“It’s one of the reasons I love music and band so much,” said Duru, who joined the 100-year-old student organization during his first year on campus. “It’s such a different way of thinking compared to the STEM-focused work I do in class. Playing and writing music is a great release for stress and gives me the ability to express myself in a more creative way.”

Duru’s dynamic pursuits extend beyond the classroom and campus processions. He volunteers with Brown Emergency Medical Services, plays pick-up baseball, enjoys walking and running in Providence and engages in hands-on research in campus laboratories, including a research project that’s advancing machine learning to better inform medical decisions. 

“I think it will make me a better doctor someday to have all of these experiences,” Duru said.

Through Brown EMS in particular, Duru has advanced his passion for taking care of other people as one of the students who comprise the core of the full-fledged, 24-7 emergency medical response service on campus.

“Brown EMS has been a way for me to care for the community,” Duru said. “Being able to help peers or classmates when they get injured or sick — and then seeing them a week later back up and walking around — is really, really valuable, knowing I helped to lift them back up from a low point.”

Ahead of medical school, Brown EMS has afforded him hands-on health care experience. 

“It’s been huge to actually practice treating people,” Duru said. “I think it’s really cool that I’m starting that before I actually start rotations in medical school.”

His range of experiences the last four years have helped bridge his interests in health care, politics, medicine, music, public health and Spanish, including through an internship with the National Institutes of Health in biomedical research.

For Duru, his education has illuminated a clear connection between medicine and computer science.

“I really enjoy the problem-solving aspect of computer science, logically working through problems and getting stuff done,” Duru said. “The biological field, like every field, is becoming more digital and computerized… and those tools can be used to help treat people, like using computational models to determine the best medications to give, or the best timing of medication for patients with cancer.”

Duru, who is from Silver Spring, Maryland, comes from a family of Nigerian and Jamaican descent, and he aims to bring a multicultural lens to his career, possibly in oncology or pediatrics. It’s another reason he was drawn to Brown. “I’ve enjoyed attending events that showcase my culture,” he said.

As Duru tackles his final year and works on his senior thesis, he said it has also been exciting to be part of a historic year for the Brown Band, which is celebrating its centennial and its distinct legacy as one of the oldest student-led organizations on campus.

“The Brown Band is an incredible mix of people who study STEM fields, music, English, sociology — just a really wide swath — and they are so committed,” said Duru, who has played French horn since middle school and was an assistant drum major in his high school band. “We all really love Brown and love supporting Brown and creating that spirit.”

Duru looks forward to going out on a high note with the Class of 2025.

“Having so many peers who are so talented and all support each other is something that makes Brown great,” Duru said. “I really have been able to do everything here.”