Julius M. Wilder, MD, PhD, associate professor in the division of Gastroenterology and chair of the Department of Medicine Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (DEIAR) Committee, has been named as the next vice chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion effective July 1.
His appointment is a significant step in the Department of Medicine’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, said Chair Dr. Kathleen Cooney.
“Dr. Wilder is a visionary leader and a brilliant physician with a profound understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion,” she said. “We look forward to his leadership in this critical area as we continue toward a more diverse and equitable future in academic medicine.”
Dr. Wilder, brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. His national reputation as an expert in health disparities, health equity, and social drivers of health in gastroenterology and hepatology, as well as his numerous peer-reviewed articles in journals such as JAMA, Hepatology, and Liver Transplantation, underscore his qualifications. He also serves as vice chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the division of Gastroenterology and is co-director for the Duke Community Engagement Research Initiative.
Dr. Wilder also has appointments with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and Duke University Department of Sociology. He is the vice chair for the Public Policy Committee for the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), and principal investigator on multiple clinical trials.
He graduated with honors as a Meyerhoff Scholar from the University of Maryland Baltimore County before matriculating to Duke University School of Medicine, where he received the first combined MD/PhD in medical sociology in the school’s history. He then completed an internal medicine residency, a gastroenterology fellowship, and an advanced hepatology and transplantation fellowship.
“I want to express a special thank you to Drs. Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, Kimberly Johnson, and the search committee members for their dedicated time and effort in the selection process,” Dr. Cooney added. “I also want to extend my thanks to Dr. Laura Svetkey, who has served as vice chair for DEI since 2007. Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping the department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”