Duke University Postdoctoral Association

Disc Golf

Alternate Wednesdays, 5:30 pm Cornwallis Road Park

In an effort to convene postdocs on a fairly regular basis, DUPA hosts a semi-weekly Disc Golf night. For those of you who have never played disc golf, you needn't worry about anything. It's kind of like golf, only the 'holes' are shorter and you throw a disc (frisbee) instead of swinging a club. Even if you've never thrown a disc in your life, you'll have a good time. Everyone's invited, especially first time players. Bring along friends and significant others.

Cornwallis Road Park is easy to find, it's 5 minutes from Duke: take 751 (Academy) South, turn right on Cornwallis, left on Wade Rd, it's on the right.

We'll begin at 5:30 pm sharp at Cornwallis Road Park by the main entrance (near the restrooms). For more information, please contact Rebekah Fleming. Although you can play with a regular disc (i.e. Ultimate Disc, Wham-o Frisbee, etc.), discs made specifically for disc golf are recommended. If you don't have your own, we have disks that you can use.

ReagentSwap Email List

The ReagentSwap email list has been established for the Duke scientific community to facilitate exchange of scientific expertise and reagents.

This list allows Duke postdocs and other laboratory workers to exchange reagents, protocols, and scientific expertise. If you are trying a new experiment and you need small quantities of a reagent, such as an antibody, post a request to ReagentSwap. If you need advice on a protocol or need to find someone with expertise in a specific technique, post a request to ReagentSwap.

Buddy Program for International Postdocs

Sign up for the Buddy Postdoc program coordinated by DUPA!

If you are a new international postdoc, do you want a buddy postdoc to help you settle in? Do you want somebody to tell you where to get your driver's license, where to shop for good food from your home country and where to have fun?

If you are a current postdoc, do you want to help a new postdoc? We all remember being helped by others when we were new. This is an opportunity for you to show that kindness to new postdocs.

Postdoc Profile: Tim Griffin

Tim and Courtney Griffin with their two daughters, Olivia (L) and Delancey (R).

Tim Griffin, a postdoc in the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory of the Department of Surgery, was one of Duke's Outstanding Postdocs in 2007. Tim and his wife Courtney recently completed a successful dual-career job search and they have both accepted faculty positions at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Tim agreed to answer some questions and share his insights about the job search process.

Where were you before coming to Duke for a postdoc? UC Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology.

What department are you doing your postdoc in?

I began in the Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, where I was a Research Associate for 2 years. I then joined the Department of Surgery (Division of Orthopaedic Surgery) in 2004 to pursue new interests and expand my research experience.

What do you study?

I study the basic and applied aspects of metabolic and musculoskeletal homeostasis, using animal, tissue, and cell culture models. I am particularly interested in understanding how biomechanical factors regulate physiological processes. My current research focus is to understand how obesity increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis and how osteoarthritis affects the development of other co-morbidities via reduction in physical activity.

What institution / department is your faculty position in? I will be an Assistant Faculty Member in the Free Radical Biology and Aging Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF).