Scholars@Duke
Sheila N Patek

Sheila N Patek

Professor of Biology
Biology
Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
014 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Academic Honors

Guggenheim Fellowship

International John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation · 2015 More about this honor

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

National National Science Foundation · 2013

Christopher Clavius, S.J. Award

Scholarly Society Sigma Xi, St. Joseph’s University · 2009 "Given to a researcher who also serves as an inspiration to others".

Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

National Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study · 2008 "for scholars, scientists, artists, and writers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishments” More about this honor

George A Bartholomew Award

National Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology · 2008 "for distinguished contributions to comparative physiology”

Brilliant 10 Award

International Popular Science Magazine · 2004 Awarded annually to ten of the “most dynamic, promising young researchers at institutions around North America” by Popular Science magazine. More about this honor

News Items

Published November 14, 2024
Duke 100 Trailblazer: Sheila Patek
Published August 23, 2023
Blink and You’ll Miss These Plants Shooting Their Seeds
Published December 9, 2022
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate Research: Moving from Absorbing Knowledge to Creating It
Published February 1, 2022
A Better Way to Find Student Research
Published April 29, 2021
Baby Mantis Shrimp Don’t Pull Their Punches
Published February 8, 2021
Tiny Crustacean Redefines Ultra-Fast Movement
Published April 23, 2020
Five New Bass Professors Named for Excellence in Teaching and Research
Published August 8, 2019
Leaping Larvae! How Do They Even Do That Without Legs?
Published April 26, 2018
Why a Robot Can't Yet Outjump a Flea
Published January 17, 2018
Mantis Shrimp Size Each Other Up Before Ceding a Fight
Published May 31, 2016
Why Do Research for the Sake of Knowing?
Published May 26, 2016
PBS NewsHour
Sheila Patek: Why research for the pure sake of knowing is enough
Published April 15, 2016
The Huffington Post
Here’s what happened when a group of scientists went to confront their congressional tormentors
Published April 15, 2016
Professor Patek Goes to Washington, Talks Up Research
Published April 5, 2016
Duke Magazine
The Benefits of 'Strange Science'
Published December 7, 2015
Duke Research Blog
Is Mantis Shrimp Research a Waste of Money? How 'Wastebook' Misses the Big Picture
Published September 23, 2015
Duke Research Blog
Fisticuffs Among the Mantis Shrimp
Published September 23, 2015
The Atlantic
Mantis shrimps avoid deadly fights by pummeling each other
Published August 7, 2015
Wired
The ant that blasts itself out of danger with its face
Published July 17, 2015
National Geographic
Sheila Patek: Ant-Man's real-life rivals
Published June 18, 2015
Science News
How mantis shrimps spar
Published February 27, 2015
How Mantis Shrimp Evolved Many Shapes with Same Powerful Punch