Alissa Kocer

Aug 26, 2024 | medschool.duke.edu | Shantell Kirkendoll |Alissa Kocer

Health experts at Duke University School of Medicine are scrutinizing the myriad ways in which shifting environmental conditions, from sweltering temperatures to severe storms, shape our well-being.  In university laboratories, North Carolina homes and on the coastlines of faraway places, they've learned not everyone is equally at risk.

Aug 12, 2024 | medschool.duke.edu | Alissa Kocer

Fatty liver disease happens when a person’s body begins to store fat in the liver, which can damage the organ. Some forms of fatty liver disease are caused by excessive alcohol use. However, one in three Americans develop fatty liver from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is often correlated with obesity and diabetes. MASLD is now the most common liver disease worldwide. One severe form of MASLD is called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Jul 14, 2023 | medschool.duke.edu | Alissa Kocer

Antibodies are like dogs. Some, like show dogs, have the perfect construction and temperament, but instead of winning Best in Show, the top antibodies more effectively fight off viruses and other infections. Not all antibodies are “show quality,” though. Some may not be as potent or broad enough to win, but these “pet quality” antibodies are still great companions that can help fight disease, albeit less efficaciously.  Bruce Donald, PhD, James B.