Partner Programs

Robert J. 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.

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 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.

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.

Learn More

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

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

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

Name

Medical School

Department/Fellowship Program
Alejandro Antonia, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Cesar Lopez Angel, MD, PhD Stanford University Pediatrics
Berk Aykut, M.D. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg (Germany) Surgery
David Bader, MD, PhD Baylor College of Medicine Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
John Barber, MD University of North Carolina Medicine
Josh Barton, MD, PhD Thomas Jefferson University Medicine
Fahmin Basher, MD, PhD Medical University of South Carolina Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
Alexandra Bey, MD, PhD Duke University Psychiatry/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Nicholas Brazeau, MD, PhD University of North Carolina Medicine, Infectious Disease
Sonali Bracken, MD, PhD University of Connecticut Medicine
HannahSofia Brown, MD Duke University Medicine
Marcelo Cerullo, MD MPH Johns Hopkins Surgery
Mark Chen, MD, PhD Duke University Radiation Oncology
Benjamin Cocanougher, MD,PhD University of Rochester/University of Cambridge Pediatrics
Ethan Cottrill, MD,PhD Johns Hopkins Orthopedic Surgery
Matthew Draelos, MD,PhD Duke University Dermatology
Brynna Eisele, MD, PhD Vanderbilt University Psychiatry
David Elliott, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine/Cardiology
Nellie Farrow, MD University of Virginia Surgery
Aurian García González, MD, PhD University of Massachusetts Surgery
Alex Gooding, MD, PhD Case Western Reserve Radiation Oncology
Manasa Gurumoorthi, MD Case Western Reserve Pediatrics
Peter Hendrickson, MD, PhD University of Utah Radiation Oncology
Eoghan Hurley, MB, BCh, PhD Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland Orthopedic Surgery
Joyce Hwang, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
Yike Jiang, MD, PhD Dartmouth Pediatrics, Rheumatology
Daniel Joh, MD, PhD Duke University Surgery, Plastic Surgery
Aaditya Khatri, MD, PhD Duke University Medicine
Michael Kiritsy, MD, PhD University of Massachusetts Medicine
Holly Lewis, MD, PhD Emory University Surgery
Annie Liu, MD, PhD University of Pittsburgh Surgery
Zachary Lorsch, MD PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medicine
Matthew Makowski, MD, PhD Indiana University Medicine/Pulmonary
Elinor Mannon, MD, PhD Medical College of Georgiu Surgery
William McAlpine, MD, PhD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center  Medicine
Ryan Meyerhoff, MD, PhD Duke University Radiology
Dimitrios Moris, MD, PhD University of Athens, Greece Surgery
Tanziyah Muqeem, MD, PhD Thomas Jefferson University  Medicine/Neurology
Michael Mulvihill, M.D. Duke University Surgery
Bin Ni, MD, PhD Ohio State University Medicine, Infectious Disease
Maggie O’Connor, MD, PhD Drexel University Surgery
Michael Okoreeh, MD, PhD University of Chicago Surgery
Joshua Parsons, MD, PhD University of Tennessee Medicine
Ryne Ramaker, MD, PhD  University of Alabama-Birmingham Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
Vignesh Raman, MD Dartmouth Surgery
Adrian Randall, MD Duke University Medicine
Deborah Rose, MD Loyola University Neurology
Alvin Rucker, MD, MPH Duke University Surgery
David Severson MD, D. Phil. Harvard Medical School/Oxford Surgery
Daniel Sexton, MD Case Western Reserve University Neurosurgery
Brian Shaw, MD UCSF Surgery
Adam Shoffner, MD Yale University Surgery
Dan Schuster, MD Albany Medical College Surgery
Zachary Silver, MD, PhD University of Miami  Medicine
Meredith K. Sooy-Mossey, MD, MS  University of Vermont Pediatrics, Cardiology
Ashley Stark, MD Georgetown University Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
Lilianna Suarez, MD, MPH Duke University Medicine/Pediatrics
Ashley Thrower, MD University of North Carolina Medicine/Pediatrics
Bangchen Wang, MD, PhD University of Nebraska  Pathology
Lauren West-Livingston, MD, PhD Wake Forest University Surgery
Karolina Woroniecka, MD, PhD Duke University Pathology
Maria Xu, MD, PhD University of Connecticut Surgery
Derek Zachman MD, PhD Oregon Health and Science University Pediatrics
Katherine Zhou, MD, PhD University of Chicago Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
Cheryl Zogg, MD, PhD Yale University Surgery

Below are current members, their positions, and their affiliated university or company.

Alumni Current Position University/Company
Tsion Aberra, MD, PhD Cardiologist Cardiocare
Leah Acker, MD, PhD Anesthesiology Faculty Duke University
Mandar Aras, MD, PhD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty University of California, San Francisco
DeAnna Baker, MD, PhD Rheumatology Faculty Medical University of South Carolina
Kristen Batich, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
David Beavers, MD, PhD Cardiology Faculty University of Tennessee
Bradford Becken, MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty University of Nebraska
Alexandra Bey, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty Duke University
Muath Bishawi, MD, MPH Surgery Faculty Emory University
Angelique Boutzoukas, MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Alexa Bramall, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Agnes Chao, MD Pediatrics Faculty University of Washington
Reid Chamberlain, MD Pediatrics/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Felicia Cao, MD, PhD Hem/Onc Fellow University of North Carolina
Lauren Covert, M.D. Pediatrics/Rheumatology Faculty Duke University
Kim Darlington, MD, PhD Gastroenterology Fellow University of North Carolina
Gustaaf de Ridder,  MD, PhD Director of Transfusion Services Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Nicholas DeVito, MD Medicine/Medical Oncology Faculty Duke University
Megan DuPuis, MD, PhD Hematology/Oncology Faculty Vanderbilt University
Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty Duke University
Daniel Edmonston, MD Medicine/Nephrology Faculty Duke University
Emily Eichenberger, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty, Emory University
Jordan Ezekian, MD, MPH Pediatric Cardiology Faculty University of Texas Southwestern
Ahmad Farooq, MD Gastroenterology Faculty Duke University
Stephen Gaeta, MD, PhD Cardiologist Inova Medical Group
Tessa Genders, MD, PhD Cardiology Faculty University of Colorado
Tanmay Gokhale, MD, PhD Cardiology Fellow University of Pittsburgh
Gentzon Hall, MD, PhD Medicine/Nephrology Faculty Duke University
Candace Haddox, MD Medical Oncology Faculty Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Taymour Hammoudi, MD, PhD Pediatrics Faculty University of Colorado
Stephen Harward, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Zach Healy, MD Medicine/Pulmonary Faculty Duke University
Jane Healy, MD, PhD Vice President Oncology Merck
Ashley Helseth, MD, PhD Pediatric Neurology Faculty Wake Forest University
Irma Husain, MBBS Medicine/Nephrology Faculty Duke University
Amro Ilaiwy, MD Internal Medicine Faculty Campbell University
James Isaacs, MD Medical Oncology Faculty Cleveland Clinic
Ammon Fager, MD, PhD Medicine/Hematology Faculty Duke University
Jacob Kaufman,  MD, PhD Medical Oncology Faculty Ohio State University
Jeffrey Keenan, MD Surgery Faculty Duke University
Michael Kritzer-Cheren, MD, PhD Neuropsych Faculty Massachusetts General Hospital
Max Krucoff, MD Neurosurgery Faculty Medical College of Wisconsin
Alexander Lazarides, MD Orthopedic Surgery Faculty Moffitt Cancer Center
Justin Low, MD, PhD Neurosurgery Faculty Duke University
Stacey Maskarinec, MD, PhD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Robert McGarrah, MD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Brian Miller, MD, PhD Medical Oncology Faculty University of North Carolina
Nicholas Mischel, MD, PhD Psychiatry Faculty Wayne State University
Andrew Morgan, MD, PhD Pediatric Faculty, UNC University of North Carolina
Ganga Moorthy, MD Pediatrics/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Yvonne Mowery, M.D., PhD. Radiation Oncology Faculty University of Pittsburgh 
Laura Musselwhite, MD, MPH  Gastrointestinal Oncologist Levine Cancer Institute
Marybeth Nedrud, MD, PhD Radiology Faculty Duke University
Daniel Nussbaum, MD Surgery Faculty Duke University
Charity Oyedeji, MD Hematology Faculty, Duke University Duke University
Daniel Parker, MD Geriatrics Faculty, Duke University Duke University
Jordan Pomeroy, MD, PhD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty, Duke University Duke University
Mike Powers, MD, MBA Cardiology Faculty University of Iowa
Jeffrey Prescott, MD, PhD Radiology Faculty Case Western Reserve University
Jamie Privratsky, MD, PhD Anesthesiology Faculty Duke University
Gopalkumar Rakesh, MD Psychiatry Faculty University of Kentucky
Rachel Randell, MD Pediatrics/Rheumatology Faculty Duke University
Jessica Regan, MD Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Tim Robinson, MD, PhD Radiation Oncology Faculty University of South Florida
Siddhartha Sen, MD, PhD Pathology Faculty University of Minnesota
Christopher Severyn, MD, PhD Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Faculty Stanford University
Julie Steinbrink, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Fang Sun, MD, PhD Neurology Faculty Northwestern University
Vijay Swahari, MD Psychiatry Mindpath
Joshua Thaden, MD, PhD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Rohan Vilms, MD Medical Director Paraxel
Nicholas Turner, MD Medicine/Infectious Disease Faculty Duke University
Hanghang Wang, MD Thoracic Surgery Faculty Johns Hopkins University
Kristin Weimer, MD, PhD Pediatrics/Neonatology Faculty Duke University
Eric Wei, MD, PhD Cardiology Fellow Brigham and Women's Hospital
Kara Wegermann, MD Medicine/Gastroenterology Faculty Duke University
Melodi Whitley, MD, PhD Dermatology Faculty Duke University
James Wisler, MD Medicine/Cardiology Faculty Duke University
Jonathan Young, MD Psychiatry Faculty Duke University

 

Pediatric Scientist Development Program

The Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) provides intensive training in research relevant to specialty areas of pediatrics. The goal is to prepare entry-level faculty for research careers in academic pediatrics. Physicians presently in pediatric training programs who wish to train in basic, translational, clinical or health services research with an established investigator/mentor are encouraged to apply. A commitment to an investigative academic career is essential.

Candidates completing the PSDP are eligible for sub-specialty boards because PSDP training typically takes place after the completion of the clinical fellowship year(s).  Support includes salary, fringe benefits, and research training expenses. The active involvement and support of pediatric department chairs in the nomination and application process, and career development of PSDP scholars, are essential to the program's success.