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Debra Lynn Best

Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health
DUMC Box 3675, Durham, NC 27710
Dept of Pediatrics, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


The tenets of advocacy have been intentionally woven into my work in all domains from clinical service to education to scholarship.  Defined broadly by Earnest, et.al., advocacy is “activity that promotes the social, economic, educational, and political changes that ameliorate threats to human health and advance the well-being of people”. Under that umbrella, the foci that I have pursued through the years have been varied, ranging from childhood obesity prevention to teen parenting to universal newborn home visiting. Currently, my area of focus is in supporting early relational health and social emotional development.  Throughout each endeavor, I have focused on lifting the voices of those in marginalized populations and intentionally partnering with the community to provide holistic approaches to meet both medical and psychosocial needs of individuals. 

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Pediatrics · 2024 - Present Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Pediatrics
Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health · 2025 - Present Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health

In the News


Published November 2, 2022
Duke Study: What All Families Need to Give Their Children the Early Learning Advantage

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Recent Publications


Addressing food insecurity: a paediatric academic advocacy collaborative quality initiative.

Journal Article BMJ Open Qual · May 13, 2025 OBJECTIVE: This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to address food insecurity (FI) by improving FI identification and referral to food assistance programmes for the families served by the eight paediatric academic institutions in North and South Car ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Pediatric advocacy: Advancement in academic institutions.

Journal Article Pediatr Res · May 2024 Children are facing many threats to their health today that require system change at a sweeping level to have real-world impact. Pediatricians are positioned as natural leaders to advocate for these critical community and policy changes. Academic medical c ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Targeting Infant Development through Early Screening and Referral (TIDES)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Duke Endowment · 2025 - 2026

NC PAL Expansion

Public ServicePhysician · Awarded by NC DHHS · 2022 - 2026

Community Prevention of Child Maltreatment

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2023 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Northwestern University · 2001 M.D.