Mary E. Klotman, MD, Dean, Duke University School of Medicine recently announced that Mara L. Becker, MD, MSCE, Professor of Pediatrics, has been named Vice Dean for Faculty for the Duke University School of Medicine, effective July 15, 2022. Dr. Becker currently serves as Vice Chair for Faculty and Chair of the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Committee in Duke’s Department of Pediatrics.
As Vice Dean for Faculty, Dr. Becker will report to the Dean and will be a member of the leadership team for the School of Medicine. She will oversee the Office for Faculty and provide leadership on all faculty matters including advancement, development, mentoring and professionalism. She will work closely with Kevin Thomas, MD, Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Medicine, to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of faculty affairs.
A physician-scientist, Dr. Becker’s translational research interests focus on identifying factors that enhance response and minimize toxicity to drugs used for the treatment of rheumatic diseases in children, focusing on individualized therapeutic strategies. She is a faculty leader in the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), where she focuses on developing and supporting novel networks to carry out pediatric research and clinical trials, focusing on children with rare rheumatic and genetic conditions including Down syndrome within the Pediatric Trials Network and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry.
Dr. Becker joined Duke’s faculty in 2019. She previously served as Division Director of Rheumatology and Associate Chair for the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy-Kansas City. Dr. Becker is actively involved in national committees and organizations including the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee, American College of Rheumatology, American Board of Pediatrics, Rheumatology Research Foundation Board of Directors, and Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance.
Dr. Becker succeeds Ann Brown, MD, who served as Vice Dean for Faculty for the School of Medicine for more than a decade. Dr. Brown will serve as Senior Associate Dean, focusing on faculty professionalism initiatives in the School of Medicine over the next year.