Scholars@Duke
David E Eagle

David E Eagle

Assistant Research Professor of Global Health
Duke Global Health Institute
david.eagle@duke.edu
Box 90392, Durham, NC 27708
PO Box 90392, Durham, NC 27710
Office hours By appointment, email or call to set up.  

Research Interests

  • Using Heart Rate Variability to evaluate stress interventions
  • Uncovering patterns in the evolution of depressive symptoms in clergy populations
  • Understanding clergy conception of mental health in the DRC
  • Revealing how structural racism impacts professional careers
  • Studying the connection between perceived and enacted social support
  • Using respondent-driven sampling to study sexual and gender minorities

Selected Grants

Preaching Politics: Examining the Prevalence and Correlates of Political Rhetoric in the Sermons of United Methodist Clergy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Society for the Scientific Study of Religion · 2023 - 2024

Evaluating Clergy Mental Health and Attitudes Towards Mental Health in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Religious Research Association · 2018 - 2021

The Impact of Financial Shock on Religious and Non-Religious Philanthropy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Indiana University · 2015 - 2016

Fellowships, Gifts, and Supported Research

The Seminary to Early Ministry Study · July 2018 - June 2023 Principle Investigator · Awarded by: The Duke Endowment · $2,100,000.00 The Seminary to Ministry (SEM) study is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of Duke Divinity School students that is being conducted by the Duke Clergy Health Initiative (CHI). Approximately 400 students from three entering (2019, 2020, 2022) classes at Duke Divinity School will be followed through divinity school and into at least the first several years of ministry. The study will consist of annual surveys with all students, in-depth qualitative interviews with 36 students, and the collection of other relevant data. The goal of the study is to understand how health and health behaviors change over time, how a sense of call develops, the (dis)connect between coursework and later career experiences, how career expectations change over time, and how theological convictions develop.
Statewide Panel Survey of United Methodist Clergy · July 2018 - June 2023 Investigator · Awarded by: The Duke Endowment · $1,250,000.00 Since 2008, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative has conducted a statewide survey of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina. This grant funds two additional waves of this survey (in 2019 and 2021).
The Selah Stress Intervention Study · June 2018 - June 2022 Investigator · Awarded by: The Duke Endowment · $2,075,000.00 The purpose of this grant is to pilot several promising stress interventions with clergy. The most promising interventions will be brought to a full waitlist-controlled trial. We are using both survey and biomarkers (HRV) to measure changes in stress response. The pilot project is evaluating four interventions (centering prayer, daily examen, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and stress innoculation training) with approximately 120 clergy. The full trial will enroll approximately 300 people in the most promising of the pilot interventions.

External Relationships

  • Social Facts Research Services, LLC

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.