Five Duke University School of Medicine faculty members have been selected to receive 2026 Physician-Scientist Strong Start Awards. The awards program, funded with a gift from the Nanaline H. Duke Fund, supports promising early career physician-scientists at Duke as they develop independent research programs.
Each recipient will receive $120,000 annually for three years to support their research programs. Since 2017, 51 faculty have received Strong Start awards.
This year’s recipients are:
-
Eugene Vaios, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology
-
Christopher Reed, MD, assistant professor of surgery
-
Michael Forrester, MD/PhD, medical instructor in the Department of Medicine
-
George Cortina, MD/PhD, assistant professor in anesthesiology.
-
Krista Haines, DO, assistant professor of surgery
The Strong Start program is administered by the School of Medicine’s Office for Physician-Scientist Development and integrates with other physician-scientist development programs, including the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD-PhD students) and the Lefkowitz Society (clinical residents and fellows).
“The Nanaline H. Duke Fund’s renewed commitment strengthens biomedical research across the entire Duke ecosystem,” said Rasheed Gbadegesin, MD, associate dean for physician scientist development. “This year’s Strong Start awardees exemplify the promise of our early‑career physician‑scientists, and the Fund’s expanded support for OPSD programs and the dean’s bridge funding program provides essential stability in a challenging research climate. Their generosity helps us drive discovery.”