Robert M. Califf, MD, Duke University adjunct professor of medicine (cardiology) and former director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), has been confirmed as commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration following a vote by the Senate.

Janice Massey, MD, Professor of Neurology and Senior Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine, (AANEM) in recognition of her decades of service to patient care and the field of neurology.

Dr. L. Ebony Boulware, is the first-author on a perspective in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published Saturday, entitled, Combating Structural Inequities — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Clinical and Translational Research.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.