News

In older adults, postoperative delirium—characterized by confusion, inattention, and agitation—can occur following surgical procedures, and some individuals fail to fully recover. Researchers led by Anesthesiology faculty member Niccolò Terrando and Neurobiology training faculty member Warren Grill have identified that activating the vagus nerve, which links the brain to multiple organ systems, can reduce brain inflammation and cognitive disturbances after surgery in mice predisposed to Alzheimer’s-like disease. These results indicate a promising therapeutic approach for managing postoperative delirium in humans. The intervention, known as percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (pVNS), employs a minimally invasive, skin‑applied device developed at Duke University to deliver targeted electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve.

A team led by Neurobiology's Josh Huang and postdoc first-author Yi Li studied how different parts of the mouse brain work together to guide a natural action where the animal reaches out and brings water to its mouth to drink.

Second year graduate student Jillian Saunders (Eroglu Lab) and postdoc Julia Dziabis (Scott-Hewitt Lab) have been selected to receive 2026 Duke Institute for Brain Sciences Germinator Awards for their innovative proposals for interdisciplinary research in the brain sciences.

Sixth year graduate student Michael Sindoni of Grandl Lab has been selected to receive the 2026 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

 Discovery at Duke School of Medicine suggests a new way to tackle the root cause of nerve pain by helping cells share energy.   

Fifth-year graduate student Brayan Campos Salazar (Bilbo Lab) has been selected as one of this year's recipients for the Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Award Program (OSNAP).

Stress before surgery may matter more than doctors once thought. A new Duke University School of Medicine study led by Neurobiology training faculty member Leah Acker finds that even modest stress can affect how older adults recover from surgery. 

Anne E. West, MD, PhD, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology, has received the Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for dedication to superior mentorship and training in neuroscience research.

Neurobiology assistant professor Dmitry Velmeshev is one of four researchers nationwide to win a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Avenir Award in Genetics and Epigenetics of Substance Use. Avenir Awards provide grants to early-stage investigators who propose highly innovative studies.

Sixth-year graduate student Kayla Fernando (Hull Lab) is blending scientific research with entrepreneurial skills learned through the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate program. Her experience in the program taught her to apply business strategies and storytelling to science, leading to opportunities like a corporate development internship and inspiring her to mentor others exploring nontraditional career paths.