Allison Borek, MPH, BSN, RN is pursuing her doctoral studies at Duke University School of Nursing to advance research that reduces health disparities along the cancer care continuum, from prevention and screening through survivorship, palliative, and end-of-life care. Motivated by years of bedside nursing at Duke University Hospital’s inpatient medical oncology unit, Allison fostered a deep curiosity for research that ultimately leads to improved nurse-led patient care outcomes. This inspired her to start a Goals of Care Champions Committee to improve communication, understanding, and support between patients, families, and their healthcare teams in identifying treatment wishes and care options as patients progress through their disease trajectory. In addition, she has hands-on public health experience at the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, where she investigated barriers and facilitators of program access and outreach for medically underserved women in the state.

Allison is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society and the American Public Health Association, and she is a recipient of the James B. Duke Fellowship. She earned her Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees at MCPHS University in Massachusetts. Allison also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Fine Arts from Union College (NY). Outside of the classroom, she loves traveling, cooking, nature walks, and rooting for her favorite sports teams.

Ashley is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner dedicated to transforming care for African American women by integrating physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. With a diverse clinical background including roles in the Veterans Administration, cardiac intensive care, post anesthesia care, and interventional cardiology units, Ashley brings a holistic and culturally grounded perspective to healthcare. She approaches healing as a whole person experience, shaped by culture and community. Her doctoral research will focus on developing nurse led models of care for African American women living with endocrine conditions, such as diabetes.

She aims to explore how faith-based traditions can be woven into chronic illness management to affirm identity, leverage resilience, and support long term health. Ashley’s research seeks to understand whether integrating spiritual practices into care can serve as a protective factor against stress and improve biological outcomes. As a mental health provider, she is passionate about expanding how providers understand and respond to the cultural and spiritual needs of African American women. Her long-term goal is to advance nursing science that uplifts underrepresented voices and leads to more culturally responsive and community centered models of care.

Luke Velickoff, MSN, AGACNP-BC, is a skilled clinician and experienced nurse educator who is dedicated to advancing the nursing profession through research, education, and advocacy. Their unwavering commitment to advancing health equity and social justice informs both their clinical practice and academic work.

Luke earned their Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the West Virginia University School of Nursing in 2019 and their Master of Science in Nursing from the Duke University School of Nursing in 2025. As a board-certified Nurse Practitioner trained in the management of complex and acute medical conditions, Luke’s clinical and scholarly interests center on improving the care of transgender and gender-diverse individuals during episodes of acute illness. Their work emphasizes the development and implementation of nurse-led models of care that prioritize the delivery of safe, accessible, and affirming healthcare services. A native of West Virginia, Luke is particularly interested in addressing the social influences of health that affect gender-diverse patient populations within the unique sociocultural context of living within rural Appalachia.

Luke is actively engaged in health policy and professional advocacy. They served on the Executive Board of the West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA), where they developed and led the organization’s first Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee. This initiative aimed to amplify underrepresented voices, advocate for inclusive legislation at both the local and federal levels, and enhance access to individualized healthcare services throughout their home state.

Luke brings to the PhD in Nursing program a passion for research-driven innovation, a dedication to advancing the nursing profession, and a vision for a more just and equitable healthcare environment.

Harriet Yayra Adzofu MSc, MHS, BSN, RMN started her nursing career at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital Ghana, where she worked for over six years to improve mental health outcomes for people living with mental disorders. Growing up in rural Ghana with firsthand experience of health inequalities, she was inspired to become a nurse to improve access to services for vulnerable populations in underserved communities. Her experiences with women with postpartum psychosis sparked her interest to pursue a Master of Health Sciences in Reproductive Health at the University of Ibadan Nigeria, where she conducted a baseline study on the prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression among adolescent girls and young women in Ghana. She then earned a joint MSc in Global Mental Health at King’s College London, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Yayra has since gained significant research and program management experience with national and international organizations in Africa and Europe, including the Ghana Health Service, African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and Utrecht University Medical Centre. She has also worked with WHO Africa Regional Office (WHO/AFRO) on adolescent health programming and contributed to advocacy efforts to increase investment in youth health. Yayra is also a Youth Leader and Co-Founder of Youth Without Borders Ghana, a youth focused non-profit, where she leads a team of vibrant young people to co-design and implement public health programs on youth mental health and SRHR.

At Duke, Yayra hopes to develop advanced research skills and build a strong network to further her research career. She plans to expand the knowledge around mental health impacts of gender-based violence (GBV) among perinatal women in Africa leading to integrated guideline development. Her goal as a nurse scientist is to scale up evidence-based interventions to improve mental health of young people and perinatal women. She also aspires to lead the development of integrated, culturally relevant trauma-informed models of care for survivors of GBV.