Once Alex Duncan, MD, PhD, got a taste of being a Tar Heel, he never left. First joining the department as a resident in 2001, followed by fellowship training in infectious diseases, he has now attended on the Infectious Diseases Consult Service for 20-years while also building an exceptional career as a physician-scientist. Dr. Duncan will now bring his skillset to his new role as Vice Chair of Research in the UNC Department of Medicine.
His research has focused on understanding how the immune system impacts the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, with a strong focus on Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection and vaccine development. Not only has he maintained continuous NIH funding throughout his 20 years on faculty, but he has also committed much of his time to helping others build successful research careers. For 15 years, he co-directed the NC-TraCS R grant writing program alongside Janet Rubin, MD. Dozens of junior faculty have secured their first NIH awards thanks to this work.
To the role, Dr. Duncan brings his remarkable ability to identify the pieces of research infrastructure the department is missing and build them. A decade ago, he founded the Department of Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program, creating a pipeline to recruit and train outstanding physician-scientists beginning in residency. It was designed with a clear and simple goal: to help trainees become independent faculty researchers across our department’s subspecialties. The program has inspired the UNC School of Medicine to adopted a similar cross-disciplinary program supporting early-career physician-scientists.
Dr. Duncan succeeds his longtime colleague Dr. Janet Rubin, who has held the position for the past 10 years. Dr. Rubin has had a storied career as a physician-scientist, advancing the field of bone health through decades of continuous NIH funding. She has been an unwavering advocate for the department’s faculty and centers while being an eloquent voice for what it takes to thrive as an early-career researcher. The department wishes Dr. Rubin a wonderful retirement on August 31st.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Alex Duncan on this exciting and well-deserved new role! We look forward to seeing how he continues to advance the department’s mission.
Dr. Duncan will begin work in the new position on September 1, 2026.