So great meeting all of you for the spring semester club fair! Our first GBM will next Tuesday 1/23. DNA meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM, in the Rueben Cooke building, Rm. 207. All GBM announcements will be made here on our website as well via our groupME and email listserv. If you haven't already please fill out the interest form  to be added to our mailing list and groupME.

Like last year we will be providing co-working hours from 7-10PM during the Tuesday and Thursday of Finals week. We will meet in our usual room (Rueben Cook, Rm 207). If you have never attended a co-working hours before read below: Co-working hours provides a low-stimulus environment  — soft lighting, minimal background noise, and built-in timed breaks — to help you stay productive. Bring anything you’re working on: papers, readings, problem sets, or planning your study sched

Happy last week of classes! Finals start in 7 days. So like last year DNA will be providing quiet co-working hours again on Tuesday and Thursday from 7-10PM in our usual room (Rueben Cook, Rm 207). If you have never attended a co-working hours before read below: Co-working hours provides a low-stimulus environment  — soft lighting, minimal background noise, and built-in timed breaks — to help you stay productive. Bring anything you’re working on: papers, readings, problem set

Happy Thanksgiving Break!!

Tomorrow we’re joined by Dr. Sam Brandsen, a researcher and advocate working at the intersection of neuroscience, neurodiversity, and accessibility here at Duke. Dr. Brandsen will share insights from Duke’s ongoing neurodiversity initiatives and discuss how campus environments—from classrooms to common spaces—can be redesigned to better support all kinds of minds. We’ll explore: What “neuroinclusive design” means and why it matters. How research on sensory and cognitive diffe

We’re revisiting one of our most requested topics — how to take notes in a way that fits your brain. This week, we’ll compare systems like Cornell notes, visual mapping, voice recording, and digital tools to see how different learning styles can shape the way we study. You’ll get to test out new approaches, trade tips with other students, and figure out which methods make information stick  instead of just pile up. As always, we will be meeting at 7PM in Rueben Cooke!

We’ll discuss how factors like lighting, noise, layout, and sensory input  can impact attention, fatigue, and mental clarity, and explore ways Duke can become more neuroinclusive  in its classrooms, labs, and study spaces. Members will also take part in a mini “campus accessibility audit” —a chance to observe and share which spaces feel supportive and which don’t. Together, we’ll brainstorm realistic design changes that would make Duke more welcoming for every kind of brain.

This week, we’ll explore how chronic illnesses can have deep neurological and autonomic roots—affecting not just the body, but also how the brain regulates attention, energy, and sensory input. We’ll talk about how conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) , Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) , and chronic migraines  share overlapping traits with neurodivergence—such as fatigue, sensory overload, and executive dysfunction. Many researchers and patients now de

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Holly Rogers back to speak with DNA. She is the co-founder of Duke’s Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (formerly Koru Mindfulness) and will lead a workshop with us. Dr. Rogers spent over 20 years working at Duke’s Counseling & Psychological Services, developing mindfulness strategies tailored for college students’ sleep, executive function, and stress. She’ll be guiding us through practical mindfulness techniques designed for busy minds—wh

Were bringing Bookbagging back! Like last semester, this Thursday we’ll have seniors speak about which professors and classes are the most accommodating to learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia, visual processing disorders, slower processing speeds, and more. Some professors are more understanding and flexible than others — offering different assessment styles (like choosing between an exam or an essay for the final), recorded lectures, or e-book versions of required readi

For our next event, we’ll be joined by Duke medical students  who live with chronic illnesses and neurodivergence. They’ll share candid reflections on balancing intense coursework, clinical rotations, and health management—while navigating the expectations of the medical field. We’ll discuss: The hidden barriers in medical and graduate training. Finding community and support within competitive programs. Balancing self-care with rigorous schedules. What the next generation of

No Meeting Today!

This week, we’ll be joined by Dr. Christopher Lunsford , a Duke physician and disability inclusion advocate who has firsthand experience navigating academia while living with a chronic health condition. Dr. Lunsford will share his story of resilience and advocacy—from medical school to clinical practice—and discuss the realities of balancing long-term illness with the demands of higher education. We’ll talk about: What academic success can look like when managing chronic illn

This week, we’re teaming up with the ARC  for a hands-on session focused on practical accessibility tools  that make studying and test-taking more manageable. ARC staff will demo and distribute gadgets that support focus, comfort, and sensory regulation — including accessible keyboards, fidgets, noise-reducing headphones, and more. We’ll also talk about: How to identify which tools match your specific learning needs. Ways to incorporate assistive devices into everyday studyin

This week, we’re bringing back one of our favorite meetings — the Peer Resource Swap!  This is an open, collaborative session where members share the tools, apps, habits, and strategies that make college life a little easier for neurodivergent and chronically ill students. Come ready to show or talk about: Your favorite study or organization tool (digital or paper). The best note-taking or focus trick you’ve discovered. Helpful campus resources, accessibility hacks, or routin

This week, we’ll be joined by Lisa Jurecic , a licensed clinical social worker and executive function coach based in Durham who works closely with college students navigating ADHD and attention challenges. Lisa will share evidence-based strategies for: Improving focus and managing distractions. Strengthening memory and recall for studying. Building realistic organization systems that actually stick. Balancing motivation and energy through busy academic weeks. Our meeting will

Hi all! Enjoy your fall Break!

This week, we’re joined by representatives from Duke’s Student Disability Access Office  for an open discussion about what accommodations are currently available — and where students still feel gaps in support. This meeting is meant to be a collaborative space , not a lecture. Together, we’ll: Review the process for requesting and updating accommodations. Talk about common challenges students face when navigating the system. Share feedback directly from neurodivergent and chr

Yesterdays discussion was such a success that we will continue our conversation of ableism at Duke tomorrow! We’ll address a critical issue facing many students with physical disabilities: the ongoing lack of accessible infrastructure on campus. Several members of DNA—including students with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)  and wheelchair users—have faced major challenges simply entering academic buildings like the French Family Science Center , where doors remain extremely heav

This week, we’re opening an honest conversation about Duke’s attendance and withdrawal policies—and what they mean for students living with chronic illness and neurodivergence. Under Duke’s current policy, missing more than three classes  often triggers concern, and missing around ten  can lead to a required meeting with your academic dean about taking a medical withdrawal . What these policies fail to recognize is that chronic illness incapacitation is often frequent and unp

Neurodivergence isn’t one thing—it’s a whole spectrum of ways the brain processes, learns, and experiences the world. This week, we’ll explore how different forms of neurodivergence show up in daily life, from ADHD and dyslexia to epilepsy, processing disorders, Tourette’s, and more. We’ll talk about what these differences can look like day to day, how they intersect, and how we can better support one another as peers, classmates, and friends. This is a relaxed, discussion-ba

Join us for an open discussion on what it means to thrive as a neurodivergent student at Duke. Mentor from ATLAS  (both undergrads and Medical students) will share their experiences transitioning to college, finding community, and balancing academic and sensory demands in a high-pressure environment. We’ll explore topics like: Building structure and routine that actually works for you. Navigating social expectations and unspoken classroom norms. Using campus resources without

With the new semester kicking off, we're here to talk about advocating for your needs in the classroom. Navigating academic accommodations can be stressful—especially when it comes to communicating your needs to professors. This meeting will walk through practical, confidence-building strategies for self-advocacy at Duke. We’ll cover: How to start the conversation and what to say in emails or office hours. Common challenges and how to handle them professionally. Advocacy tech

Hi Everyone! So great to meet all the new members at the club fair today! Our first meeting will be next Tuesday in Rueben Cooke, Room 207, at 7 PM. If you have not already please fill out the interest form to be added to our mailing list and groupME.