Mary Klotman, Duke's Chief Academic Health Leader, will Complete Service in 2027
Contact
DURHAM, N.C. – After two decades in senior leadership at Duke and 10 years as dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, Mary E. Klotman, M.D., will complete service on June 30, 2027.
Klotman serves in leadership roles spanning Duke University, Duke Health and the Duke University School of Medicine. As executive vice president for health affairs, chief academic officer for Duke Health and dean of the School of Medicine, she has helped bring together Duke's missions of education, research, patient care and community health across the institution. She has served as dean since 2017 and became Duke's first executive vice president for health affairs in 2023.
“Throughout her service as dean and executive vice president for health affairs, Mary has led with extraordinary skill and an unwavering commitment to translating scientific discovery into better patient care and better health,” said Duke President, Vincent E. Price. “From her investments in faculty through the Duke Science and Technology initiative and the creation of the Duke Health Integrated Practice to her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and in navigating the changing landscape of academic medicine, Mary has positioned Duke to lead in an increasingly interconnected era of medicine and science.”
Under Klotman's leadership, Duke strengthened connections among research, education and patient care while advancing scientific discovery and innovation. During her tenure, the School of Medicine recruited nationally recognized leaders, expanded interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthened support for faculty, students and trainees.
Klotman also helped guide Duke Health through a period of significant change, including the continued growth of artificial intelligence, data science and computational medicine across research, education and care.
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from Mary throughout my career,” said David W. Zaas, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Duke University Health System. “She understood that the greatest advances in health come when patient care, education, and discovery are pursued together. That vision helped shape Duke Health and inspired leaders across our institution. Few leaders have had a greater impact on Duke and left a stronger foundation for what comes next.”
She earned her undergraduate and medical degrees from Duke and completed her residency and fellowship training at Duke. An internationally recognized physician-scientist, her research focuses on HIV infection and its impact on the immune system.
She is past president of the Association of Professors of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians and is an elected member of the Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Colleagues who have worked closely with Klotman also pointed to her impact as a mentor and leader.
“Mary has been a tremendous mentor to me, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned from her over the years,” said Geeta Swamy, M.D., Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Sciences & Research Administration for Duke University School of Medicine and Associate Vice President for Research for Duke University. “What has meant the most is not only her guidance, but the example she has set—showing me what it looks like to lead with strength, compassion, and courage, especially when the path forward is difficult.”
“When I succeeded her as Chair of the Department of Medicine, I inherited a department strengthened by her vision, dedication and commitment to excellence,” said Kathleen Ann Cooney, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. “As the first woman to serve as chair of the department, she helped redefine what leadership could look like in academic medicine and opened doors for those who followed."
Reflecting on her time at Duke, Klotman pointed to the people and community that have shaped her career.
"In many ways, Duke's history has become my own," Klotman said. "From my days as an undergraduate and medical student to serving as dean and executive vice president, it has been an extraordinary privilege to learn from and lead this remarkable community. I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside exceptional faculty, staff, learners, alumni, donors and partners who share a commitment to improving lives through discovery, education, patient care and service. I am deeply optimistic about Duke's future and all that lies ahead for this extraordinary community."
Details of a national search for Klotman’s successor will be announced in the coming weeks.
- Education