Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. Furthermore, our recent investigations have revealed a novel mRNA and R-loop-dependent DNA repair pathway that acts as a protective mechanism for the transcribed regions of the genome, introducing a new paradigm in the field of DNA repair research.