DukeMed Alumni News

Philip Gold is arguably the world’s foremost expert on the neuroendocrine underpinnings of psychiatry and a pioneering investigator of the pathophysiology of major depression. Among many major contributions, he developed the prevailing hypothesis that depression represents a systematic dysregulation of the central nervous system stress system.

L. Ebony Boulware, MD'95, MPH, is a nationally known researcher, educator, and academic leader who has made fundamental contributions to improving the quality and equity of health care and outcomes for individuals and populations affected by chronic health conditions including kidney disease and hypertension.

Debara L. Tucci is a national expert on the causes, impact, and treatment of hearing impairment and loss. She is director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Prior to going to NIH in 2019, she was on faculty in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine for 26 years.

Debara Tucci is a national expert on the causes, impact, and treatment of hearing impairment and loss. She is director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Prior to going to NIH in 2019, she was on faculty in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine for 26 years.

Lejla Vajzovic has established an international reputation as a rising star in vitreoretinal surgery, research, and teaching. She is an ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon with expertise in pediatric and adult retinal diseases and surgery. She is interested in cutting edge technologies and recovery of vision in hereditary retinal diseases with retinal implants and stem cell technology.

Lisa Amaya-Jackson is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a tireless advocate for children and families who have experienced violence, trauma, abuse, and loss.

Neil MacIntyre, MD, is a professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and former vice-chair of clinical services in the Department of Medicine.

Priya Kishnani, MD, HS'91-'95, is the Chen Family Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, chief of the Division of Medical Genetics, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, core faculty member of the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiatives, and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Amy Abernethy, MD'94, HS'94-'01, PhD, is an internationally-known oncologist, health data expert and digital health leader. Her >500 publications span real-world data & evidence, clinical trials, patient reported outcomes, clinical informatics, health policy and patient-centered care.

When Thom Mayer, MD’77, enrolled at Hanover College in Indiana on a football scholarship, he had no career aspirations in medicine. In fact, he had no career aspirations at all, beyond riding football as far as it could take him.