News

After 14 years of guiding Duke Neurobiology through growth, innovation, and change, Steve Lisberger is stepping down as chair. Today marks the transition to interim chair Staci Bilbo and the official end of his tenure as chair. Under his leadership, the department has expanded its research horizons, strengthened collaborations, and made significant contributions to the broader neurobiology community. We sat down with him to reflect on his tenure, the evolution of the field, and his hopes for the future.

According to Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list, Duke has 31 scientists among the over 7,000 authors on the global list, including Neurobiology training faculty member Ru-Rong Ji. This means their work is among the top 1 percent of citations by scientific field and year. Ji was first named to this list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2018 and he has been included in it every single year since. This year marks his eighth time to be listed among this very select group.

Congratulations to Neurobiology training faculty member Leah Acker who is one of two winners chosen to receive the Innovator Award in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF) and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) .

A three-step study from the Naumann lab — lab experiments with zebrafish, computer simulation, and robotic testing — reveal how closely the brain and body work together to guide movement based on what we see.

A team led by Neurobiology training faculty member Huanghe Yang has discovered a key biological pathway that contributes to health complications caused by sickle cell disease. Their findings also suggest a promising treatment strategy: blocking a protein that initiates the process using a drug that’s approved for gout treatment in some countries. Read Angela Spivey's article in SoM News. Read the full study in the American Journal of Hematology.

This year's 'Michael Mutersbaugh Community Engagement Award' went to fourth year graduate student Daniel Quintero of Eroglu Lab. He was lauded for organizing Inclusivi-TEA which provides opportunities for connection within the community, and for his participation in DUNE which mentors high school students and helps them gain research experience in neuroscience labs. Said one of his nominators, "Daniel expressed genuine curiosity to all the first-year students throughout our rotation process and the start of lab, and continues to provide dedicated support for discussing science purely out of curiosity and a commitment to mentorship."

Meet the newest cohort of students in the Duke Neurobiology Graduate Training Program. These scholars bring a wide range of academic backgrounds, research experiences, and personal interests to the department. Each one shares a deep curiosity about the brain and a commitment to collaborative, discovery-driven science.

Chantell Evans, PhD, assistant professor of cell biology, has been named a 2025 McKnight Scholar Award recipient in recognition of her pioneering research into the molecular mechanisms of neuronal mitophagy — a process critical to maintaining neuronal health. She is one of 10 scholars to receive this honor this year.

Researchers have discovered for the first time that a particular protein plays a crucial role in the development of a normal placenta in the early stages of pregnancy. Learning more more about the protein, PIEZ01, and its role in pregnancy could pave the way for preventing unexplained miscarriages, preeclampsia, or fetal growth restriction.