Leadership Transition at Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine

After a decade of service, Jeffrey P. Baker, MD, PhD, will step down as director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, effective June 30, 2026.

Dr. Baker has led the Trent Center since 2016, building on a longstanding commitment to its mission and community. Earning both his MD from Duke University School of Medicine and his PhD in history from Duke, he is a proud alumnus who has dedicated much of his career to advancing Duke’s missions in education, scholarship, and patient care.

Over the past decade, he has strengthened the Trent Center as a vital hub for bioethics, humanities, and the history of medicine at Duke, expanding its educational offerings for medical and health professional students, growing its network of affiliated faculty, and bringing a wide array of distinguished speakers to campus.

During his tenure as director, Dr. Baker also advanced important scholarship connecting Duke’s history to the Durham community, including leading collaborative research initiatives and co-developing the Unhealed podcast, which has become part of our medical education curriculum.

We are deeply grateful for Dr. Baker’s leadership, teaching, and service, and for the lasting impact he has made on the Trent Center and across the School of Medicine.

To support the next phase of leadership for the Trent Center, Theodore N. Pappas, MD, associate vice dean for department and center evaluations, will chair an internal search committee to identify the next director. The position description is available here for those interested in applying or sharing with colleagues.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Baker for his many contributions to the Trent Center, and in wishing him well as he continues his work and scholarship at Duke.