John Perfect appointed chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases
By ajz6@dhe.duke.edu
Mary Klotman, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine has announced that, after a rigorous national search, John Perfect, MD, has agreed to be the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Perfect has served as interim chief of the division since 2008, and his commitment to the division's legacy of excellence in research, medical education and patient care makes him a perfect leader (no pun intended) to lead the division in the years ahead.
If you saw John present at the Medicine Research Conference last month, you know him to be passionate about his research, dedicated to collaborating with other investigators, and fully engaged in the training of our residents and fellows. Among his many accolades, he was selected as the Duke University Scholar/Teacher of the Year in 1999 and the Duke Medical Alumni Association’s 2010 Distinguished Faculty Award.
Perfect earned his M.D. from the Medical College of Ohio, and after a residency at the University of Michigan, he arrived at Duke for a fellowship in infectious diseases. He joined the faculty in 1980, and has since become a leading molecular mycologist and expert on cryptococcosis. He has published more than 340 peer-reviewed articles, and he's recipient of three current NIH R01 awards, including one that supports research using C. neoformans as a pathogenic model system.
Under John’s leadership, the Division of Infectious Diseases has remained one of the top ID divisions in the country, with an impressive research portfolio with more than 10 million dollars in awards. This is matched by an outstanding training program as well as a clinical program that span the spectrum of infectious diseases, including HIV medicine, infection control and care of the compromised patient.
Perfect presented a vision for the program that includes an expansion in research in emerging infectious diseases to complement the Global Health Institute, as well as the expansion of the ID transplant service into an immunocompromised service to complement the institutional commitment to transplantation and the care of patients with cancer.
Mary Klotman, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine has announced that, after a rigorous national search, John Perfect, MD, has agreed to be the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Perfect has served as interim chief of the division since 2008, and his commitment to the division's legacy of excellence in research, medical education and patient care makes him a perfect leader (no pun intended) to lead the division in the years ahead.