Lefkowitz Society

The Robert J. Lefkowitz Society provides a home for MD and MD/PhD post-graduate trainees who are in the Duke University School of Medicine, and are pursuing careers with a primary focus on basic and translational research as physician-investigators.

Robert J. Lefkowitz

Robert J. Lefkowitz

Duke Health Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Sudar Rajagopal

Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD

Lefkowitz Society Director

Through formal and informal mentoring relationships, the Lefkowitz Society provides promising post-graduate trainees with a greater understanding of how to develop successful academic careers.

The Lefkowitz Society helps members grow opportunities to develop successful research projects, and helps them find appropriate research mentors and investigative teams as early as possible in order to enhance their future research success and productivity. Members will benefit from direct interactions with senior physician-investigators at Duke through a series of dinner programs and other activities.

Learn More

For more information, contact Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD, Lefkowitz Society Director and Associate Professor of Medicine, at sudarshan.rajagopal@duke.edu.

The Lefkowitz Society is named for Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2012.

In his 40 years as a Duke researcher, Dr. Lefkowitz has mentored more than 200 trainees. He has embraced the opportunity to serve as a role model and informal mentor for members of the eponymous Lefkowitz Society.

The Lefkowitz Society comprises selected Duke internal medicine post-graduate trainees with either an MD or MD/PhD dual degrees and a significant interest in pursuing a research-intensive academic career.

The Society will engage 5-10 new members per year and membership will extend throughout their training as long as the career focus remains.

  • The Society will be overseen by a Program Director. The program director will also assist members in selecting their primary research mentors and identifying funding opportunities.
  • Members will be selected through a nomination and review process coordinated by the Society Program Director with input from residency program leaders, department chairs, and division chiefs.
  • Potential candidates will be vetted through an interview.
  • Following the vetting process, a formal letter signed by the Society Program Director will be issued to each approved candidate, inviting the post-graduate trainee to be a member of the society.
  • The Lefkowitz Society will hold up to six dinner meetings per year on campus or at the home of a faculty member. Senior physician-investigators from Duke and elsewhere will be invited to these meetings and asked to share career advice and scientific perspectives. Selected fellows may also be invited and engaged to participate in the process.
  • Society members may request financial support to attend scientific meetings over the course of residency training. These requests will be coordinated by the Society Program Director and chief residents to ensure that no scheduling issues affecting patient care staffing arise.
  • Society members will also be supported to attend institutional career development activities, such as the grant writing seminar and leadership programs offered by the School of Medicine.
  • The Society will coordinate with the OPSD to support an annual physician-scientist symposium to highlight Society members' research activities. In addition, members will be invited to represent the Society at Duke Clinical and Basic Science Days, and other opportunities as they arise.
  • Society members will be given priority for selection into fellowship training programs at Duke.

Below is a list of Lefkowitz Society members, the medical schools they attended, and their current departments or fellowship programs.

Lefkowitz on Connected Leadership

Robert Lefkowitz was featured once again on the 'Connected Leadership' podcast to speak about his method of mentoring and the importance of community in performing scientific research.

The 'Connected Leadership' podcast explores the importance of professional relationships and executive success. This podcast episode is packed with brilliant advice, profound wisdom, and unforgettable stories that capture 'Connected Leadership' at its very best. Click the button below to listen to Dr. Lefkowitz's feature on episode 300, starting at 3 minutes and ending at 14 minutes.

Listen

Robert Lefkowitz Featured on Connected Leadership Podcast

Robert Lefkowitz previously appeared on the 'Connected Leadership' podcast in February 2022 to speak about his memoir 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm' that describes his journey as a scientist, ability to effectively communicate with humor, and earning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Click the button below to listen to this hour and 15-minute podcast.

Listen

Below are current members, the medical schools they attended, and affiliated fellowship departments.

Name

Medical School

Department/Fellowship Program
Aaditya Khatri, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Abigail Benkert, MD Tufts University Surgery
Alejandro Antonia, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Alexander Moghadam, MD, PhD New York Medical College Medicine
Alvin Rucker, MD, MPH Duke University Surgery
Anand Kornepati, MD, PhD UT Health San Antonio Medicine
Andrew Hardigan, MD, PhD University of Alabama-Birmingham Neurosurgery
Annie Liu, MD, PhD University of Pittsburgh Surgery
Arvind Konkimalla, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Ashley Thrower, MD University of North Carolina Medicine
Auri García González, MD, PhD University of Massachusetts Surgery
Ayad Ali, MD, PhD University of Cincinnati Head and Neck Surgery & Comm. Sciences
Berk Aykut, MD Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg (Germany) Surgery
Brian Shaw, MD University of California San Francisco Surgery
Brynna Eisele, MD, PhD Vanderbilt University Psychiatry
Cesar Lopez Angel, MD, PhD Stanford University Pediatrics
Cheryl Zogg, MD, PhD Yale University Surgery
Christopher Bassil, MD, PhD Duke University Pediatrics
Daniel Joh, MD, PhD Duke University Orthopaedic Surgery
Daniel Schuster, MD Albany Medical College Surgery
David Bader, MD, PhD Baylor College of Medicine Medicine
David Elliott, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
David Severson MD, PhD Harvard Medical School/Oxford Surgery
Derek Zachman MD, PhD Oregon Health and Science University Pediatrics
Elinor Mannon, MD, PhD Medical College of Georgia Surgery
Eoghan Hurley, MBBCh, PhD Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Orthopaedic Surgery
Ethan Cottrill, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Surgery
Fahmin Basher, MD, PhD Medical University of South Carolina Medicine
Felix De Bie, MD, MBE, PhD Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) General Surgery
HannahSofia Brown, MD Duke University Medicine
Iryna Ivasyk, MD, PhD Weill Cornell Medicine  Orthopaedic Surgery 
James Harris, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School/MIT Ophthalmology
Jenny A. O’Brien, MD, PhD Temple University Medicine
John Barber, MD University of North Carolina Pediatrics
John Lewis Etter, MD, PhD The State University of New York Medicine
Josh Barton, MD, PhD Thomas Jefferson University Medicine
Joshua Kowalczyk, MD University of Virginia Medicine
Joyce Hwang, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School Medicine
Katherine Zhou, MD, PhD University of Chicago Medicine
Katie Lee, MD University of Illinois Medicine
Kelsey McNew, MD, PhD Vanderbilt University Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kevin Goff, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Radiation Oncology
Kevin M. Blum, MD, PhD Ohio State University Pediatrics
Laura Meissner Izzo, MD Thomas Jefferson University Pediatrics
Lauren West-Livingston, MD, PhD Wake Forest University Surgery
Lilianna Suarez, MD, MPH Duke University Medicine
Lisa Earnest-Noble, MD, PhD Weill Cornell Medicine/Memorial Sloan Kettering/ Rockefeller University  Head and Neck Surgery & Comm. Sciences
Lyra Beatriz Olson, MD, PhD Duke University Emergency Medicine
Maggie O’Connor, MD, PhD Drexel University Surgery
Maria Xu, MD, PhD University of Connecticut Surgery
Mark Chen, MD, PhD Duke University Radiation Oncology
Matthew Draelos, MD, PhD Duke University Dermatology
Matthew Pun, MD, PhD University of Michigan Pediatrics
Maxwell Edmonds, MD, PhD Northwestern University  Obstetrics and Gynecology
Michael Kiritsy, MD, PhD University of Massachusetts Medicine
Michael Okoreeh, MD, PhD University of Chicago Surgery
Michael Forrester, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Nicholas Brazeau, MD, PhD University of North Carolina Medicine
Nicole Zatorski, MD, PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medicine
Peter Hendrickson, MD, PhD University of Utah Radiation Oncology
Rolvix Patterson, MD, PhD Tufts University Head and Neck Surgery & Comm. Sciences
Russell Thompson, MD, PhD Washington University St. Louis Radiology
Ryan Meyerhoff, MD, PhD Duke University Radiology
Ryne Ramaker, MD, PhD  University of Alabama-Birmingham Medicine
Sam Haddad MD, PhD American University of Beirut/University of Cambridge Medicine 
Sarah Kim, MD, PhD Virginia Commonwealth University  Head and Neck Surgery & Comm. Sciences
Shambhavi Singh, MD,PhD University of Virginia Medicine
Sonali Bracken, MD, PhD University of Connecticut Medicine
Stefan Barisic, MD University of Belgrade (Serbia) Medicine
Tanziyah Muqeem, MD, PhD Thomas Jefferson University  Medicine
William McAlpine, MD, PhD UT Southwestern Medical Center Medicine
Yorleny Mora, MD, PhD Case Western Reserve University Radiation Oncology
Zachary Lorsch, MD PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medicine

Below are our alumni and their current roles, along with their affiliated universities or companies.

Alumni Current Position University/Company
Adam Shoffner, MD, PhD Surgical Critical Care Fellow  University of Michigan
Adrian Randall, MD Hospitalist Physician Duke Regional Hospital
Agnes Chao, MD Pediatrics Faculty University of Washington
Ahmad Farooq, MD Gastroenterology Faculty Duke University
Alex Gooding, MD, PhD Radiation Oncologist Novant Health
Alexa Bramall, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Alexander Lazarides, MD Orthopedic Surgery Faculty Moffitt Cancer Center
Alexandra Bey, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty   Duke University
Ammon Fager, MD, PhD Medicine/Hematology Faculty   Duke University
Amro Ilaiwy, MD Associate Program Director  Internal Medicine Residency Program   WakeMed
Andrew Morgan, MD, PhD Pediatric/Internal Medicine Faculty   UNC
Angelique Boutzoukas, MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty   Duke University
Ashley Helseth, MD, PhD Pediatric Neurology Faculty   Wake Forest University
Ashley Stark, MD Pediatrics Faculty   University of Chicago Medicine
Bangchen Wang, MD, PhD Pathology Faculty   Duke University
Benjamin Cocanougher, MD, PhD Pediatrics Faculty/Medical Geneticist   Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Bin Ni, MD, PhD Infectious Disease Specialist   Houston Methodist 
Bradford Becken , MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty   University of Nebraska
Brian Miller, MD, PhD Medical Oncology Faculty   UNC
Candace Haddox, MD Medical Oncology Faculty   Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Charity Oyedeji, MD Hematology Faculty   Duke University
Christopher Severyn, MD, PhD Medical Director   Allogenic Therapeutics
Daniel Edmonston, MD Medicine/Nephrology Faculty   Duke University
Daniel Nussbaum, MD Surgery Faculty   Duke University
Daniel Parker, MD Geriatrics and Palliative Care Faculty   Duke University
Daniel Sexton, MD Pediatric Neurosurgery Clinical Instructor   Stanford Medicine Children's Health
David Beavers, MD, PhD Cardiology Faculty   University of Tennessee
DeAnna Baker, MD, PhD Rheumatology Faculty   Medical University of South Carolina
Deborah Rose, MD Behavioral Neurology  Fellow   Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Dimitrios Moris, MD, PhD Surgeon  MedStar  Georgetown University Hospital
Emily Eichenberger, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty   Emory University
Eric Wei, MD, PhD Cardiology Fellow  Brigham and Women's Hospital
Fang Sun, MD, PhD Neurology Faculty   University of Pittsburgh
Felicia Cao, MD, PhD Hematology/Oncology Faculty   UNC
Ganga Moorthy, MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty  Duke University
Gentzon Hall, MD, PhD Medicine/Nephrology Faculty  Duke University
George (Bert) Cortina, MD, PhD Anesthesiology Faculty Duke University
Gopalkumar Rakesh, MD Psychiatry Faculty   University of Kentucky
Gustaaf de Ridder,  MD, PhD Division Chief of Transfusion Medicine   Geisinger 
Hanghang Wang, MD Surgery Faculty   Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Holly Lewis, MD, PhD Critical Care Fellow   Cleveland Clinic
Irma Husain, MBBS Medicine/Nephrology Faculty Duke University
Jacob Kaufman,  MD, PhD Medical Oncology Faculty   Ohio State University
James Isaacs, MD Medical Oncology Faculty   Cleveland Clinic
James Wisler, MD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Jamie Privratsky, MD, PhD Anesthesiology Faculty Duke University
Jane Healy, MD, PhD Vice President/TA Head Oncology Early Clinical Development   Merck
Jeffrey Keenan, MD Surgery Faculty  Duke University Duke University
Jeffrey Prescott, MD, PhD Radiology Faculty   Case Western Reserve University
Jessica Liu, MD, PhD Anesthesiologist   Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Jessica Regan, MD Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Jonathan Young, MD Psychiatry Faculty  Duke University
Jordan Ezekian, MD, MPH Pediatric Cardiology Faculty   UT Southwestern Medical Center
Jordan Pomeroy, MD, PhD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Joshua Parsons, MD, PhD Medicine/ Infectious Disease Faculty  Duke University
Joshua Thaden, MD, PhD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Julie Childers, MD, PhD Pediatrics Faculty   Novant Health
Julie Steinbrink, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Justin Low, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty Duke University
Kara Wegermann, MD Medicine/Gastroenterology Faculty Duke University
Karolina Woroniecka, MD, PhD Pathologist   WPM Pathology Laboratory/Private Practice
Kim Darlington, MD,PhD Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellow   UNC
Kristen Batich, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Kristin Weimer, MD, PhD Pediatrics/Neonatology Faculty Duke University
Laura Musselwhite, MD, MPH  GI Oncologist   Levine Cancer Institute
Lauren Covert, M.D. Pediatrics/Rheumatology Faculty Duke University
Leah Acker, MD, PhD Anesthesiology Faculty  Duke University
Manasa Gurumoorthi, MD Pediatric Cardiology Fellow  Stanford Medicine
Mandar Aras, MD, PhD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty   University of California  San Francisco
Marcelo Cerullo, MD MPH Thoracic Surgery Fellow   Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Marybeth Nedrud, MD, PhD Radiology Faculty   Duke University
Matthew Makowski, MD, PhD Aerospace Fellow   UTMB
Max Krucoff, MD Neurosurgery Faculty   Medical College of Wisconsin
Megan DuPuis, MD, PhD Hem/Onc Faculty   Vanderbilt University
Melodi Whitley, MD, PhD Dermatology Faculty   University of Nebraska
Meredith K. Sooy-Mossey, MD, MS  Pediatrics Faculty   East Carolina University
Michael Kritzer-Cheren, MD, PhD Neuropsych Faculty   MGH
Michael Mulvihill, M.D. Surgery Faculty   University of Minnesota
Mike Powers, MD, MBA Cardiology Faculty   University of Iowa
Muath Bishawi, MD, MPH Surgery Faculty   Emory University
Nathan Hawkey, MD, MBA Medical Director   Tubulis GmbH
Nellie Farrow, MD Surgery Faculty   Emory University
Nicholas DeVito, MD Medicine/Medical Oncology Faculty   Duke University
Nicholas Mischel, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty   Wayne State University
Nicholas Turner, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty  Duke University
Rachel Randell, MD Pediatrics Faculty  Duke University
Reid Chamberlain, MD Pediatrics/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Robert McGarrah, MD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty  Duke University
Rohan Vilms, MD Medical Director   Inventprise
Siddhartha Sen, MD, PhD Pathology Faculty   University of Minnesota
Stacey Maskarinec, MD, PhD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty   Duke University
Stephen Gaeta, MD, PhD Cardiologist   Inova Medical Group
Stephen Harward, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty   Duke University
Tanmay Gokhale, MD, PhD Cardiology Fellow   University of Pittsburgh
Taymour Hammoudi, MD, PhD Pediatrics-Heme/Onc and Bone Marrow Transplantation Faculty University of Colorado
Tessa Genders, MD, PhD Cardiology Faculty   University of Colorado
Tim Robinson, MD, PhD Radiation Oncology Faculty   Yale School of Medicine
Tsion Aberra, MD, PhD Cardiologist   Cardiocare
Vignesh Raman, MD, MHS Thoracic Surgeon   Alaska VA Healthcare System
Vijay Swahari, MD Psychiatrist   UCLA Health
Yike Jiang, MD, PhD Pediatrics/Rheumatology Faculty Duke University
Yvonne Mowery, M.D., PhD. Radiation Oncology Faculty   University of Pittsburgh 
Zach Healy, MD Medicine/Pulmonary Faculty   Duke University
Zachary Silver, MD, PhD Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Fellow University of California  San Francisco