Maria Rapoza, PhD, joined the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center earlier this month as the center's executive director. Dr. Rapoza will work with Howard Rockman, MD, professor of medicine (Cardiology) and the center's director.
Rapoza previously worked for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center as a vice president, leading programs designed to strengthen research in North Carolina including launching new research grant programs, increasing the number of life science discussion groups, and growing the funding for the research grant programs across the state. Rapoza also worked on a number of strategic initiatives, including a project to grow life science funding received by NC scientists from various defense agencies.
"Maria brings this extensive executive-level experience to the Cardiovascular Research Center, and I look forward to having her work with me to develop and implement strategic programs for the CVRC, in addition to having an important role in the broader research mission of the Department of Medicine," Dr. Rockman wrote in an email to CVRC faculty.
The CVRC, which resides within the Department of Medicine, was formed in 2011 to provide an intellectual home for cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary, bench-oriented research by faculty on this campus as well as at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore.
The mission of the CVRC is to solidify, enhance and support outstanding cardiovascular research from the basic discovery end of the translational research spectrum. Learn more.