DukeMed Alumni News

In a lot of ways, Susan Blackwell (Crawford), MHS, PA-C’89, and the physician assistant profession have grown up together. They were born at roughly the same time, matured in parallel and proximity, and for more than three decades they’ve been inextricably linked.

Nick Heaton, PhD, has turned his research focus from influenza to another RNA virus: COVID-19. He is using powerful gene-editing tools to identify candidates for host-directed therapeutics, which don’t attack the virus directly but instead target proteins the virus needs.

Emily Wang, MD’03, initially intended to study HIV research and treatment, but midway through medical school she became interested in the issues facing inmate populations. Now a professor in the Yale School of Medicine, she explores the health effects that mass incarceration has on populations both inside and outside of prison — a subject that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief.

Kevin Thomas MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, has been named Duke University School of Medicine’s first Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded $17.5 million over three years to the Duke Human Vaccine Institute to develop a vaccine that protects against multiple types of coronaviruses and viral variants.

Election to NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, and Cagla Eroglu, PhD, have been named Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators. HHMI provides its researchers with long-term flexible funding that gives them the freedom to explore and, if necessary, change direction. Becoming a HHMI investigator is a tremendous scientific achievement.

The Duke University School of Medicine welcomes students from across the country and around the world who start their health professions careers at the School of Medicine this month. First- and second-year students in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program participated in White Coat Ceremonies on Aug. 6. The second-year students were unable to hold an in-person ceremony last year due to COVID-19. The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program also held a White Coat Ceremony in July, and the Physician Assistant Program will hold one later this month.

A surgical team at Duke University Hospital, led by Drs. Jacob Schroder and Carmelo Milano, successfully implanted a new-generation artificial heart in a 39-year-old man with heart failure, becoming the first center in North America to perform the procedure. 

This spring, nine faculty members in the Duke University School of Medicine have been awarded distinguished professorships. In total, Duke University awarded distinguished professors to 22 faculty members from eight Duke colleges and schools this year. Distinguished professorships are awarded to faculty who have demonstrated extraordinary scholarship in advancing science and improving human health. 

The 2021 recipients from the School of Medicine are: