This is a summary of a story that originally appeared on Office for Research & Innovation.
More than 80 Duke researchers and scholars gathered in April for the sixth annual Duke Research and Innovation Summit, a daylong event highlighting new ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration and the resilience of the university’s research community.
The summit featured a range of events: a fireside chat with research leaders, panel discussions on topics including gene therapy and quantum computing, lightning talks spanning health and technology, and a session exploring funding pathways in a changing research landscape. The day also included the annual Daubechies Lecture and recognition of several Duke researchers for their contributions to the university’s research enterprise.
In opening remarks, Jenny Lodge, vice president for Duke’s Office for Research & Innovation, reflected on challenges facing the research community while emphasizing a spirit of collaboration and determination.
“We are not simply weathering this moment. We are emerging stronger,” Lodge said. She added that despite obstacles ahead, the research community will succeed “because we will do it together.”
A highlight of the event was the Daubechies Lecture delivered by Amanda Randles, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering.
In her talk, “From Reactive to Proactive: Reimagining Health Through Digital Twins,” Randles described research that uses data from wearable devices and medical imaging to create detailed digital models of the human body. These “digital twins” could one day help doctors diagnose disease earlier and tailor treatments to individual patients.
Across panels and presentations, speakers emphasized Duke’s interdisciplinary approach as a catalyst for innovation. Researchers described how collaborations across fields – from engineering and medicine to policy and mathematics – allow new ideas to emerge and complex problems to be addressed in novel ways.
The summit concluded with OR&I research awards recognizing leadership and service in areas such as research integrity and open scholarship.
To read more about the 2026 Duke Research and Innovation Summit, visit the Office for Research & Innovation.
