News and Events

A spotlight on alumnus Michael Freemark, M.D., an internationally known pediatric endocrinologist who has made seminal discoveries in fields including obesity and childhood malnutrition, pediatric diabetes, intermediary metabolism, and the control of fetal growth.

Erica Taylor, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, has been named the PDC's first associate chief medical officer for diversity, equity and inclusion, effective December 1, 2020.

In this week’s Spotlight, Erica Taylor, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and the PDC’s first associate chief medical officer for diversity, equity and inclusion, talks about her deep appreciation for diversity, belonging, and inclusion as a physician, professor, and researcher. She also discusses the importance of intercultural relationships when dealing with patients and their families. She also shares her belief that Duke Health has evolved toward a community of belonging.

Sallie R. Permar, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, immunology, molecular genetics and microbiology, and pathology; associate dean of physician-scientist development; and founding director of the Children’s Health and Discovery Institute, has received the 2020 Oswald Avery Award. The Oswald Avery Award for early achievement is granted in recognition of outstanding achievement in an area of infectious diseases by an individual member or fellow of IDSA who is 45 or younger.

New and competing renewal awards made to faculty in the Department of Pediatrics for the months of February through September 2020 are listed.

Following a national search, Aditee Narayan, MD has been named the new associate dean for curricular affairs for the Duke University School of Medicine, effective immediately.

With the benefit of pooled resources, the NIH-supported Undiagnosed Diseases Network has demonstrated a novel approach to identifying and diagnosing mystery diseases compared to singular institutions working alone, according to an analysis of key cases. 

In this week’s Faculty Spotlight, Reeti Kumar, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Nephrology, talks about the importance of the development of novel biomarkers for the early detection and diagnosis of renal diseases. She also discusses her primary research interest focused on describing renal outcomes in children with pediatric cancers.

Coleen Cunningham, MD, professor of pediatrics and pathology at Duke University Medical Center, has been appointed chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine (UCI) and senior vice president and pediatrician-in-chief for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), effective March 1, 2021.

Jane Trinh, MD, as chief of the newly established Division of Medicine-Pediatrics in the Duke Department of Pediatrics, effective December 1, 2020.