The Duke University School of Medicine comprises 23 clinical and basic science departments consisting of more than 2,200 faculty, 450 medical students, more than 1000 residents and fellows, and approximately 640 PhD students. The school’s strong emphasis on research to improve clinical outcomes encourages collaborations among faculty members, departments, and other schools at the university and has resulted in the development of numerous centers and institutes.
Academic Departments
Basic Science Departments
Chair: Richard Brennan, PhD
Assistant: Peggy Wilkison
Business Manager: Esther Self
Office: 255B Nanaline H. Duke
Campus PO Box: DUMC 3711
Phone: (919) 681-8804
FAX: (919) 684-8885
The Department of Biochemistry is engaged in cutting-edge research that clarifies the molecular nature of biological processes with a vision of making key discoveries that will transform our molecular understanding of fundamental life processes and ultimately enhance human health. The department is composed of 18 primary faculty members and 12 secondary members from other departments throughout Duke University. Currently, there are 70 students in the Biochemistry Graduate Program and 22 postdoctoral fellows and research associates.
Chair: David Page
Assistant: Debbie Medlin
Business Manager: Dawn Hails
Office: 11072 Hock Plaza, Suite 1102
Campus PO Box: 2721
Phone: (919) 668-8828
FAX: (919) 668-7061
The discipline of biostatistics constitutes a primary focus of the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, which serves as the academic home for faculty biostatisticians. The department engages in methodological and collaborative research, and directs educational programs in biostatistics, computational biology, statistical genetics, epidemiology, health economics, health services research, and computational medicine. The department currently has more than 55 faculty members. The department offers four graduate programs, the PhD and Master of Biostatistics, the Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) and the Master of Management in Clinical Informatics (MMCi).
Chair: Scott Soderling, PhD
Assistant:
Business Manager: Mollie Sykes
Office: 388 Nanaline Duke
Campus PO Box: 3709
Phone: (919) 684-8085
FAX: (919) 684-8592
The Department of Cell Biology focuses on research of the molecular structure and function of cells and their component parts with a vision of determining how cells interact to form embryos, tissues, and nervous systems; and to investigate their role in physiology, behavior, and tissue repair and regeneration. The department, which currently consists of 18 faculty members, 34 students and 43 postdoctoral fellows, seeks to prepare PhD and MSTP students and postdoctoral fellows for clinical, academic, and non–academic careers.
Chair: Michael S. Krangel, PhD
Assistant: Jennifer Goins
Business Manager: Todd Leovic
Office: 318 Jones Building
Campus Box: 3010
Phone: (919) 684-3578
Fax: (919) 684-8982
The Department of Immunology serves as the focal point for research and education in immunology at Duke. The department consists of 15 primary faculty members and 36 secondary faculty members drawn from a range of basic science and clinical departments. The department provides a robust training environment for 30 PhD students and 10 postdoctoral trainees. Collaboration between basic and clinical immunologists provides fundamental insights into immune system development and function and into pathologies such as immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, infectious disease and cancer.
Chair: Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD
Assistant: Melissa Palmer
Business Manager: Sarah Van Heusen
Office: 322 CARL Building
Campus PO Box: 3546
Phone: (919) 684-2814 OR (919) 684-2824
FAX: (919) 684-5458
Research conducted in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGM) spans model and pathogenic organisms and the full spectrum of genetics from unicellular to multicellular eukaryotic organisms, including mice and humans. Existing areas of research strengths include: 1) microbiology (virology, mycology, bacteriology); 2) RNA biology and genomic expression analysis; 3) yeast genetics; 4) genetics of model systems and humans; and 5) chromosome structure, function, replication and repair. The department is currently composed of 29 primary faculty members, 33 secondary faculty members from multiple departments across the University, and 90 students.
Chair: Stephen G. Lisberger, PhD
Business Manager: Melissa Segal
Office: Bryan Research Building
Campus PO Box: 3209
Email: neurobio@duke.edu
The Department of Neurobiology aims to further our understanding of the brain and its role in health and disease through research and education. Research topics include how neural circuits create behavior, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that make brain cells function and adapt, and the mechanisms of brain development. The department is the administrative home for the interdepartmental Graduate Training Program in Neurobiology and works closely with the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS), other basic science departments, and relevant clinical departments.
Chair: Donald P. McDonnell, PhD
Assistant: Trena Martelon
Business Manager: Sharon Dowell-Newton
Office: C238A LSRC
Campus PO Box: 3813
Phone: (919) 684-6035
The Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology comprises 24 primary faculty, 85 graduate students and 39 postdoctoral fellows with complementary research interests and expertise. Ongoing research in the department addresses a myriad of important scientific questions relevant to cancer, metabolism, nervous system function, drugs of abuse, and environmental toxicants. One unifying theme is the use of pharmacological approaches to define the key regulatory steps in relevant pathways that may be amenable to pharmaceutical exploitation or whose dysregulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of disease.
Chair: Lesley Curtis, PhD
Assistant: Tracey Madrid
Business Manager: Teri-Lynne Sennett
Office:
215 Morris St. 2nd Floor
The Imperial Building
Durham, NC 27701
Campus Box: 104023
Phone: (919) 681 6709
The Department of Population Health Sciences was first launched as a center in February 2016 with the goal identifying determinants of health and the most effective means for improving health. Designated as a department July 1, 2017, This multi-disciplinary unit will comprise faculty members from a variety of disciplines including epidemiology, health services research and policy, health economics, health measurement and behavior, and implementation science who share an interest in answering complex questions about the drivers of health in populations. The department will foster active collaborations with the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, the Duke Global Health Institute, the Center for Community and Population Health Improvement, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the Duke University Health System, and other entities engaged in the science of population health.
Clinical Science Departments
Chair: Joseph P. Mathew, MD, MHSc, MBA
Assistant: Melinda Macalino
Business Manager: John Borrelli
Office: 5692 HAFS Building
Campus PO Box: 3094
Phone: (919) 681-6646
FAX: (919) 681-2923
The Department of Anesthesiology is composed of 12 clinical divisions and eight centers and programs. The department’s mission is to provide extraordinary care through a unique culture of innovation, education, research, and professional growth. The department is fueled by the unfettered ambition of faculty, staff, and trainees at Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, clinics in Mebane, and the Davis Ambulatory Surgery Center.
Chair: Russell P. Hall, III, MD
Assistant: Tria Smothers
Business Manager: Virginia King-Barker
Office: 4044 Purple Zone, Duke South
Campus PO Box: 3135
Phone: (919) 684-3110
FAX: (919) 684-3002
The Department of Dermatology consists of 26 faculty members within in the areas of General Dermatology, Pigmented Lesions, Immunodermatology, Lasers/Wound Treatment, MOHS Surgery, and Hair Disorders. The department also has nine adjunct faculty members, nine residents, one fellow, and eight postdoctoral scholars. The department focuses on three key areas: caring for patients; investigating skin diseases; and preparing students, residents, and fellows to be the next generation of highly-skilled dermatology specialists.
Chair: Anthony Viera, MD, MPH
Assistant: Kaye Gardner
Business Manager: Ellen O'Briant
Office: Suite 400, Room 405, Erwin Square
Campus PO Box: 2914
Phone: (919) 681-3178
The Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, established in 1966, took an early leadership role in developing strategies to improve the health of people in their communities. The department is composed of five interdependent divisions: Community Health, Family Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Physician Assistant, and Student Health. Today, the department is a diverse collection of clinical, educational, and research programs that seek ways to improve population health and health care delivery.
Interim Chair: Howard Wayne Francis, MD, MBA
Assistant: Irish Hamilton
Office: Room 3535, Blue Zone, Duke Clinics
Campus PO Box: BOX 3805
Phone: 919 -681-8069
The Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences currently comprises 36 faculty members involved in patient care, research, and education. Faculty members provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary, hospital-based care, including the regionally and nationally recognized clinical programs of the Duke Skull Base Program, Head and Neck Cancer Program with the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Voice Care Center, and Duke Hearing Center. The department has an equally strong focus on discovery and education. Research led by faculty in the division is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and industry. The department recently expanded its number of residents to 4 a year and expanded the number of fellowships to include Rhinology and Head and Neck Oncology. The department’s vision encompasses a continuum of discovery that advances the care of head and neck and communication disorders.
Chair: Kathleen Cooney, MD
Assistant: Judy Darnell
Interim Chief Administrative Officer: Ellen McCarthy Steinour
Office: 1102 Duke North
Campus PO Box: 3703
Phone: (919) 668-1755
FAX: (919) 681-5400
The Department of Medicine, comprising 12 divisions, serves as the academic home for more than 1,500 faculty members, staff, residents, and fellows engaged in research, education, and patient care. The department’s outstanding clinical programs are dedicated to providing the best in evidence-based patient care across all disciplines in medicine. Research and clinical activities serve as the basis for training future leaders in medicine through the department's widely-recognized residency and fellowship programs, whose former trainees are prominent among leaders in academic, practice, and administrative medicine.
Chair: Richard J. O'Brien, MD, PhD
Assistant: Evelyn Morgan
Business Manager: JT Solomon
Office: 227-J Bryan Research
Campus PO Box: 2900
Phone: (919) 684-0053
The Department of Neurology works to advance our understanding of the brain and nervous system, translate that understanding into treatment and prevention, and provide outstanding patient care. We understand the impact of devastating neurological disorders on the patient and their families. Our physicians treat and research complex neurological disorders, including neuropathy, epilepsy, sleep disorders, myasthenia gravis, migraine, head and neck pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, ALS, Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, and tumors of the brain and spinal cord. Our training programs in neurology attract high-caliber residents and fellows, and our faculty is nationally recognized leaders in neurological education. Faculty members from our Department are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their field of neuroscience research and attract over $5 million of research funding each year in clinical and basic research grants and contracts.
Chair: John Sampson, MD, PhD
Assistant: Tami Tuck
Business Manager: Kathy Tobin
The Department of Neurosurgery maintains a robust clinical practice with a national and international referral base and reputation. Our clinical service includes 20 staff neurosurgeons who are engaged in all clinical sub-specialties of neurosurgery. Our research team is led by a very productive group of clinically active neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, surgeon scientists, and seven dedicated PhD researchers, and has been awarded more than $21 million in grant support. The internationally recognized Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, recognized as a Program of Distinction within Duke Health, is housed within the department, as is our neurosurgical global health initiative. Our comprehensive residency training program is among the best in the country, and fellowships are offered in six multidisciplinary areas, including a recently added pediatric neurosurgery fellowship.
Chair: Matthew D. Barber, MD, MHS
Assistant: Laverne Alston
Business Manager: Jim Morgridge, MBA, CPA
Office: 203 Baker House
Campus PO Box: 3084
Phone: (919) 668-3948
FAX: (919) 668-5547
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology comprises eight clinical divisions, nearly 80 faculty members, 32 residents, 15 sub-specialty fellows and 100 rotating medical students and physician assistant program students. The department is a multidisciplinary academic department dedicated to advancing the care of women through research, education, and patient care. We are at the forefront of women’s reproductive health care and making innovations to better our community, patients, trainees, faculty, and health care as a whole.
Chair: Edward Buckley, MD
Assistant: Michele Clifton
Business Manager: Adrienne Lloyd
Office: Suite 3002, AERI Building
Campus PO Box: 3802
Phone: (919) 684-5846
FAX: (919) 681-6343
The Department of Ophthalmology is one of the leading ophthalmology programs in the country. The department is comprised of eight clinical divisions, over 60 clinical faculty and 14 research faculty members, 21 sub-specialty fellows, 17 residents, and numerous rotating medical students. The department is dedicated to offering the latest in clinical eye care, innovation through research and translational medicine, and training the next generation of ophthalmologists.
Chair: Ben Alman, MD
Assistant: Melanie Allen
Business Manager: Dara Purvis
Office: 200 Trent Drive, Orange Zone 5th floor, Durham, NC 27710
Campus PO Box: 2888
Phone: (919) 613-6935
FAX: (919) 684-8280
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s mission is to provide compassionate, cost-effective, and high quality patient care to all patients. Faculty members perform cutting-edge research that translates into improved patient care at Duke and around the world. The department also is dedicated to training the next generation of surgeons in an environment that challenges and educates them across a spectrum of disciplines including patient care, research, and academic pursuit.
Chair: Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD
Assistant: Patricia Lea
Office: M301 Davison Building
Campus PO Box: 3712
Phone: (919) 684-9929
FAX: (919) 681-0778
The Department of Pathology’s vision is to deepen the understanding of human illness and disease treatments through the use of technology and research. The department consists of 53 clinical and 17 research faculty, 25 residents, five fellows, 23 graduate students, and 16 Pathologists' Assistant students, all who strive to transform medicine and healthcare locally and globally through innovative scientific research, rapid translation of breakthrough discoveries, educating future clinical and scientific leaders, advocating and practicing evidence-based medicine to improve community health, and leading efforts to eliminate health inequalities.
Chair: Ann M. Reed, MD
Assistant: Theresa Harris
Business Manager: Susan Kline
Office: T0901 Children's Health Center
Campus PO Box: 3352
Phone: (919) 681-4080
FAX: (919) 681-2714
The Department of Pediatrics comprises 19 divisions and includes nearly 200 faculty members, 72 residents, 65 subspecialty fellows, and 100 rotating medical students.The department is dedicated to providing world-class patient care to children of all ages in a family-centered atmosphere; educating future leaders in pediatric medicine; discovering treatments that will enhance the health care of future generations; and advocating for children, all while aiming to achieve these goals in a diverse and inclusive environment.
Chair: Moira Rynn, MD
Chief Administrative Officer:: Jennifer Ellis
Office: 4584 White Zone, Duke South
Campus PO Box: 3950
Phone: (919) 684-5616
FAX: (919) 681-5489
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is an interdisciplinary leader in brain and behavioral health. The department’s 430 active faculty are organized into eight divisions: addictions; behavioral medicine; brain stimulation and neurophysilogy; child and family mental health and developmental neuroscience; geriatric behavioral health; social and community; translational neuroscience; and general psychiatry. The department seeks to provide the best available care to patients and their families, while advancing science to improve mental health on a global scale and equipping its roughly 80 trainees to lead the future of mental health care.
Chair: Christopher G. Willett, MD
Assistant: Donna Wimberley
Business Manager: Joy Sprink
Office: 05143A Morris Building
Campus PO Box: 3085
Phone: (919) 668-5640
FAX: (919) 688-7345
The Department of Radiation Oncology consists of 53 clinical and research faculty members, 14 students, 11 residents, and an esteemed Radiation Physics Division. The department’s four core missions are to provide expert, compassionate, and prompt clinical service to patients; to generate new knowledge concerning the causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer; to transmit new knowledge from clinical and laboratory research to the medical community and the public; and to actively participate in, and further the missions of, the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Health System, and Duke University.
Chair: Erik Paulson
Assistant: Maria Nelson
Business Manager: John Dion
Office: 1527 Duke Hospital
Campus PO Box: 3808
Phone: (919) 684-7293
Fax: (919) 613-5716
The Department of Radiology is committed to providing the highest quality imaging services, reporting, safety, education and support of innovative laboratory and clinical research. We are comprised of nine subspecialty clinical divisions that include Abdominal Imaging, Breast Imaging, Cardiothoracic Imaging, Interventional Radiology, Musculoskeletal Imaging, Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine, Pediatric Radiology and the Raleigh Community Division. We have 75 subspecialty faculty, 32 research faculty, 48 residents and 35 fellows that serve 11 locations. Our residency is among the most competitive in the country and Radiology is a required clerkship for every Duke University medical student. Our radiologists work closely with referring physicians to provide state-of-the-art radiologic care and service to our patients.
Chair: Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, FACS
David C. Sabiston, Jr. Professor of Surgery
Assistant: Kim Toole
Chief Administrator: Katherine Stanley
Office: 7690 HAFS Building, Duke North
Campus PO Box: DUMC 3704
Phone: (919) 681-3445
FAX: (919) 681-2779
The Department of Surgery is one of the leading surgery programs in the world, committed to Duke Health's mission of providing outstanding and compassionate patient care, training tomorrow's leaders, and conducting innovative research. The department consists of 328 clinical and research faculty, 160 house staff, and 576 staff members. There are 12 divisions in the department.