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.

Debara L. Tucci is a national expert on the causes, impact, and treatment of hearing impairment and loss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In January of 2020, Loren Robinson, MD’09, and the rest of the leadership at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, a 312-bed hospital in Texarkana, Texas, gathered to conduct an annual tabletop exercise in crisis management, mandated as part of the hospital’s regulatory requirements.

Congratulations to the 342 students from the Duke University School of Medicine who graduate this month. Despite a historically challenging year, faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing impacts of social injustice, students pushed forward with hard work and dedication. We celebrate their many accomplishments and wish them the best in the years ahead.