Research That Saves Lives – and Changes Them

On July 25, 2025, the Trent Seman building was alive with energy as over 120 student researchers from 11 programs shared the results of their summer work. The Summer Research Showcase brought together students from Duke and from institutions nationwide, each presenting posters on projects that spanned the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and health policy.

“This showcase is not just about finished products,” said Mohamed Noor, Executive Vice Provost and Professor of Biology at Duke. “It's about the process. It's about the stumbles. It's about the revisions, the unexpected results, and the persistence and perseverance to keep going.”

A Wide Range of Research

Walking through the showcase was a journey across disciplines:

• Cancer biology and immunotherapy projects explored how cells can be engineered to better target tumors.
• Neuroscience students shared data from experiments that may one day inform treatments for brain diseases.
• Public policy interns tackled issues like rural health care access and health equity.
• Computational scientists demonstrated technologies like edge computing for Alzheimer’s research.
• Genomics and biotechnology students presented cutting-edge work on CRISPR, genetic pathways, and drug discovery.

The diversity of projects reflected the interdisciplinary spirit of Duke’s research culture. As Tiffany Chan Justice of the Duke-Margolis Health Policy Institute explained, the goal is to bring together perspectives across fields: “In order to solve questions and problems in the world, there are different ways that people can come together to answer those questions.”

Many of the projects showcased this summer will continue well beyond the event. Students will carry their findings into senior theses, graduate work, and future collaborations with their mentors. From advancing cancer immunotherapy to refining technologies for Alzheimer’s care, the discoveries sparked this summer will keep evolving, contributing to research that improves, and ultimately saves, lives.

Students Finding Their Voice

Image

For many students, the summer was their first chance to step beyond textbooks and into the role of a researcher. The Showcase wasn’t just about sharing data – it was about learning how to communicate ideas, ask questions, and see themselves as part of the scholarly community.

Laura Houghton, a rising sophomore in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), reflected on how she learned to explain her work through a miniature TEDx talk each student gave: “It made me take a step back and say… Why am I doing that? What’s the bigger importance? And how can I explain that using phrasing and terminology that make sense to somebody who has never stepped foot in a cancer lab.” 

For others, the experience built confidence. Summer Neuroscience Program student Grace Richardson described how working closely with her mentors helped her “think like a scientist… designing experiments, troubleshooting them when they go wrong, and really immersing yourself in the research process.”

Together, these voices show that funded research experiences aren’t just academic – they’re personal transformations. Students leave not only with skills, but also with a deeper understanding of their own potential and purpose.

The Power of Funded Research Opportunities

Image

Faculty and program leaders emphasized that none of this would be possible without dedicated funding. “These types of internship and research opportunities are only possible if there is funding available,” said physician-scientist Dr. Mustafa Khasraw who worked with students in the SURF program this summer. Funding supports not only lab materials and stipends, but also the mentoring that helps students grow into confident scholars.

“One of the most important jobs we have in the lab, from my perspective, is mentoring,” said Dr. Josh Snyder, faculty mentor in the Duke PRIME-Cancer Research program. “Because it’s through mentoring the next generation of students that really the new ideas come, the new innovations come.”

The return on this investment is profound. As Tiffany Chan Justice explained, student projects don’t just train future scholars; they tackle real-world problems like rural health care access in North Carolina, shaping policy and improving lives. 

Without financial support, these opportunities disappear. With it, students gain transformative experiences, faculty push forward discovery, and society benefits from the breakthroughs that emerge.

Duke Experiential Education: Opening Doors

Image

The Showcase reflects the work of many campus partners who collaborate to make summer research possible – faculty mentors, institutes, and program directors across a variety of programs. Together, they create the immersive, mentored experiences that allow students to grow as researchers.

For students eager to find their own entry point into research, the Undergraduate Research Support Office’s Funding Opportunities website and Duke Summer Experiences (DSE) are key resources. Through DSE’s searchable Opportunities Database, students can explore more than 60 Duke-run programs spanning STEM, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary fields. Experiences range from funding for internships, research, civic engagement, international travel, and team-based learning.

On October 28 from 1–4pm in Penn Pavilion, the Duke Summer Experiences Fair will gather those opportunities in one place, giving students the chance to meet program leaders and start planning their own transformative summers.

Explore. Discover. Transform.

The Summer Research Showcase is more than a poster session. It’s a powerful reminder that research doesn’t just live in labs – it shapes lives, communities, and futures.

As Jessica Harrell, Director of Duke’s Undergraduate Research Support Office reflected: “Much of the research that is happening at Duke has huge implications and impacts for health and human disease. Even the basic biomedical research happening at the lab bench can lead to important discoveries that are going to have impacts on human health.”

That broader impact is mirrored in the personal journeys of students themselves. For some, the Showcase wasn’t just about presenting findings – it was about discovering their own future. As Duke PRIME-Cancer Research scholar Zoe Swalley put it: “I knew as soon as I came [to Duke] that research is something that is an intrinsic part of me. My goal in life is research.”

Not only does research save lives. At Duke, it changes them.