Scholarship is vital to the Center. Along with ongoing work on research ethics and ethics in the practice of medicine, Center faculty and associates are conducting research in several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including history, religion, law, public policy, women's studies, and documentary studies. Center faculty and faculty associates teach courses in medical ethics and humanities in the Duke University School of Medicine, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, the undergraduate FOCUS program, and the Clinical Research Training Program (for more information, see Education).

Given the ethical and humanistic challenges facing clinicians and investigators, the Center strives to assure that medical ethics is an essential component of medical education. The Center also offers continuing education for medical professionals, faculty, and staff, raising awareness and providing essential skills in the face of challenging issues that arise in practice.

Ongoing activities include participation in the UNC-Duke Bioethics Research Group and the Duke Humanities in Medicine lecture series (see Activities). The Center is located in the Medical Center Library, close to the History of Medicine Collections (see Directions). This space houses faculty and administrative staff, and serves as a meeting place for those, throughout the Duke University community, who have a commitment to the study of medical ethics and the medical humanities.