Leadership Transition in the Department of Radiology

After 13 years of outstanding leadership, Erik K. Paulson, MD, FACR, Robert J. Reeves Distinguished Professor of Radiology, will step down as chair of the Department of Radiology on March 31, 2027. He will continue to advance the school’s academic, research, and clinical missions as a faculty member.

During Dr. Paulson’s tenure as chair, the Department of Radiology has had remarkable growth in imaging, including the incorporation of imaging volume from Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital, and several ambulatory centers, with additional expansion plans under way. Under his leadership, the number of clinical faculty has more than doubled, with this upward trajectory expected to continue in the coming years.

Dr. Paulson has also overseen notable success in the department’s education and research missions. The radiology clerkship curriculum has been enhanced, the radiology residency is ranked among the most competitive in the country, and the department offers nine highly competitive fellowship training programs. The Department of Radiology is recognized as an international leader in laboratory and clinical investigation and is one of the most prolific radiology departments in the country for peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Paulson is recognized as a leader in his field. He specializes in cross-sectional imaging of the abdomen, with a focus on liver, biliary, and pancreatic disease and the acute abdomen, and he conducts research in these areas as well as advanced CT technology assessment. Dr. Paulson was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Radiology in 2023 and awarded the Gold Medal from the Society of Advanced Body Imaging in 2024.

Dr. Paulson served as chair of the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) Board of Managers from 2019 to 2023, leading efforts to integrate the PDC with Duke Health, and was a member of the Duke University Health System Board of Directors from 2020 to 2026. He has also served in multiple leadership positions in national professional organizations, including president of the Society of Advanced Body Imaging and the American Roentgen Ray Society.

We will launch a national search for the next chair of the Department of Radiology, led by Ben Alman, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the James R. Urbaniak, MD, Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery.

Please join us in expressing our profound gratitude to Dr. Paulson for his excellent leadership and service. We look forward to his continued contributions to Duke and to the field of radiology.

Sincerely,

Mary E. Klotman, MD
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs,
Duke University;
Dean, Duke University School of Medicine;
Chief Academic Officer, Duke Health 
 

David W. Zaas, MD, MBA 
Chief Executive Officer, 
Duke University Health System