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The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University is an interdisciplinary hub dedicated to understanding and addressing the systems that produce and sustain inequity. We advance this work through rigorous research, transformative education, and impactful engagement.
Advancing Research
We foster rigorous, collaborative and policy-relevant scholarship across three core research pillars:
Developing Scholars
We have opportunities for students at every stage to engage in interdisciplinary research, build skills, and become the next generation of equity-focused scholars.
Building Partnerships
We connect with Duke and community partners to share knowledge, strengthen research and learning, and advance collaborative efforts to understand and address inequality.
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Research Pillars
Investigating how social, economic, and environmental conditions shape health disparities and identifying pathways toward healthier communities and improved population health.
Exploring how social, institutional, and policy systems shape access to education, economic security, and opportunities for mobility across the life course.
Uncovering how criminal legal systems shape inequality, opportunity, and wellbeing for individuals, families, and communities across generations.
Center Highlights
“Whatever direction my future research takes, this summer has convinced me that some of the most pressing empirical questions are best answered in a collaborative team environment.”
— Jerry Eiswerth, summer 2026 Graduate Research Fellow
The Biology and Burden of Inequality: Structural Stressors, Resilience, and Health Equity
October 23, 2026
11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Brodhead, Room 068
Connect with the Cook Center
Join our community of scholars, students, and partners working to understand and address inequality