The Duke University Department of Medicine has announced its 2026 award recipients, recognizing faculty members whose careers and contributions have left an enduring mark on research, clinical care, and medical education.
A Career That Reshaped Cardiovascular Research
Professor Daniel B. Mark, MD, MPH
Cardiology
For nearly four decades, Dr. Daniel B. Mark has helped define the field of cardiovascular outcomes research, earning him the Department of Medicine’s 2026 Career Achievement Award. He is widely regarded as a foundational figure in integrating patient-centered outcomes and economic evaluation into clinical trials.
Nominated by Dr. Willard N. Applefeld, with strong support from division Chief Dr. Manesh Patel, Dr. Mark is praised for a career marked by “clinical acumen, humility, academic generosity, and quiet thoughtfulness.” Those qualities, colleagues noted, underpin a body of work that has fundamentally transformed how medicine measures value and impact.
As founding director of outcomes research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Dr. Mark helped pioneer approaches that are now standard in cardiovascular trials worldwide. Patel described him as “a pillar of Duke Cardiology,” emphasizing both his scientific leadership and his enduring role as a mentor and collaborator.
The award recognizes not only Mark’s scholarly achievements but also a legacy of leadership and humanity that has shaped Duke and influenced cardiovascular medicine on a global scale.
Advancing the Science and Care of Aging
Professor Kenneth E. Schmader, MD
Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Dr. Kenneth E. Schmader has spent his career improving the health and well-being of older adults — work that has now been recognized with the Department of Medicine’s Career Achievement Award.
Over nearly 40 years at Duke and the Durham VA Health Care System, Dr. Schmader has built a legacy that spans scientific discovery, clinical innovation, policy influence, and mentorship. Nominated by division chief Dr. Cathleen Colon-Emeric, with additional support from Dr. Harvey J. Cohen, Dr. Schmader was described as exemplifying “the highest ideals of academic medicine.”
His leadership in the landmark Shingles Prevention Study helped shape national vaccination guidelines, directly informing CDC recommendations and transforming care for older adults. Beyond immunization science, his contributions to geriatric pharmacotherapy have changed clinical practice across the country.
Colleagues emphasize that Dr. Schmader’s impact extends far beyond his research. Through decades of mentorship and leadership, he has helped shape Duke’s geriatrics program and influenced the broader fields of aging research and clinical care. His legacy, they say, is both “deep, sustained, and far-reaching.”