS Neurohumanities Research Group, it brought together humanities and sciences experts.

B R E A T H > B O D Y > V O I C E

Catalyzing Collaborative Research

Enhancing the Incubator Research Awards Program

DIBS serves as a vital hub for researchers representing multiple disciplines related to neuroscience. A multi-pronged approach is used to catalyze innovative interdisciplinary neuroscience research, which includes two types of competitive seed funding programs for novel research grants, events and seminars that facilitate new research collaboration, support for interdisciplinary research working groups and centers, administrative and planning support for research grants, and collaboration with Duke leadership in developing and maintaining the state-of-the-science resources for advancing brain sciences at Duke.

In FY2018, the DIBS grants administrative team submitted proposals for new funding totaling $31 million. Awards of $15 million have been approved, including previous awards that are ongoing, plus newly awarded grants. Notably, faculty members from five departments in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, two departments from the Pratt School of Engineering, and 17 departments, divisions, and other administrative units from the School of Medicine are participating in DIBS-administered research awards.

2017-2018 witnessed several important changes to the DIBS Research Incubator Awards program. The awards provide seed funding to support interdisciplinary and collaborative brain science research within Duke for projects of exceptional innovation and broad significance to the field. The projects engage at least two faculty representing multiple fields or levels of analysis. They provide a successful and robust mechanism to bring together investigators from across the university whose individual programs of research are not already connected.

For the current year, DIBS awarded six Incubator Awards (three new and three renewal) for a total investment of $500,000. Eighty percent of this funding was supplied by the Duke University Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine. Twenty percent was provided by a generous gift from members of the DIBS External Advisory Board. Among this year’s program highlights:

• Due to the generosity of External Advisory Board members, we were able to increase from five to six the number of Research Incubator Awards given out. Award winners in 2017-2018 represented 12 different departments. (Please see sidebar, 2017–2018 Research Incubator Awardees, next page.)

• Significant enhancements were made to the review process, including a streamlined application process and more comprehensive and systematic review of applications.

• An outcome-tracking and assessment process was put in place, allowing DIBS to determine more precisely the award program’s return on investment. (Please see sidebar, DIBS Seed Grant Programs: Return on Investment, page 12.)

• DIBS continues to provide administrative grant support to faculty applying for external interdisciplinary neuroscience research funding so that our investments in seed funding can turn into robust new programs of research.


DIBS 14%

Biomedical Engineering 18% Cell Biology 4%

Medicine 5%

Neurobiology 5%

Ophthalmology 5%

Biochemistry 4%

Psychology & Neuroscience 9%

Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences 9%

Pediatrics 9%

Anesthesiology 9%

Electrical & Computer Engineering 9%

Incubator Awardees by Department, FY 2017-2018


Six interdisciplinary Duke faculty research teams received 2017-2018 Research Incubator Awards. Together, team members represented more than a dozen departments from the campus and the School of Medicine including Anesthesiology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Medicine, Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Both junior and senior faculty participate, as do postdoctoral fellows.

Biochemical and Structural Characterization of Inhibitors of TrkB SignalingDrs. James McNamara (Neurobiology), Pei Zhou (Biochemistry) and Robert Anthony Mook (Medicine). Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a potentially devastating form of human epilepsy for which there is no prevention or cure. A single seizure can disrupt the TrkB signaling pathway, which initiates a chain reaction contributing to full-on epilepsy. If we can inhibit this chain reaction, we can prevent a single seizure from becoming a devastating illness. This project will explore molecules that inhibit this chain reaction in hopes of identifying new means of preventing epilepsy.

Psychophysics-Guided Signal Processing for Retinal ProstheticsDrs. Sina Farsiu and Marc Sommer (Biomedical Engineering) and Lejla Vajzovic (Ophthalmology). A visual prosthesis, or “bionic eye,” has provided some visual function to patients who were completely blind prior to implantation. A small camera worn externally takes pictures, converts them to electronic

signals and transmits them to an implantable retinal prosthesis. The resulting image has limited resolution due to hardware-design issues, and improving it would require costly development and approval of new devices. This project seeks to improve image resolution through advanced software design, a non-invasive, cost-efficient method that could be adapted to improve the vision of patients with retinal prostheses.

Optimizing Cochlear Implant Sound Processor Configurations via Neural Response Properties to Improve Speech ComprehensionDrs. Tobias Overath (Psychology & Neuroscience), Josh Stohl and Leslie Collins (Electrical & Computer Engineering) and Michael Murias (DIBS). Nearly 1 million Americans are functionally deaf and an additional 400,000 are deaf in one ear. The cochlear implant is the most successful sensory prosthetic implant to help them regain hearing; about 500,000 people in the U.S. have the implants. For many, cochlear implants achieve near-perfect speech comprehension in ideal listening situations. For others, implants work less well, and adjustments require lengthy appointments. This project aims to optimize implant technology by recording neural impulses while the patient is listening to speech. Once neural responses are collected, they may be used to re-program the implant and enhance its performance, reducing the need for repeated adjustments and lengthy office appointments.

Bioelectronic Medicine and Cholinergic Regulation of Postoperative Cognitive DysfunctionDrs. Niccolò Terrando and Miles Berger (Anesthesiology), Warren Grill (Biomedical Engineering), Christina Williams (Psychology & Neuroscience), Chay Kuo (Cell Biology), William Wetsel (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences). Memory dysfunction is a common post-surgical complication and may last for several months, even years. We do not yet know why this decline occurs, and there is no effective medical treatment to prevent it. This project will identify cellular processes that may cause post-surgery memory deficits. (Please see sidebar, page 12.)

2017–2018 Research Incubator Awardees

Mechanisms of Increased Hippocampal Excitability in the D801N Knock-in Mouse Model of Na/K ATPase Dysfunction and Rescue with AAV-mediated Gene TherapyDrs. Mohamad Mikati (Pediatrics, Neurobiology), Dwight Koeberl (Pediatrics), Scott Moore (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences), William Wetsel (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences)Fifty percent of the energy consumed by brain cells is expended by a cellular pump called the sodium-potassium (chemical symbols: Na/K) ATPase pump. This pump, critical for maintaining the integrity and function of brain cells, may malfunction under stress associated with conditions such as epilepsy and stroke, and Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood. This severe disorder causes paralysis, spasms, and epileptic seizures. It is caused by a genetic mutation that codes for a protein in the pump. Using a mouse model with the disorder’s most common mutation, the team will investigate the cell circuitry regulating the pump mechanism and attempt to use gene therapy to correct the malfunction in the mouse model, which may lead to new therapies for children and adults with this disorder, epilepsy, and related conditions.

Building a Fiber-Integrated Microscope System for Two-Color Optogenetic Probing of Ensemble Activity in Freely Behaving AnimalsDrs. Yiyang Gong (Biomedical Engineering), Jinghao Lu, Fan Wang, and Diming Zhang (Neurobiology). To understand even basic brain function, we must be able to record the activity of many neurons at once. This project will use the techniques of optogenetics and optical engineering to allow researchers to see neurons while they are active and differentiate the signals they generate. The team has developed a mini-microscope that can visualize neurons in behaving mice. The next steps require creating the tools for differentiating multiple types of neurons interacting together. •

2017-2018 Research Incubator Awardees, continued

Incubator Awardees by School, 2013–2018

School of Medicine 64%

Trinity 19%

Pratt 11%

Law 2%

Other/DBS 4%

Incubator Awardees by School, FY 2017–2018

School of Medicine 50%

Trinity 9%

Pratt 27%

Law 0%

Other/DBS 14%


Creating a New Seed-Funding Program

Advocating for Neuroscience Research Needs

Based on feedback received during the DIBS Town Hall meetings and discussions during the strategic planning process, DIBS launched a new research funding mechanism in 2017-2018: the Research Germinator Awards. These awards are designed to support smaller, targeted requests for training, pilot data, salary and/or equipment that would facilitate new research and lead to new external funding. Projects are awarded up to a maximum of $25,000 (non-renewable) to support targeted investments that will catalyze a new program of research or collaboration and enhance chances of obtaining external funding.

In contrast to the Incubator Awards, these awards are open not only to faculty, but to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Full applications for the first round of these awards were received in June 2018, and response has been very enthusiastic. Awardees will be announced in January 2019.

The field of neuroscience continues to evolve rapidly, with Duke at the forefront of many of the newest technologies and most exciting areas of research: neuroengineering and neurotechnology, computational neuroscience, neuroimmunology, translational neuroscience, neurophilosophy, and decision sciences, including neuroeconomics. DIBS works closely with other related initiatives at Duke, including the Information Initiative at Duke, MedEx, and the neuroscience pillar of the Translating Duke Health Initiative.

DIBS leadership meets regularly with Duke’s Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and the School of Medicine’s Vice Dean for Basic Science to ensure alignment and coordination of efforts across the Duke campus. The DIBS Faculty Governance Committee, broadly representing the Duke neuroscience community, offers its collective expertise to help ensure Duke provides researchers with the highest quality tools, technologies, and data analytic platforms and methods related to brain science.

This year, a key priority, identified by the broader Duke faculty and the DIBS Faculty Governance Committee, is investing in Duke’s human neuroimaging capabilities. The Committee created a Neuroimaging Subcommittee, led by Drs. Alison Adcock and Scott Huettel, to work with other key stakeholders at Duke to develop and implement a phased approach to evaluating and ensuring continued access to state-of-the-science neuroimaging resources. Following a review of existing resources and needs, the Neuroimaging Subcommittee will work with Duke leadership to implement a plan for ensuring that Duke remains at the forefront in neuroimaging research. •

“External Advisory Board members were enthusiastic about all the research enabled by DIBS and understood the role their gifts could play in expanding this work. Investing in innovative, interdisciplinary neuroscience is a key

priority for the Board.”–Robert Penn, Chair, DIBS External Advisory Board

and member of the Duke Board of Trustees

Catalyzing Collaborative Research



Survey Shows 6-to-1 Return on Research Investment

This year, DIBS developed a method for assessing the return on investment in the DIBS seed grant program. It allows us to evaluate how well the program is achieving its goals of supporting projects that lead to external funding, advance science, and spark collaboration. We designed and implemented a survey methodology that queries Incubator award recipients who have completed their funding cycle in the past five years. The survey collects information regarding grants received from external sources that grew directly from the Incubator award, in addition to other outcomes, such as citations from peer-reviewed publications, trainees supported, media mentions, and any patents directly related to the awards.

The current analysis pertains to outcomes during the 2013-2017 period, based on the following three metrics:

• Amount of external follow-on funding received• Number of peer-reviewed research

publications and scientific presentations generated

• Number of collaborators involved, including trainees

For the 2013-2017 period, results showed that the

seed grant program has generated a greater than 6-to-1 return on investment, based solely on external funding received. The program also has resulted in 36 peer-reviewed publications and 52 conference presentations, plus 34 media mentions.

We were especially pleased to note that the program also enhanced collaboration and training in our community through support of 19 undergraduates, 9 graduate students, 19 post-doctoral fellows, and 15 research associates from many departments and schools acoss Duke. Fourteen of the trainees funded by these awards went on to receive training awards from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.

Because research outcomes take time to come to fruition, going forward, the survey will be repeated once a year for five years after each award has ended. This is the first year using this methodology to measure results. We anticipate that these numbers are likely to grow over time, as the more recent projects achieve their goals. We also anticipate greater diversity among departments and schools applying for and receiving grants, as we continue to communicate more broadly to faculty the program’s benefits and successes. •

Incubator Award Research Attracts New Funding

Through its Incubator Awards, DIBS has funded for two years the project, “Bioelectronic Medicine and Cholinergic Regulation of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction,” with investigators Niccolò Terrando (Anesthesiology), Warren Grill (Biomedical Engineering), Christina Williams (Psychology & Neuroscience), Chay Kuo (Cell Biology), and Miles Berger (Anesthesiology).

The team studies cognitive dysfunction, a common and troubling post-surgical complication. The phenomenon is not yet well-understood, and there is no effective medical treatment to prevent it. Using a mouse model, researchers have been identifying cellular processes that may cause post-surgery memory deficits, focusing on interactions between the nervous and immune systems.

The grant awardees believe the work could have a major impact on global health by reducing post-operative cognitive dysfunction. In 2018, their research attracted significant follow-on grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and resulted in publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Anesthesiology. The research also received national media attention via a Kaiser Health News article republished in the Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Science Magazine. •

For the 2013-2017 period, results showed that the seed grant program has generated a greater than 6-to-1 net return on investment, based solely on external funding received.

Where does human morality come from? What about empathy, free will, and perception? They all originate in the brain, says Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, PhD, influencing beliefs and behavior through the interplay of neurobiology, culture, environment, and genetics.

Sinnott-Armstrong, DIBS Faculty Network Member and Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in Philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics, is also core faculty in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN). He believes strongly that understanding these topics requires an interdisciplinary approach.

For the past three years, he and Philosophy/CCN colleague Felipe De Brigard, PhD, co-directed a unique program designed to bring together researchers who study those big questions.

De Brigard, also a DIBS Faculty Network Member, is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Duke, where he runs the Imagination and Modal Cognition Lab. His work lies squarely at the intersection of

philosophy and neuroscience.

“The goal of our Summer Seminars in Neuroscience

and Philosophy (SSNAP) has been to advance both fields by fostering mutual appreciation and collaboration,” Sinnott-Armstrong adds. The popular program, funded by The Templeton Foundation with support from Duke’s philosophy department and DIBS, has paired 10 neuroscientists and 10 philosophers each summer since 2016. They have learned about each other’s discipline, gathered for public seminars, and divided into teams to pursue a research project.

Through DIBS and Duke, he anticipates more collaboration between the sciences and humanities. “None of these accomplishments over the last three years would have been possible without the support of DIBS,” he added. •

Connecting Neuroscience, Philosophy to Address ‘Big Questions’


Felipe De Brigard, PhD, right, with SSNAP students.

“Although philosophers and neuroscientists use different methods, we study many of the same big questions about free will, morality, human nature, perception, memory, knowledge, and consciousness. Sadly, researchers in these disciplines rarely work together or even understand each other, yet each can inform their respective research significantly, so this isolation is unfortunate.”

–Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, PhD

Supporting Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience

Providing Exceptional Interdisciplinary Education

DIBS seeks to inspire our students to see themselves in a neuroscience-related career, such as medicine, or another career that is shaped by their knowledge and understanding of the brain. Our goal is to prepare them for what will be a competitive, complex, and diverse set of career pathways. The fact that the number of NIH trainees and fellows receiving PhDs in neuroscience has risen faster than any other field in the biomedical sciences in the U.S. underscores the need for targeted investments in neuroscience graduate education.1

Many factors have led to changes in how we need to approach education in neuroscience to best prepare our students for the future. These include (1) the increased number of fields now considered an integral part of neuroscience, such as engineering, mathematics, social sciences, law, and the humanities; (2) rapid development of new technologies and tools for studying the brain; (3) greater focus on interdisciplinary team-based science; (4) more opportunities for translation and commercialization of neuroscience-related discoveries, requiring knowledge of business, entrepreneurship, and industry; and (5) an increased need for strong communication skills, including the ability to convey information well to the general public, media, and policy makers.

There is also need for strategies to integrate learners from different disciplines, given the inherent interdisciplinary nature of the brain sciences. This is where DIBS plays an essential role. By supporting interdisciplinary education and professional development, DIBS offers students and fellows the ability to gain a working knowledge of diverse disciplines. These experiences often include a translational focus involving basic scientists, clinicians, and industry. Students and fellows learn the process by which basic science leads to development of diagnostic and treatment methods for disabling conditions that affect the brain. DIBS, with its interdisciplinary and collaborative mandate, is exceptionally well-suited to support and encourage learners at all levels.

Ten years ago, DIBS became the catalyst that created the undergraduate Neuroscience major in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. This undergraduate studies program—now one of the top 10 majors at Duke—includes management of BS and AB academic plans, as well as a minor and a certificate program in Decision Science. There were 78 neuroscience majors in the Class of 2018, with nearly half graduating with distinction.

After 10 years, we were pleased that the program had become large enough to benefit from a formal

departmental home in Trinity College. As such, DIBS partnered with colleagues in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (P&N), most of whom are members of the DIBS Faculty Network, to make this transition. Going forward, P&N will provide administrative management of the Neuroscience major itself, and DIBS will continue to play an important role in undergraduate Neuroscience, offering the following opportunities for Duke undergraduate students:

1 Akil, H., Balice-Gordon, R., Cardozo, DL, Koroshetz, W., Posey Norris, SM, Sherer, T., Sherman, SM, and Theils, E. Neuroscience training for the 21st Century. Neuron, 90, June 1, 2016.


DIBS faculty member Minna Ng, PhD, left, helps celebrate graduation.


Summer Neuroscience Program

Duke’s Summer Neuroscience Program is an 8-week program enabling undergraduate students to conduct full-time research to jump-start their senior theses, a component of graduating with distinction in the major. Students collaborate with their chosen faculty mentors to develop testable hypotheses and research plans. About 18 students are awarded the opportunity to participate each year. Full-time participants receive a $3,000 stipend, and mentors receive $1,000 toward research supplies and support.

This program allows undergraduates to interact with world-class faculty mentors, tackle complex, “real-world” challenges, and explore research career interests while participating in weekly professional development seminars.

DIBS continues its key role as the “clearinghouse” to connect interested students with research labs across the University and School of Medicine for independent study and senior thesis projects.

Bass Connections in Brain & Society

Bass Connections, a university-wide initiative launched through the generosity of Anne and Robert Bass, brings together Duke faculty and students to explore real-world issues in interdisciplinary research teams. It provides students with

greater exposure to inquiry across the disciplines, partnership with unlikely fellow thinkers, sustained mentorship in teams, and the chance to experience the intersections of the academy and the broader world.

DIBS oversees the Bass Brain & Society theme, which provides funding and administrative

DIBS Links Undergrads, Research, Faculty Mentors

As an athlete, Sarah Rapaport (T’18, Neuroscience) knows she is one serious injury away from being sidelined. She became a Neuroscience major, in part, because she understands that brain injuries among athletes and others are often among the most difficult and complex to treat.

Sarah’s interest in brain injuries led her to DIBS through the Bass Connections Brain & Society theme, then to Bradley Kolls, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at the Duke School of Medicine. The Kolls Lab, part of Duke’s Brain Injury Translational Research Center, studies the central nervous system’s complex response to injury. Their ultimate goal is to develop new therapies for patients with brain injuries.

“I studied neuroscience at Duke because of an interest in brain injuries. The opportunity to work in a brain injury lab and apply neuroscience in a real world setting has been incredibly rewarding. . . . I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of my lab, and think the experience will prepare me well for future careers and, I hope, a future in medicine.” •

Sarah Rapaport, T ’18, Neuroscience and SNP alumna

“I enjoy working with undergrads because they bring an excitement and enthusiasm to the lab and it provides an opportunity to help

others make decisions about their future and then reach those goals.”

–Bradley Kolls, MD, PhD, Duke Neurology

SNP Class of 2018

support for projects that use neuroscience-inspired discovery to help solve society’s most pressing problems. In 2017-2018, there were nine Brain & Society teams involving more than 50 learners at every level within the academic community:

• Exercise and Mental Health

• How to Build Ethics into Robust Artificial Intelligence

• Using Machine Learning to Generate Clinical Prediction Rules for Clinical Outcomes in Schizophrenia

• Privacy, Consumer EEG Devices and the Brain

• Exercise as a Therapy for Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

• Oculomotor Response as an Objective Assessment for Mild TBI in the Pediatric Population

• Patients’ Journey to Medication Adherence

• Stemming the Opiate Epidemic through Education and Outreach

• Interventions Improving Neurosurgery Patient Outcomes in Uganda

This theme also features interdisciplinary courses team-taught by DIBS faculty, such as “Music and the Brain,” “Neuroethics,” “Sex/Gender,” and “Nature/Nurture: Intersections of Biology and Society.”


Faculty Network Members Tobias Overath, PhD, left, and Scott Lindroth, PhD, introduce “Music and the Brain.”

Providing a ‘Home Base’ for Neuroscience Undergrads

DIBS continues to provide physical space to support Neuroscience undergraduates and to build community within the neuroscience and other academic programs. Six undergraduate courses involving more than 200 students are held annually in DIBS classrooms, and our learning and social spaces remain an important asset to undergraduate students throughout the academic year.

At the end of spring semester, DIBS honors Neuroscience students graduating with distinction with a community celebration and poster session showcasing their scientific achievements. This annual event attracts several hundred undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.


“External Advisory Board members were enthusiastic about all the research enabled by DIBS and understood the role their gifts could play in expanding this work. Investing in innovative, interdisciplinary in neuroscience is a key



Stemming the Opiate Epidemic through Education and Outreach

Bass Connections Brain & Society Team Daily news accounts report the rapidly growing number of deaths related to opioids, a class of drugs that includes heroin and fentanyl. In 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., claiming more than 60,000 lives. Opioid addiction is driving much of this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2015.

This team sought to explore the extent and magnitude of the opiate epidemic in Durham and the greater North Carolina community. Team members developed relationships with partners in advocacy, first responders, and the medical community to create initiatives that address the opioid crisis in Durham and North Carolina. Activities included:

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) & Community Outreach. The team partnered with Alliance Behavioral Healthcare to host three MHFA workshops for Duke undergraduate, medical, and nursing students. Attendees learned basic signs of mental health crisis and mental illness, and appropriate responses.

• Research on the Statewide Opiate Epidemic in N.C. Using publicly available data, the team investigated variations in the pattern of heroin mortality among North Carolina’s 100 counties. A research paper based on this analysis was published by the N.C. Medical Journal, resulting in significant attention from the news media and policymakers

• Expanding Naloxone Access in the Duke Emergency Department. The CDC recommends expanding access and use of naloxone, a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of opiates. The team worked to get approval from the Duke Hospital Emergency Department to alter standard practice regarding naloxone distribution to at-risk patients, prepared educational materials for patients and providers, and worked with ED staff to develop a distribution plan. •

“I’ve always been interested in mental health, and through this project I was able to learn a lot about substance use, addiction, and how policy affects treatment options. And this project for me is also a lot to do with social justice. Addiction is a disease and we have the resources to do something about it.”

–Erica Onuoha, T ’18, Biology, radio interview, WNCU-FM

From left: Erica Onuoha, with Bass Connections Opiate team faculty adviser Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, PhD, and fellow undergraduate team members Katie Kanter, Madeline Thornton, and Grace Feng.


During the DIBS Town Halls, many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows spoke about their need for greater support from and engagement with the broader neuroscience community. In 2017-2018, DIBS began strengthening its support of post-baccalaureate education and enhancing resources available to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

DIBS initiated a postdoctoral consortium during the spring semester and reinvigorated an existing graduate consortium. We began by inviting and expanding participation via a website sign-up, promoted through advertising, email, and social media. Exciting new activities have begun, as described below.

Academic & Research Programs

Research on the brain spans many levels, from molecules to behavior, and touches on many different fields of inquiry. Graduate students interested in neuroscience may work with faculty mentors by enrolling in one of several different PhD programs, depending on their precise interests. The different programs focus on different levels of analysis of the nervous system, ranging from cellular and molecular to systems to cognitive and behavioral approaches. Training is coordinated and involves an overlapping set of coursework as well as common social events, colloquia, and retreats open to all students.


Strengthening Graduate & Postdoctoral Education


“I came to grad school straight from undergrad, and as I didn’t major in psychology or neuroscience, I had

little idea which subarea in cognitive neuroscience I wanted to specialize in. I found CNAP and it immediately became my first choice for grad school. I loved how interdisciplinary it was. I could continue pursuing my interests in math and computer science while doing cog neuro. Once I got here, I found even more benefits: because of the rotation structure and the close community, it was easy to join two labs and work with two advisors. I’m now doing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of affective neuroscience,

memory, and philosophy.”–Natasha Parikh, CNAP student

The Neuroscience graduate program at Duke is organized in a flexible fashion designed to educate the next generation of neuroscientists at the cutting edge, poised to discover new and exciting aspects of brain function. The following DIBS programs are designed to provide exceptional, immersive experiences for graduate students in the neurosciences:

• Cognitive Neuroscience Admitting Program(CNAP). CNAP is a unique program thatallows neuroscience graduate students toparticipate in an interdisciplinary educationalexperience involving multiple departmentsand outstanding faculty teachers and mentors.A key feature of the program is that after twoyears of course work and laboratory rotations,students then select a primary department and

Mai-Anh Vu, PhD, right, a CNAP alumna, received her doctoral degree in Neurobiology from Duke in May 2018. She received The Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in March 2018.

FY17 Annual Report 19FY18 Annual Report 19

Samantha Bouchal, a rising Neuroscience senior, was one of three Duke students named 2018 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. She and her Duke

classmates were among 211 awardees selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,280 mathematics, science, and engineering students nominated by the institutional representatives of 455 colleges and universities nationwide. Scholars generally intend to obtain a PhD as their degree objective.

Deeksha Mahotra, a graduating senior and Neuroscience major, was selected to give the student address at Commencement through a competitive process involving submissions from both undergraduate and

graduate students. She focused her remarks on education—and not just what students have learned, but rather what remains to be learned, adding that “every scientist’s livelihood depends on the existence of unanswered questions.”

Meghana Vagwala, also a graduating senior, was one of three Duke students awarded a prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Vagwala designed her own major at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and anthropology,

enjoying the opportunity to, “…interweave my feminist ethos, love of stories, and curiosity about the workings of the human brain.” She plans to study medical anthropology at the University of Edinburgh and global mental health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. •

Neuroscience Undergraduates Recognized for Excellence

two advisors who have expertise in different sub-disciplines related to their area of interest. CNAP also offers a rich environment for training and research, with fMRI, EEG laboratories, and extensive facilities for psychophysical studies in humans, as well as behavioral and physiological studies in non-human primates and rodents. In 2017-2018, 27 graduate students participated in CNAP.

• Annual Neuroscience Bootcamp.“Bootcamp” is a two-week immersive lecture,discussion, and laboratory course for graduatestudents in the Neurobiology GraduateProgram and the Cognitive NeuroscienceAdmitting Program. The course, held at thebeginning of the academic year, is also opento graduate students in allied programs. Theprogram provides a common knowledgebase of neuroscience fundamentals; hands-on experience with techniques commonlyused to explore cellular/molecular, circuits,systems, and cognitive neuroscience; and anintroduction to a wide variety of Duke facultyand helpful resources for ensuring a successfulgraduate career. The 2017 NeuroscienceBoot Camp had 19 participants, from CNAP,Neurobiology, the Medical Scientist TrainingProgram, Psychology & Neuroscience, andNursing.

• Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience. Thisprogram makes education in the neurosciencesavailable to students from any doctoralprogram on campus. Students must completea year of didactic coursework and a year ofattendance at journal clubs and seminars incognitive neuroscience. A public lecture is alsorequired for completion. For 2017-2018, 19Students enrolled in the certificate program,from Nursing, Psychology, Neurobiology,Philosophy, and Music.

Enhanced Resources & Communication

Also in 2017-2018, DIBS began enhancing resources and communications to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows through several programs:

• DIBS Graduate Consortium. This grouprepresents graduate students from acrosscampus who have an interest in the brain

“External Advisory Board members were enthusiastic about all the research enabled by DIBS and understood the role their gifts could play in expanding this work. Investing in innovative, interdisciplinary in neuroscience is a key




MOOCs: Taking Neuroscience Outside the Classroom

Duke contributes to neuroscience education beyond campus through MOOCs—Massive Open Online Courses, via Coursera—which allow DIBS and other Duke faculty to reach adult learners around the world. One of the most popular and highly rated of the 67 Duke MOOCs is “Medical Neuroscience,” taught by Leonard White, PhD, Associate Director for Education at DIBS and Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience.

A passionate, award-winning teacher, White finds fascinating the personal stories of those taking the Medical Neuroscience MOOC. He believes these online courses, “redefine what education and impact mean for a university.” Last year, Medical Neuroscience was again designated a “Top 50 MOOC of All Time” by Class Central from among 8,000+ courses reviewed from about 750 universities worldwide. •

“Dr. Len White is a brilliant teacher. His subject is difficult but his tutelage is thorough. . . . His pedagogy sets a standard and is demanding but oh so rewarding.”

–MOOC participant, who gavethe course a five-star rating

Leonard White, PhD, receives high marks for teaching adult learners, whether they are in the Brain Lab at DIBS or participating with thousands of others in his popular MOOC, “Medical Neuroscience.”

Other DIBS Faculty Network Members teaching MOOCs in the past year:

• Roger Barr —“Bioelectricity: A QuantitativeApproach” and “Bioelectricity: TheMechanism of Origin of ExtracellularPotentials”

• Brian Hare —“Dog Emotion and Cognition”• Jennifer Groh —“The Brain and Space”• Dale Purves —“Visual Perception and the

Brain” and “Music as Biology: What We Liketo Hear and Why”

• Guillermo Sapiro —”Image and VideoProcessing: From Mars to Hollywood with a Stop at the Hospital”

• Jana Schaich-Borg —”Data Visualization and Communication with Tableau”

• Walter Sinnott-Armstrong —”Think Again,parts I–IV: How to Understand Arguments, How to Reason Deductively, How to Reason Inductively and How to Avoid Fallacies”



“When applying for graduate school, I was always more interested in rotation programs, given my broad interests

in emotion, cognition, and memory interactions. I was especially drawn to the collaborative environment at the CCN. During my first year, CNAP has definitely been a very helpful and fulfilling experience. It has provided me with the opportunity to experience a wide range of research projects and challenged me to think of novel ways to

collaborate across labs.”–Leonard Faul, CNAP student

sciences. In 2017-2018, the group was re-energized and DIBS assisted in recruiting new members, which now total more than 200. The group retains its focus on research, but now also examines a broader range of issues of interest to graduate students, such as career planning and stress management. An expanded email list was created to facilitate communications among graduate students from all departments and disciplines, and website updates are underway.

• DIBS Postdoctoral Consortium. DIBS has worked with postdoctoral fellows to initiate a group focused on their research and professional interests. The group, with nearly 175 members, held its inaugural meeting during spring semester. It has begun plans for a research works-in-progress series and improved opportunities to network with visiting scholars and connect with DIBS postdoctoral alumni. A Consortium subgroup has been working with DIBS staff to enhance information available on the DIBS website to help postdocs and their families connect to the broader Duke and Durham communities.

• Public Engagement Opportunities. DIBS supports many opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to get involved with interdisciplinary activities on and off campus, including:

• Bass Connections. Graduate students and postdocs, along with undergraduates, participate each year in projects under the Bass Connections Brain & Society theme. This university-wide, interdisciplinary program brings together Duke faculty and students from all levels to explore real-world issues in interdisciplinary research teams. (Please see Page 16 for a list of the 2017-2018 Brain & Society teams.)

• Outreach Activities. Graduate students and postdocs participate in many DIBS public activities and events, including DIBS Discovery Day, interdisciplinary seminars and symposia, and external speaking and teaching engagements. (Please see Page 28, in the Engagement section, for more about these activities.) •

Anthony Fuller, MD, right, describes the work done by the Bass Connections Brain & Society team, “Interventions Improving Neurosurgery Patient Outcomes in Uganda,” during DIBS Discovery Day. Dr. Fuller, who led the team in 2017-2018, is now an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery in the Duke School of Medicine.

Campus Engagement: Building Brain-Science Bridges at Duke

Duke researchers are experts in the full range of neuroscience inquiry, from understanding basic mechanisms to the application of brain sciences, from addressing major public health challenges to collaborations involving the arts and humanities.

One of the main requests from the DIBS Town Halls was to provide more and better networking opportunities around shared, interdisciplinary interests. In 2017-2018, as part of its new Strategic Plan, DIBS has embraced and enhanced that role to support the broader neuroscience community.

Creating Social Networks the Old-Fashioned Way: In Person What makes DIBS special is our ability to bring people together—to provide opportunities to connect in person. We do that through logistical and financial support for many activities, both within the DIBS Cube and at other campus locations.

In 2017-2018, DIBS Faculty Network Members, students, fellows, and staff supported more than 120 seminars, colloquia, symposia, lab meetings, Career Services presentations, and networking and special events, attracting more than 2,000 faculty and students. We also hold regular classes in our space. We offer presenters:

• A welcoming, flexible, meeting space. The DIBS Cube contains a large lecture hall, flexible meeting rooms and work spaces, as well as two teaching labs.

• Event-planning assistance. DIBS staff are able to advise and provide logistical support for meetings of all sizes, from small classes to large symposia.

• Publicity for DIBS-sponsored and other neuroscience-related events. DIBS maintains regular contact with an engaged community of scholars through appropriate communication channels to ensure maximum inclusion and awareness of brain-related events and news.

Fostering Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Centers, Research GroupsDIBS supports a number research communities united by interest areas within the brain sciences and co-convened by faculty from a wide variety of departments. We sponsor four Centers and three Research Groups, which are composed of faculty, postdocs, students, and staff. Each has developed a vibrant program that promotes research, education, and outreach addressing both fundamental and translational issues.

In 2017-2018, these groups and Centers collectively hosted more than 100 distinguished speakers from several dozen nationally and internationally known



Building Brain-Science Bridges at Duke

research institutions. These programs also foster student research engagement through journal clubs, where students read and discuss recent neuroscience publications; and faculty/student interaction through annual retreats and other events. DIBS provides funding and logistical support for many of these activities.

• Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN). The CCN focuses on research, education, and training in the psychological, computational, and biological mechanisms of higher mental function. CCN faculty examine the variability in these mechanisms among individuals, across the lifespan, and between species. They also explore application of these mechanisms to real-world problems; and their dissolution in disease and mental disorders. Interests include perception, attention, memory, language, emotion, decision-making, social interaction, morality, motor control, executive function, and the evolution and development of mental processes.

During 2017-2018, CCN hosted a robust colloquium series and a successful annual retreat. The Center also is organizing sponsor of the inaugural Smokies Cognition and Neuroscience Symposium (SCANS), for September 2018 in Asheville, N.C. Co-sponsors are Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University.

• Center on Addiction and Behavior Change (CABC). The CABC aims to translate basic research advances in brain and behavioral science into effective prevention, early intervention and treatment of addiction and other behavior disorders. CABC convenes regular seminars in fall and spring semesters, plus an annual symposium. During 2017-2018, seminars addressed approaches to understanding and successfully combating drug addiction, from basic neurobehavioral research to clinical and policy efforts. CABC also hosted a 2018 symposium, “Tackling the Final Few: Bringing Light Smokers to Cessation,” which brought together scholars from Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, plus the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh.

• Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. The Duke Center for Autism has been designated as a National Institutes of Health Autism Center of Excellence and received substantial funding for research on autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This $12 million, five-year program funds studies that seek to improve the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and

“Everyone enjoyed hearing talks from postdocs and graduate students and learning about what others in the community are actively working on in

their own labs.”–Greg Samanez-Larkin, PhD,

CCN annual retreat organizer

treatment of young children with autism and/or ADHD, a comorbidity that is prevalent but not well understood. The research program is a collaboration among researchers across the Duke campus, involving the disciplines of psychology, psychiatry, pediatrics, neuroscience, engineering, computer science, biostatistics and bioinformatics, and public policy. The Center also leads several clinical trials evaluating novel treatments for autism. The Center is also part of an NIH-funded national consortium that focuses on precision medicine for autism and is validating DNA, EEG, and eye-tracking biomarkers for use in pharmalogical and behavioral trials for children with autism. This year, the Duke Center for Autism opened the hospital-supported Duke Autism Clinic, allowing greater access to assessment, diagnostic, and treatment services for infants through young adults with autism. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. The Center has continued its mission of community outreach, engagement, and partnership by sponsoring events designed to connect with persons on the autism spectrum, research participants, families, and the community at large. These have included a public lecture by Dr. Roy Richard Grinker, an anthropologist and father of a daughter on the

autism spectrum, who spoke as part of Autism Awareness Month, and an annual sports clinic for children with autism. Baseball Bonanza, conducted with the Duke baseball team, gave more than 50 children the opportunity to practice skills. Representatives from the Center also attended DIBS Discovery Day to share research techniques with children and families from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages.

• Duke Center for Interdisciplinary DecisionScience (D-CIDES). D-CIDES brings Duke’sdiverse strengths in the decision sciences intoa single community for programs, education,and new research collaborations. Affiliatedresearchers study behavioral economics,judgment and decision-making, marketing,neuroeconomics, medical decision-making,and addiction. It is affiliated with DIBS andthe Social Science Research Institute. In2017-2018, D-CIDES awarded its first sixCertificates in Decision Science to graduatingundergraduates. The certificate programpromotes interdisciplinary study of how humansmake decisions in a variety of contexts.

• The Center for Neural Engineering andNeurotechnology is the result of a new DIBSpartnership with the Department of BiomedicalEngineering. It will be led by Warren Grill,PhD, Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Professor ofBiomedical Engineering, a member of the DIBSFaculty Governance Committee and the DIBSFaculty Network.

Research Groups

• Cognitive, Auditory & Neural Bases ofLanguage & Speech Group (CNBLS) —CNBLSexplores in depth the many aspects thatcontribute to our unique ability to generateand communicate via language and speech.Members share ongoing research and inspirecollaborations across campus, combining thedifferent research approaches representedin the group (developmental, clinical,neuroimaging, engineering, etc.) to push ourunderstanding of the bases of language andspeech.


Campus Engagement

• Neurohumanities Research Group—TheNeurohumanities Research Group bringshumanists and neuroscientists into dialogueon issues that concern both groups equally butare typically researched and taught in differentways. This group capitalizes on Duke’s strengthsin humanities and the neurosciences to developa common language of discourse, generate newresearch questions, and create new educationalinitiatives exploring this frontier. This past year,there have been formative academic and publiclectures, events, and symposia showcasingthe innovative and creative research andscholarship being pursued by groups membersand affiliated co-sponsors, including the JohnHope Franklin Humanities Institute and theHealth Humanities Lab. Highlights include:

• “Health Humanities and Social Justice:Breath > Body > Voice”, the HumanitiesFutures Initiative’s capstone conference(Sept. 14-16, 2017), including a special artexhibit by visiting Columbian artist andsurgeon, Libia Posada, “Be Patient: The Artof Medical Engagement” (“Se Paciente: Elarte de la medicina”) and a work created atDuke inspired by Dr. Posada’s introductionto DIBS.

• The collaborative visit by engineer andcognitive neuroscientist Jose Contreras-Vidal, University of Houston, and visualartist Dario Robleto, who presented talkson “Museum as Laboratory: Neurosciencein the Public Sphere” and “A Dream, AsFaithful As A Flame” at Duke UniversityHospital and the Nasher Museum of Art.

• “Exploring the Dualities of Beauty/Horrorand Empathy/Violence in the HumanBrain”, a panel co-lead by DIBS AssociateDirector for Education Leonard E. Whiteat the International Health HumanitiesConsortium Conference (StanfordUniversity).

• Neuroimmunology & Glia Group (NGG)—The NGG explores the vital role immunemolecules play within the brain in normalprocesses including sleep, metabolism, learning,and memory. The group also investigates howglia, astrocytes, and microglia have a critical rolein shaping brain development, plasticity, andbehavioral outcomes throughout the lifespan.In 2017-2018, NGG held its 5th Annual Retreat,organized primarily by Duke graduate studentsand postdocs, and attended by nearly100scientists from Duke and UNC campuses. Theevent was tweeted live with its own hashtag,#GliaCamp.

Encouraging Engagement through Multi-Disciplinary SymposiaThe DIBS Faculty Network spans basic and clinical science, social sciences, engineering, the law, the arts, and humanities. As such, we are able to co-sponsor, through funding and in-kind support, a variety of interdisciplinary events that by their nature do not “belong” to one discipline or department—and might not occur without DIBS support. These events then spur follow-on activities such as study groups and research projects, multiplying the initial DIBS investment and reach.

Major events in 2017-2018 included:

• “Exercise and the Brain,” an interdisciplinarysymposium attracting 225 professionals whogathered at Duke to learn more about howphysical exercise has emerged as a powerfulstrategy for promoting and maintaining brainhealth and resilience. A working group wasformed after the event and plans to address thetopic further in FY19.


• “Tackling the Final Few: Bringing LightSmokers to Cessation.” The Center forAddiction and Behavior Change (CABC)and the Duke Cancer Institute hosted thissymposium to bring together basic, clinical,and public health researchers to addressthe important, yet often overlooked, publichealth issue of light smoking. Speakersfocused on topics such as dependence andtreatment, tobacco-related health disparitiesamong African-Americans and Latinos, anddifferential effects of nicotine administrationin rats.

• “Summer School in Social Neuroscienceand Neuroeconomics.” In June 2018,DIBS and the Scientific Research Networkon Decision Neuroscience and Aging, co-founded by DIBS Faculty Network MemberGregory Samanez-Larkin, PhD, co-sponsoredthis multidisciplinary program. Fourteenfaculty member instructors and 40 graduatestudent, postdoctoral, and junior facultyattendees from across the country met todiscuss topics such as Social Perception andJudgment, Social Cognition, and Decision Making. •


Increasing Diversity & Inclusion in the Neurosciences at Duke

DIBS serves a large and diverse group of Duke faculty and students. During 2017-2018, we began increasing our support for seminars and symposia on timely topics relevant to increasing diversity and translating that diversity into authentic inclusion in neuroscience, as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Among those activities:

• Encouraging and publicizing a grassrootseffort led by junior faculty and postdoctoralfellows to discuss gender-equity issues in theDuke neuroscience community. Several sessionswere held during the spring semester.

• Supporting a successful funding proposalto the Duke Office for Faculty Advancement topursue equity issues more formally, resultingin a $20,000 Faculty Advancement Seed Grant,“Inclusion and Power Dynamics in Academia.”Planning is underway for programming duringthe 2018-2019 academic year. (Please seesidebar, “Understanding Power & Gender inAcademia.”)

• Publicizing to the DIBS community researchsymposia focused on women andunderrepresented minorities:

• 2018 Annual Symposium hosted by Duke’sWomen in Science and Engineering, “STEMEquity and Access: Increasing Diversity inSenior Positions in Academia and Beyond.”

• The inaugural “Women of Color ResearchNetwork Annual Symposium,” at theNational Institutes of Environmental Health,in Research Triangle Park.

As an important part of its enhanced commitment to graduate students and postdocs, DIBS is also taking a deliberate, broader, and more inclusive approach to programming. •

Tweet from Rosa Li, PhD: “Great that @DukeBrain is sponsoring a discussion (feat. @JMGrohNeuro,

@Gregory RSL, @kat_heller & others) on gender and power dynamics in #academia. Hope other institutions can take note and do the same!”

Campus Engagement

For the 2013-2017 period, results showed that the seed grant program has generated a greater than 6-to-1 net return on investment, based solely on external funding received.

The #MeToo movement was much in the news in 2018, and brain science-related departments in some peer academic institutions confronted allegations of sexual harassment and gender inequity. Such highly publicized negative incidents at other elite universities led a group of DIBS graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to wonder whether something similar could happen at Duke. They reached out to DIBS leadership seeking support for an initial panel discussion.

DIBS worked with the group to publicize the lunchtime event and provided refreshments. The resulting standing-room-only crowd listened to panel members talk about issues related to gender and power dynamics, and a planned one-hour conversation stretched to two. Questions and discussion about gender and sexual harassment quickly expanded to all forms of harassment. Several excellent, answerable questions arose from the conversation, namely:

• If something like this were reported to me,what should I do about it? How would Dukehelp?

• How do we deal with “gray area” situations?

• Just what ARE the rules about how to interactwith those different from me?

• How can I correct mistakes in my ownbehavior, once I realize them?

• How can we all work together to create ahealthier environment?

From this conversation, a planning committee was formed, including Assistant Professor Kathryn Dickerson, Postdoctoral Fellow Shabnam Hakimi, Melissa Segal, Administrator in the Neurobiology Department, and DIBS COO Nicole Schramm-Sapyta. This group visited leadership on campus, including the Vice Dean for Faculty in the School of Medicine; the Office of Institutional Equity; and the Office for Faculty Development, among others; identified on- and off-campus training resources, and began planning.

The planning committee then applied for and were awarded a grant from the Duke Office of Faculty Development to host a six-part series on these topics, specifically focusing on the power dynamics in a research environment and the challenges created therein. Together with the Office of Faculty Development in the School of Medicine, DIBS will sponsor a series of talks, “Inclusion and Power Dynamics in Academia,” focusing on ally training, difficult conversations, resources to combat various forms of harassment, and support for a healthy, inclusive environment. Presenters will include an interactive acting troupe, an executive coach, and Duke leaders.

Using the DIBS platform, the events will be publicized to colleagues across the campus and medical school. We are excited to see how this conversation will continue, and what novel resources will emerge from this series. DIBS is pleased to be taking intentional steps along the path toward a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. •

Understanding Power & Gender in Academia


“We believe that DIBS is an ideal place for this objective given that it is uniquely situated as an umbrella uniting several departments including Neurobiology, Neurology, Psychology & Neuroscience, Engineering, Pharmacology, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and Philosophy, as well as brain-science interested scholars from all across the university.”

–from proposal to Duke Officefor Faculty Achievement

Community Engagement: Inspiring, Learning from Community Stakeholders

The positive impact of efforts on the local community, around the state, and across the globe is determined largely by our relationships with a wide range of community partners, including patients, research participants, educators, policymakers, and industry and government leaders, among others. In Durham, Duke is embedded in a geographic and cultural context that can enrich our science and increase the impact of the work we do. Partnership with our local community implies a dynamic, two-way communication between scientists and the public. Thus, DIBS supports a range of activities that will allow us to communicate scientific findings in a meaningful way that leads to action and community service, and informs our research focus and approach.

Bringing Faculty & Students to the Community Outreach activities support our goal of increasing diversity among neuroscientists by exposing students from diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds to neuroscience at a young age, demystifying brain science, and providing role models for young people. Such activities will also provide faculty, students, and trainees opportunities to learn how to effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders, a skill that is increasingly recognized as important for success in the field of neuroscience.

In 2017-2018, DIBS faculty and students reached out through many different venues:

• At the United Nations. Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and Chair of the

DIBS Faculty Governance Committee, participated in the United Nations observance of World Autism Awareness Day.

One of the biggest changes in the annual event over the past decade, Dr. Dawson observed, is that, “now the event is led by persons with autism, that is, autism self-advocates,” pointing to the keynote address by Julia Bascom, Executive Director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and a person on the autism spectrum.

• In Washington, D.C. In October, DIBS COO Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, Ph.D., traveled to the nation’s capital to join others in providing

policymakers with the latest science around opioid addiction. She also participated in a video produced by Duke: “The Opioid Epidemic: Will the Federal Response Get It Right?”

• In a Durham first-grade class. Rosa Li, PhD, a DIBS postdoctoral fellow, and Charlie Giattino, a graduate student, are collaborating on a K-12 neuroscience curriculum. They got to test their materials and teaching strategies when a Durham first-grade teacher requested a visit to her classroom. There, they engaged a dozen youngsters through hands-on activities such as making neurons out of pipe cleaners and touching an animal brain.

• In the Durham Public Schools, through the School of Medicine’s “Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology (BOOST) program. DIBS faculty, with medical students, neuroscience majors, and neurology residents, led several hands-on workshops with children and their science teachers from several under-resourced schools. BOOST provides regular science enrichment activities and mentoring.



• In Raleigh, through Science Cafes at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Four DIBS Faculty Network Members and one postdoctoral fellow gave presentations on current neuroscience topics during the museum’s community-focused Science Café, a free evening program held several times a month. (Please see sidebar for more information about DIBS presentations.)

• Through the Triangle Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. DIBS faculty participate in this group’s events, including the annual meeting, which DIBS also helps publicize.

• Through the N.C. Science Festival. The statewide Festival sponsors and publicizes public events throughout the year, including DIBS Discovery Day. In turn, DIBS helps promote relevant Science Festival Events.

Bringing the Community to Campus Each year, DIBS hosts and co-sponsors many events open to the public and designed to inform people about the vital neuroscience research and education activities at Duke. They include:

• DIBS Discovery Day. More than 450 children and adults of all ages attended the 2018 Discovery Day at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Youngsters crowded around tables featuring preserved brains and brain slices, eager to touch an actual human brain. The event fuels the DIBS education mission, as well as community outreach.

Partnering with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, DIBS co-sponsored “Mazes & Brain Games,” a featured exhibition, Jan. 20 to Sept. 3, 2018. Thousands of visitors “teased” their brains with illusions, tricky mirrors, puzzles, and riddles and watched as Animal Ambassadors—rats, in this case—demonstrated the important role of the species in spatial learning and memory research;

Also through the Museum this year, DIBS faculty and postdoctoral fellows presented their work during five evening Science Cafés. Cafés are held several times a month, each attended by about 90 people, and live-streamed. The videos are then made available for viewing via the Museum’s YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/user/ncnaturalsciences/videos. DIBS topics and speakers:

• Who Needs a Driver? Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Department of Philosophy; Jana Schaich Borg, PhD, Assistant Research Professor in the Social Science Research Institute; and Vincent Conitzer, PhD, Kimberly J. Jenkins University Professor of New Technologies, Computer Science.

• Drug Addiction: From the Brain to Society and Back, Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Practice and DIBS Chief Operating Officer

• Morality and the Brain, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, PhD

• Brains Know Better, John Pearson, PhD, Assistant Research Professor, DIBS

• Self-Control and the Brain, Nikki Sullivan, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, DIBS Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (video screenshot of her presentation, above)

Partnering with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

Graduate students helped people learn how the brain accommodates changes in vision, using special goggles and bean bags to throw at targets. Others explained how neural impulses cause movement in a cricket’s leg, and how looking through a microscope can help understand various parts of nerve cells in the brain. Many attendees sported cardboard brain “hats,” put together with the help of students, while younger visitors enjoyed the coloring corner or exploring colorful slides through microscopes. Bass Connections Brain & Society teams, including students and faculty, exhibited their findings for the year. Projects included work in Uganda to improve neurosurgery patient outcomes; the challenge of engineering human morality into artificial intelligence; how to tell medicines from candy; what changes in eye movements may indicate early traumatic brain injuries; and how exercise can improve mental health and cognition. The event was co-sponsored by the Duke A+ Study, NIH Autism Center of Excellence, at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, which brought interactive computer equipment to help attendees understand communications challenges experienced by those on the autism spectrum.

• State and Research University Partnerships in the Opioid Crisis. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners gathered at Duke May 1 to discuss how to strengthen working relationships and share evidence-based programs addressing the U.S. opioid crisis. The event was organized by Duke Policy Bridge, part of the Sanford School of Public Policy, and the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management. Dr. Susan Kansagra, Section Chief of Chronic Disease and Injury for the N.C. Division of Public Health, described the event as, “a great opportunity to get people in a room who wouldn’t ordinarily meet.” Event co-sponsors were Scholars Strategy Network, North Carolina; and UNC’s School of Government, ncIMPACT.

• “Shadow & Camouflage: Mental Illness, Psychiatry, & the Decline of Stigma in Autism.” The Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, DIBS, and the Duke Department of Cultural Anthropology observed National Autism Awareness Month on April 12 with a public lecture by Roy Richard Grinker, Professor of Anthropology, International Affairs, and Human Sciences at The George Washington University. Nearly 200 faculty, students, trainees, and members of the autism community attended. Dr. Grinker, the father of an adult daughter on the autism spectrum, offered cross-cultural and historical perspectives on the concept of stigma.

• NAMI-Duke, Durham chapters. DIBS works with the campus and local chapters of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, helping promote events on campus and providing speakers to local chapters.

Tweet from N.C. Science Festival Director Jonathan Frederick, who attended DIBS Discovery Day: “Thank you, @dukebrain. Perfect mix of access to science spaces, science experts and innovative activities!”

Community Engagement

Roy Richard Grinker, PhD


Inspiring, Learning from Community Stakeholders

Sharing Brain Science through Media & CommentaryAs we learn more about how to promote brain health and how to thrive in the face of challenging conditions that affect the brain, we have an obligation to communicate this information to the local and broader community. The interdisciplinary nature of the DIBS Faculty Network, members’ robust research productivity, and their strong commitment to helping interpret scientific news for the broader public ensured coverage via hundreds of news reports, magazines, and online posts addressing neuroscience news. We have been especially active on Twitter, widely used by faculty and students, and have continued our Facebook presence.

R. Alison Adcock, MD, PhD, Duke, and Yael Niv, PhD, Princeton, co-wrote an op-ed for The Hill, a widely read public policy and politics website. “Policy shouldn’t rely on economic theory, but on data about actual human behavior.” The authors emphasized the importance of considering data on human behavior and decision-making, rather than economic theory alone, as Congress was reviewing a tax overhaul bill.

“In neuro-economics, a branch of neuroscience, we model how the brain makes decisions. Models are evaluated by their ability to predict real behavior, as measured through experiments, rather than behavior that should be true because it makes sense.”

Adcock, a DIBS Faculty Network Member, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Core Faculty Member, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience.

R. Alison Adcock, MD, PhD


TWEETS

157,029Impressions

329POSTS

28,726Users reached

48CNNReuters

New York TimesTimes of India

Kaiser Health News

The News & Observer of Raleigh

Durham Herald-Sun

Washington PostScientific American

AtlanticWRAL-TV

WTVD-TV

WUNC-FMChronicle of Higher Education

N.C. Medical Journal

Nature NeurosciencePsychology Today (blog)

ForbesAdvances in Neuroscience

KABC-TV (Los Angeles)

Science MagazineAmerican Scientist

Gaston (N.C.) Gazette

WECT-TV (Wilmington, N.C.)

Boston GlobePractical Ethics (blog)

DIBS Coverage in News Reports, Magazines, and Online Posts

Philanthropy: Attracting Support for DIBS Activities

In 2017-2018, DIBS received vital funding support from our External Advisory Board and Development assistance through Duke’s Office of University Development. Among other activities, this year’s support allowed DIBS to:


• Give an additional, sixth, Research Incubator Award.

• Hold the April 12 Autism Awareness Month event with Dr. Roy Richard Grinker, anthropologist and father of a daughter on the autism spectrum.

• Continue to support Yixin Ma, the inaugural Wrenn Graduate Fellow in Alzheimer’s Disease Research, and her clinical research project. The three-year fellowship, awarded in 2017, is made possible through the generosity of the Wrenn Trust, named for Duke alumna Karen L. Wrenn, who died of Alzheimer’s Disease. Ma, a PhD graduate student in the Duke Medical Physics Program, received the award to support work focused on identifying neuroimaging biomarkers for disease detection at the very early stage. Ma began her dissertation project this fall under the direction of Jeffrey Petrella, MD, Duke Professor of Radiology. Together with clinical and technical development teams, Ma hopes to develop innovative ultrahigh-resolution diffusion MRI methods to detect and characterize early microstructural brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. The Wrenn Trust also has funded travel awards, allowing DIBS graduate students to travel to the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting and other research symposia.

Members of the DIBS External Advisory Board during a May 2018 meeting

In 2017-2018, DIBS received vital funding support from our External Advisory Board and Development assistance through Duke’s Office of University Development.

• Expanding seed-grant funding. We will continue to grow our Incubator and Germinator Research awards program, and broaden the academic diversity of the applicant pool.

• Supporting Duke faculty-initiated workshops and colloquia. In late June 2018, we put out a call for faculty-initiated workshops and colloquia, and are reviewing ideas submitted. We anticipate an additional two to three events will result.

• Hosting the inaugural Duke Distinguished Lecture Symposium. On February 20, 2019, DIBS will host “From Brain Circuits to Behavior: How Technology is Transforming the Science of Mental Health.” Three faculty members will present TED-style talks on their research and there will be a poster symposium for graduate/medical students and postdoctoral fellows. Keynote speaker will be Joshua Gordon, Director, National Institute of Mental Health.

• Expanding activities with industry partners. We have begun discussions with Duke’s alumni, development, and career offices to assist our students and postdocs with internships, career advice, and networking.

• Enhancing resources for our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Plans are underway for more social events, a lecture series, and career workshops, as

well as website improvements and other activities designed to support these vital communities.

• Continuing the conversation about diversity in academia. DIBS will host a six-part series, “Inclusion and Power Dynamics in Academia,” in 2018-2019. This series will feature events focused on ally training, how to have difficult conversations, resources to combat various forms of harassment, and support for a healthy, inclusive environment. Presenters will include an interactive acting troupe, an executive coach, and Duke leaders, among others.

• Developing a plan to strengthen Neuroimaging at Duke. We have begun an interdisciplinary needs assessment regarding Neuroimaging, and will soon begin the process of outlining strategic steps to ensure our faculty, students, and fellows have the most advanced technologies available to them.

• Expanding engagement with external stakeholders. We seek to expand the reach of neuroscience research findings, spread knowledge about neuroscience to new populations, and contribute to the public’s knowledge about the brain. For example, DIBS will partner with Durham Public Schools to hold a “Brain Bee,” part of the outreach efforts of the Society for Neuroscience, in January 2019.

Looking Ahead: Goals for FY 19

In FY2019, DIBS will continue to implement the programs and activities outlined in our Strategic Plan. Here are a few examples of key priorities identified in the plan:


DIBS By the Numbers, 2017–2018


COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH

Duke faculty research teams received 2017–2018 Research Incubator Awards totaling

190 members, DIBS Faculty Network

6$500K

campus & medical school departments represented on Incubator teams12

6:1return on investment for dollars invested in Incubator Awards, 2013–2017

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Neuroscience graduates in the Class of 2018

49%78top 10 majors at Duke

of majors graduated with Distinction

Among

380members signed up for Graduate Student & Postdoc Consortia

1919

enrolled in the annual Neuroscience Bootcamp

enrolled in the Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience Program

enrolled in Cognitive Neuroscience Admitting Program27GRADUATE STUDENTS & POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS



DIBS By the Numbers, 2017–2018

453 attendees, 2018 DIBS Discovery Day (record crowd)

faculty, students, fellows at DIBS research events 120

Science Café attendees for DIBS speakers at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh*

interdisciplinary research events hosted at DIBS

459*From N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

Among

>2,000

36,596 attendees, Mazes and Brain Games, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, co-sponsored by DIBS*

162,555people reached worldwide by

13 MOOCs created by eight DIBS faculty

OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT


We are grateful to all who contribute to the success of the Duke Institute for Brain Science. In particular, we recognize:

Duke LeadershipSally Kornbluth, Provost, Duke UniversityMary Klotman, Dean, Duke School of MedicineEdward Balleisen, Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary StudiesRaphael Valdivia, Vice Dean for Basic Science

DIBS External Advisory BoardRobert Penn, ChairJames BarrettRachel CoulterAndrew FeinbergPaul GeierPeter E. KanarisSophie KatzGeorge Lamb, IIIChip NewtonJames SchwabKatherine ShahLawrence StoehrHarry StylliSonya Wakil

DIBS Faculty Governance CommitteeGeraldine Dawson, ChairAlison AdcockNicole CalakosKafui DzirasaTobias EgnerWarren GrillWalter Sinnott-ArmstrongFan WangLeonard White

Ex officio members:Scott Huettel, Chair, Department of Psychology & NeuroscienceSteve Lisberger, Chair, Department of NeurobiologyNicole Schramm-Sapyta, DIBS Chief Operating Officer

Leadership & Governance


DIBS Faculty & Staff

Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, PhD, Chief Operating OfficerLeonard E. White, PhD, Associate Director for Education & Co-Director

of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience

AdministrationShuntoya Lee, Assistant Director for AdministrationRobin Knott, Financial AnalystDiane Masters, Grants & ContractsKathy Neal, Communications Trina Rodriguez, Program CoordinatorLynette Thacker, Grants & ContractsJill Watkins, Human Resources

Graduate EducationColleen Bauer, Program Coordinator Undergraduate EducationCindy Clements, Undergraduate Education & Alumni RelationsTyler Lee, Undergraduate Student Services & Bass Connections Brain & Society ThemeThomas Newpher, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Practice & Director,

Summer Neuroscience Program

Information TechnologyYimin Wei, PhD, Information Technology Strategy & ManagementKisan Uphadaya, IT User SupportEd McLaurin, IT User Support and Audio-Visual Services

Connecting Minds~

Advancing Neuroscience~

Improving Lives

Documents

Annual Report - Duke University