Sally Kornbluth, vice dean for basic science at Duke, named to Institute of Medicine
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DURHAM, N.C. – Sally Kornbluth, Ph.D., the James B. Duke Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and Vice Dean for Basic Science at Duke University School of Medicine, has been elected as one of 70 new members to the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM).
"This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for Dr. Kornbluth,” said Nancy C. Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., dean of Duke University School of Medicine. “She is internationally recognized for her contributions to the fields of cell signaling and cell death, and she has had tremendous impact on the biomedical research community as a scientist, a mentor and a leader." 
Kornbluth’s research interests in cell proliferation and programmed cell death are centrally important for understanding both cancer and degenerative disorders. Her current work is exploring the precise signaling mechanisms used by cancer cells to accelerate proliferation and evade cell death mechanisms, with the aim of subverting these processes as potential therapies.
As vice dean for basic science, Kornbluth serves as a liaison between the dean’s office and the basic science departmnt chairs and faculty. Her duties include management of the biomedical graduate programs in the School of Medicine, implementation of programs to support the research mission of the basic science faculty, and oversight of new and existing core laboratories.
Kornbluth received a B.A. in political science from Williams College in 1982 and a B.S. in genetics from Cambridge University, England, where she was a Herchel Smith Scholar at Emmanuel College. She received her Ph.D. in molecular oncology from The Rockefeller University in 1989 and went on to postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Diego. She joined the Duke faculty in 1994.
New members to the IOM are elected by current active members through a selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM is a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.
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