Leadership Update: Executive Vice Dean for Basic and Preclinical Science

Colin S. Duckett, PhD, executive vice dean for basic and preclinical science, will leave Duke University to become the next provost and chief academic officer of Boston University, effective July 1. Dr. Duckett’s last day at Duke will be June 30, 2026. A distinguished immunologist and molecular biologist, Dr. Duckett has strengthened Duke Health’s academic mission through his thoughtful, collaborative, and strategic leadership. During his time at Duke, Dr. Duckett accomplished an extraordinary amount, leaving a lasting imprint on our School of Medicine community.

For nearly a decade, Dr. Duckett has been a steadfast advocate for the basic science community at Duke. Among his many contributions, Dr. Duckett was a fervent leader of the Duke Science and Technology (DST) initiative, a university-wide effort aimed to accelerate interdisciplinary scholarship and recruit scholars from across the nation to Duke. He worked across campus to shape strategy to strengthen graduate education, research infrastructure, and academic planning. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, his leadership was instrumental to ensure laboratory research continued without pause.

I am grateful for Dr. Duckett’s service and the lasting contributions he has made to the School of Medicine. With his upcoming departure, we will launch an internal search for the vice dean for basic and preclinical science led by Michael B. Kastan, MD, PhD, William and Jane Shingleton Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Duckett for his service and in wishing him success as he begins this new chapter in his career.

Sincerely,

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