News

Abbie Suttle, MSc, wants to improve our understanding of pain. In the lab of Yong Chen, PhD, she is currently working on two projects, the first to better understand the  trigeminal ganglion to potentially treat a painful jaw disorder known as TMD, and another to better understand and prevent the sensitization process that makes medications for migraine and headache less effective over the long term. In this week’s Spotlight interview, Suttle talks to us about her involvement in both of these projects.

As our financial services advisor, Matthew Burger works to make sure all neurology patients at our Morreene Road and 1L Clinics have the best and most appropriate financial resources to help meet their needs. For this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Burger talks to us about how he and his colleagues are able to assist patients, his history before coming to Duke, and looking forward to traveling and life without a mask once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. 

This week’s “Spotlight” interview shines on Melanie McBroom, MS, EMT-NC, neurodiagnostic technician within the EMG lab in our 1L clinic. McBroom talks to us about her work helping patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, ALS, and other conditions. She also discusses how her master’s degree and experience as an EMT inform her work, the most difficult and enjoyable parts of her job, and looking forward to not having to wear a mask when the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

A Comprehensive Stroke facility needs to meet more than 400 complex requirements from the Joint Commission. As our Stroke Program Manager, Melissa Freeman, RN, MPH, works to make sure Duke University Hospital meets those requirements on a daily basis. In this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Freeman talks to us about the interdepartmental coordination, patient care, protocols, and education involved in her day-to-day work.

For Eleanor Wood, every day is arm day. As a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technician in the lab of Noreen Bukhari-Parlakturk, MD, PhD, she helps keep 10 pound TMS coils within half a millimeter of their target range. Wood also works in Duke University’s Opti Lab and Brain Stimulation Research Center where she helps conduct other TMS research and engineer new TMS technologies. For this week’s spotlight interview, the recent Duke graduate talks to us about what she enjoys about each of these jobs.

One year after coming to our Morreene Road Clinic, Crystal Ballard still enjoys the challenges and opportunities that come with her work. Each day her job involves supporting our neurology providers, supervising staff assistants, preparing patients for clinic and other tasks. For this week’s “Spotlight” interview, Ballard talks to us about this work, her various positions at Duke over the past 20 years, and embracing and adapting to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karen White Tong first came to our EMG labs as a college sophomore, soon becoming fascinated with the neurological processes behind nerve conduction studies and with her interactions with patients. Now as a clinical research coordinator, she’s running a large clinical trial for patients with Parkinson’s disease and recruiting patients with spinocerebellar ataxia.

With 18 new peer-reviewed articles from members of our faculty, August 2020 was a record-breaking month for the Duke Neurology Department. Clinical research highlights published in the past 31 days include an analysis of patients presenting with vertigo in Emergency Departments, an essay on the human cost of COVID-19 and how we can help people connect during difficult times, and a study finding new benefits for therapies for myasthenia gravis.

Clinical social worker Allison Allen, MSW, LCSW, is a member of the committee that plans the annual Social Worker of the Year award celebration. She thought it was odd she hadn't heard how the department would recognize this year's recipient virtually. That's because she was the 2020 awardee.

“We were having our weekly virtual check-in and I realized my bio was being read," Allen said. “My husband then entered our home office with our kids and presented me the award. Previous winners are my mentors, so it was humbling to be this year's recipient."

Jerri Harris’ path to healthcare started in childhood. As a daughter and granddaughter of nurturers and caregivers, Harris saw the difference that compassion, empathy, and care could give to individuals in need. Now as a regulatory coordinator within our Neuroscience Clinical Research Organization, Harris works behind the scenes to make sure our clinical research studies operate smoothly and effectively.