Expert List

Among the many areas in which Duke Medicine clinicians and researchers are available to offer comment, perspective, and conduct complete interviews are:

Arthritis/Rheumatology
Alzheimer's Disease
Cancer
Cardiology
Diabetes
Diet and Fitness
Eye Center
Genetics/Pharmacogenetics
HIV
Neurology
Orthopaedics/Sports Medicine
Pediatrics
Plastic Surgery
Psychiatry / Psychology
Smoking Cessation
Women’s Health

Arthritis/Rheumatology

John Sundy, MD, PhD

• Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology
• Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care Medicine
• Medical Director, Allergen Immunotherapy and Skin Test Laboratory

He is warm and engaging and thoroughly enjoys working with media. Experienced with on-camera and print interviews. Sundy has appeared in local and national publications including the New York Times.

Sundy is a nationally-recognized expert arthritis with a special interest in gout.

Alzheimer's Disease

Murali Doraiswamy, MD

• Chief of the Division of Biological Psychiatry
• Author of the recently published The Alzheimer’s Action Plan
• Author of more than 250 scientific articles on topics such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression and anxiety

He has conducted numerous broadcast and print media interviews, including The New York Times, The Today Show, CBS Evening News, and the Wall Street Journal.

Sample interview: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/29/health/main4304958.shtml

Cancer

Brain Cancer / Neurosurgery

John Sampson, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon (brain tumor specialist, expert in use of vaccines to stave off recurrence of brain tumors)

• Associate Deputy Director of the Brain Tumor Center
• Associate Professor of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center
• 2007 Tug McGraw/Duke Brain Tumor Center Researcher of the Year Award Winner

Extensive interview experience with local and national print and broadcast media. Has appeared several times on network evening news programs, including ABC’s World News Tonight. Has appeared in NBC Newschannel stories that ran nationally on affiliate stations and has been quoted in many prominent print outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters and The New York Times. Outstanding interview skills, especially in broadcast settings.

Sample interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4705739

Brain Cancer / Neuro-oncology

Henry Friedman, MD, neuro-oncologist (specialist in brain tumors in children and adults)

• Deputy Director, Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center
• James B. Powell, Jr., Professor of Neuro-Oncology, Duke University Medical Center
• Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center

Extensive interview experience with local and national print and broadcast media, including The Today Show, The New York Times, and 60 Minutes. Particularly experienced interview source, in both print and broadcast settings.

Breast Cancer

P. Kelly Marcom, MD, breast oncologist (expert in breast cancer, genetic mutations that lead to cancer)

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
• Clinical Director, Breast Medical Oncology, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Director, Hereditary Cancer Clinic, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Core Member, Breast Committee, CALGB (The Cancer and Leukemia Group B, a national clinical research group)
• Member, Breast Cancer Guidelines Panel, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
• Member, Familial High-Risk Assessment Panel: Breast/Ovarian Cancer, NCCN

Interview experience with local broadcast media and local and national print media, including Bloomberg News and the Associated Press.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/video/1463520/

Lung Cancer

Thomas D'Amico, MD, lung surgeon (expert in medical and surgical treatment of lung cancer; minimally invasive surgical techniques to remove lung cancer; debate over lung cancer screening)

• Associate Professor of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center
• Director, Clinical Oncology Services, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
• Chairman, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Database Executive Committee, NCCN
• Co-Principal Investigator: NCCN Lung Cancer Outcomes Database
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Ethics Committee

Extensive interview experience with local broadcast media; quoted often in local and national print media, including The Wall Street Journal. Particularly accomplished/ comfortable in broadcast interview settings.

Sample interview:
http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/search.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-07-12-0008.html

Colorectal / GI Cancers

Michael Morse, MD, GI cancers specialist (expert in cancers of the liver, colon/ rectum, pancreas)

• Associate Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
• Medical Director, Duke Clinical Research -- Oncology
• Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology Scientific Program Committee

Interview experience with local print and broadcast media. Has been media-trained.

General GI / Colonoscopy

Martin Poleski, MD, gastroenterologist (colonoscopy and colon cancer prevention/ screening expert)

Interview experience with local broadcast media.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/video/1251255/

Prostate Cancer

Stephen Freedland, MD, urologist (prostate cancer expert, expert on obesity/ nutrition and prostate cancer)

• Associate Professor of Surgery (Urology), Duke University Medical Center

Extensive interview experience with local broadcast media; is interviewed several times a year on various subjects by affiliate stations. Very responsive to print interview requests and has been quoted in both national and local print outlets, including The News & Observer and USA Today. Particularly skilled in broadcast interviewing; outstanding ability to explain medicine/science in lay language.

Cardiology

Cardiology Research/Clinical Trials

Rob Califf, MD, cardiologist

• Professor of Medicine
• Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research, Duke University Medical Center
• Director, Duke Translational Medicine Institute

Califf is internationally recognized as a leader in understanding clinical trials, drug development and regulation and the financial, ethical and the complex medical issues they involve. He has extensive interview experience with multiple print and broadcast outlets and is one of the 10 most cited experts in the field of medicine, according to the Institute for Scientific Information, often appearing in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Forbes, among others.

Cardiology/Women and Heart Disease/Imaging

Pamela Douglas, MD, cardiologist

• Professor of Medicine
• Ursula Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases

Douglas has extensive interview experience, appearing often in newspapers and women’s magazines on the topics of women and heart disease, cardiovascular fitness and echocardiology. She has written three books on women and heart disease and sits on the editorial boards of several major cardiology journals. She has also served as president of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiology.

Cardiology/Exercise and Fitness

William Kraus, MD, cardiologist

• Professor of Medicine
• Assistant Professor of Cell Biology
• Director of Clinical Research, Center for Living

Kraus is expert in the areas of cardiovascular fitness, rehabilitation, exercise physiology and the genetics underlying heart disease. He has significant interview experience in print and local broadcast, often appearing on the topic of exercise and cardiovascular fitness. A runner himself, Kraus is one of 13 authors of a 2008 “encyclopedia of physical activity science,” a massive review of literature the Department of Health and Human Services will use as the basis for its first-ever guidelines for physical activity, expected this fall. Kraus is also investigating several aspects of the genetics underlying cardiovascular disease and recently identified biomarkers in circulating blood that can predict the extent of vascular stenosis.

Cardiology/ Pediatric

John Rhodes, MD, pediatric cardiology

• Assistant Professor of Medicine
• Chief, Clinical Cardiology, Duke Children’s Heart Program

Rhodes is an interventional pediatric cardiologist and expert in repairing congenital heart defects. He teaches and lectures nationally and internationally on the latest techniques in catheterization and valve repair. He has significant media experience in print and broadcast.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/video/2423147/

Cardiology Outcomes/ Quality Assurance/ Biostatistics

Eric Peterson, MD, MPH

• Professor of Medicine
• Director of Cardiovascular Research, Duke Clinical Research Institute

Peterson is widely acknowledged as a leader in the field of outcomes research in cardiology. He is exceptionally quick in understanding and explaining complicated statistical findings and giving them context. The American Heart Association recently selected Peterson to lead one of only three Outcomes Research Centers in the U.S. The author of hundreds of articles in his field, Peterson is a frequent contributor to major print and broadcast outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, and NPR, among others.

Diabetes

Susan Spratt, MD

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition
• Clinical Director, Division of Endocrinology

Spratt is a talented young clinician who has only recently begun to work with selected media outlets. She is exceptionally bright and articulate and enjoys speaking with reporters, especially when it comes to the topics of in teenagers and type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis in cancer survivors and thyroid disease. She has appeared in local media outlets and in USA Today.

Diet and Fitness

Diet & Fitness Center

Martin Binks, PhD, clinical psychologist (specializes in obesity treatment and research in behavioral medicine)

• Director of Behavioral Health and Research Director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center
• Clinical Assistant Professor in Department of Psychiatry
• Lectures nationally on topics of obesity management and behavioral medicine

Consistently called upon by ABC News and other media outlets to address issues related to weight gain and weight loss, obesity, and how these issues impact daily lives. Articulate, responsive, and always opinionated.

Co-author, The Duke Diet

Sample interview:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-10-weight-sex_N.htm

Medical Therapy

Howard Eisenson, MD (specializes in medical treatment for obese patients)

• Program Director of Duke Diet and Fitness Center
• Chief of the Obesity Treatment Division in Department of Community and Family Medicine
• Runs one of the country’s only residential weight loss programs associated with an academic medical institution
• Focuses on obesity, sedentary lifestyles and related medical problems in adults and adolescents
• Co-author of the Duke Diet

Interviewed frequently in local and national print and broadcast media outlets including The Today Show, ABC News, women’s magazines, and more.

Sample interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2929115

Diet / Nutrition

Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutritionist and certified diabetes instructor

• Nutrition Director, Duke Diet and Fitness Center
• Dedicated her career to prevention of chronic diseases through diet and weight management
• Past president of the Durham-Chapel Hill chapter of the American dietetic Association

Frequently called upon by national and local media to discuss issues related to food choices, meal planning, diet and weight management.

Sample interview:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121728720696791385.html?mod=2_1566_topbox

Fitness

Gerald Endress, MS, RCEP, exercise physiologist

• Fitness manager of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center
• Registered clinical exercise physiologist by the American College of Sports Medicine
• Creates customized fitness routines for clients based on their fitness level and goals

Sample interview:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/09/healthmag.energy/index.html?iref=newssearch

Eye Center

Glaucoma

Sanjay Asrani, MD, ophthalmologist

• Specializes in glaucoma diagnosis and treatment and cataract surgery
• Honored among America’s Top Ophthalmologists and Best Doctors in America
• Helped develop new glaucoma imaging device; speeds early diagnosis
• Recipient of numerous awards, including Duke Eye Center Award for Ocular Innovation

Sample interview:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,376852,00.html

Leon Herndon, MD, ocular surgeon

• Associate professor of ophthalmology
• Specializes in medical, laser and surgical glaucomamanagement and cataract surgery
• Research interests focus on genetics of glaucoma, new glaucoma medications and novel glaucoma surgical approaches

Sample interview:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1008119.html

Low Vision Rehabilitation

Diane Whitaker, OD, comprehensive optometrist who specializes in low vision rehab

• Member of the American Optometric Associate Low Vision Section and the North Carolina State Optometric Society
• Focuses her research on measuring outcomes of low vision intervention and the psychosocial aspects of visual disability

Excellent on camera; great interview.

Sample interview:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122091525305212313.html

Genetics/Pharmacogenetics

David Goldstein, PhD

• Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Department of Biology
• Professor of Molecular Genetics
• Director of the Duke Institute for Genome Science & Policy’s Center for Population Genomics and Pharmacogenetics

Goldstein is a dynamic young leader in the field of population genetics and the author of the new book, Jacob’s Legacy, A Genetic View of Jewish History. His work has been featured in numerous national and international outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, BBC, London Times and 60 Minutes, among others. His research focuses on the molecular and genetic underpinnings of disease, with special interest in neurological disorders and HIV.

HIV

John Bartlett, MD

• Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Co-director, Center for AIDS Research, Duke University Medical Center

Bartlett is on the front lines of HIV care, seeing patients at Duke, but also spending time in research and patient care in Duke’s HIV programs in Africa. Bartlett is professor of medicine at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Tanzania.

Neurology

Stroke

Larry Goldstein, MD, FAAN, FAHA

• Professor of Medicine (Neurology)
• Director of Duke’s Center for Cerebrovascular Disease
• Senior Fellow, Center for Clinical Health Policy Research
• National spokesperson for the American Stroke Association

Dr. Goldstein is a recognized stroke expert who has been extensively quoted in national and local media outlets, including The New York Times, Associated Press, and NBC Nightly News.

Sample interview: http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-stroke-qa.html?scp=1&sq=Larry%20goldstein%20and%20duke&st=cse

Movement Disorders / Parkinson’s Disease

Mark Stacy, MD

• Associate Professor of Neurology
• Director of Duke’s Movement Disorders Clinic
• Director of the Neurology Clinical Research Center
• Serves on the Board of Directors of WE MOVE and has published more than 100 manuscripts in the areas of Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, tremor and other movement disorders

Dr. Stacy has national broadcast and print interview experience, including interviews with USA Today, ABC News, and CNN. He has an excellent on-camera presence.

Sample interview: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-08-26-parkinsons obsession_n.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Orthopaedics / Sports Medicine

Orthopaedics

Michael Bolognesi, MD

• Assistant Professor of Surgery
• Director of Duke’s Adult Reconstruction Program

Dr. Bolognesi is a recognized leader in the use of cutting edge computer-assisted surgery. Under his guidance, Duke is one of the few places in the country completing advanced computer-assisted surgery using real time, 3D images.

He has both broadcast and print media interview experience.

Pediatrics

Pediatric Obesity

Sarah Armstrong, MD, pediatrician (specializes in pediatric obesity)

• Medical Director of the Center for Exercise, Nutritional Disorders and Obesity
• Runs a weight loss program at Duke that’s aimed at helping kids and families adopt healthier habits. Working with local, state and national leaders addressing the obesity epidemic

Extensive interview experience with local and national print and broadcast media. Interviewed most recently by the Associated Press.

Sample interview:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hw9HLYomg-q2B8eneGbWp2_WedewD92BO9TG1

Food Allergies

Wesley Burks, MD, pediatrician (internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of food hypersensitivity)

• Chief, Division of Allergy and Immunology
• Working on development of vaccine or immunotherapy to prevent allergic reactions to allergenic foods like peanut and eggs
• Consistently interviewed by local and national print and broadcast media Quick to respond, extremely articulate, excellent on camera

Sample interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergies/story?id=4529298

Vaccines

Sam Katz, MD, pediatrician (internationally recognized for many contributions to children’s health, including his role in developing the measles vaccine in use today)

• Wilburt Cornell Davison Professor and chair emeritus of pediatrics
• Continues to be active in vaccine policy development
• Recipient of numerous medical and scientific awards, former head of the American Pediatric Society

Interviewed extensively by local, national, print and broadcast media. Quick to respond, easy to understand.

Sample interview:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-14-measles_N.htm

Bone Marrow Transplantation / Stem Cell and Cord Blood Research

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, pediatric oncologist/hematologist (Known worldwide as a leader in the research and treatment of diseases using pediatric bone marrow and cord blood transplants)

• Program Director, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation
• Co-chair of the National Marrow Donor Program Cord Blood Commnitte
• Co-Director of the Stem Cell laboratory and Director of the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke
• Pioneered the use of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplants for children with resistant cancers and rare metabolic diseases – performed the first unrelated cord blood transplant
• Published nearly 200 manuscripts in the New England Journal of medicine, the Journal of Pediatrics and other peer-review journals

Extensive local and national print and broadcast interview experience including The Today Show, Fox News Channel, Newsweek, NPR, and many others.

Sample interview:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93218211

Thymus Transplant / Immunodeficiency Diseases

Louise Markert, MD, pediatrician (only doctor in the world to perform life-saving thymus transplants for primary immunodeficiencies)

• Director of the Laboratory of Thymus Transplantation

Featured in four-part series in local daily newspaper, Good Morning America, and profiled on Nightline.
Articulate, accessible, brings life to complex medical issues.

Sample interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5379863&page=1

Plastic Surgery

Microsurgery, Reconstruction, Cosmetic Surgery

Michael Zenn, MD, plastic and reconstructive surgeon (nationally renown microsurgeon)

• Associate professor of plastic surgery
• Focus is on cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body
• Active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the American Association of Plastic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, the American medical Association, the Plastic Surgery Research Council, the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, the World Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery and is past president of the North Carolina Society of Plastic Surgery

Excellent on camera; quick to respond to interview requests.

Sample interview:
http://www.zennplasticsurgery.com/resources/NYTimes_Blog.pdf

Pediatric and Facial

Jeffrey Marcus, MD, plastic and reconstructive surgeon

• Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Craniofacial Surgery

Involved in research looking at surgical techniques to correct cleft lip and palate.

One of a handful of surgeons in country doing microsurgery to correct congenital facial paralysis – often called Smile Surgery.

Sample interview:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/media?id=6294852

Psychiatry / Psychology

Mental Health/ Stress, Anxiety & Anger

Redford Williams, MD

• Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Professor of Psychology and Professor of Medicine
• Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center
• President of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine
• Coauthor of ten books, including Anger Kills and LifeSkills, and over 200 articles in peer reviewed journals

Dr. Williams been widely interviewed by numerous media outlets, including appearances on Oprah, NBC’s The Today Show, and ABC’s 20/20, Good Morning America, and World News Tonight.

Sample interview: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=5037451&page=1

Geriatrics / Psychiatry & Spirituality

Harold Koenig, MD, MHS

• Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
• Associate Professor of Medicine
• Co-director, Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health

Dr. Koenig’s extensive resume includes testimony before the U.S. Senate about the impact of religion on health, over 300 scientific peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and nearly 40 books. He has been widely quoted and interviewed by national media outlets, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and ABC’s World News Tonight.

Sample interview: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/PainManagement/story?id=744471

Smoking Cessation

Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research

Jed Rose, PhD, medical research professor (leading authority on nicotine addiction)

• Director of the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Resaerch
• Lead investigator on studies that paved the way for the nicotine skin patch
• Develops novel smoking cessation treatments; now researching how brain responds to craving and addiction

Media savvy, quick to respond, has been interviewed by local and national print and broadcast media outlets.

Sample interview:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/health&id=6190185

Eric Westman, MD, internist (expert on low-carb diets, obesity and smoking cessation)

• Director of Lifestyle Medicine Clinic
• Proponent of lifestyle medicine as a new specialty that emphasizes lifestyle changes, such as smoking cessation and diet, to treat illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity
• Director of Smoking Research Laboratory
• Works with noted Duke nicotine researchers

Frequently called upon by national media to address issues related to low-carb diets. Quick to respond, articulate, easy to understand.

Sample interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=5388954&page=1

Women’s Health

Premature Babies

Geeta Swamy, MD, ob/gyn (conducts extensive research on long-term results of premature birth) maternal-fetal medicine specialist

Articulate, responsive, interviewed by local and national print and broadcast media including NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Associated Press, and more.

Sample interview:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23796565/

Fibroids / Fertility Issues

Millie Behera, MD, ob/gyn (specializes in fibroid treatment, fertility and reproductive endocrinology)

• Clinical Director, Center for Fibroid Biology and Therapy
• Assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology

Great on camera. Interviewed by local print and broadcast publications about new non-invasive treatment for fibroids.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/2607777/

Bleeding

Andra James, MD, ob/gyn (nationally recognized expert in bleeding disorders common in women)

• Director, Women's Hemostasis and Thrombosis Clinic
• Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Served on Expert Panel on von Willebrand Disease convened by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Interviewed by local and national media outlets and appeared on PBS program on bleeding disorders including von Willebrand Disease.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/2674795/

Integrative Medicine

Tracy Gaudet, MD, ob/gyn (noted women’s health expert; nationally recognized innovator in field of integrative medicine)

• Executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine
• Under her leadership, opened state-of-the-art health care facilitiy dedicated to transformation of medicine through the exploration of whole-person healthcare
• Designed country’s first comprehensive curriculum in this field
• Served as lifestyles Makeover medical expert on Oprah

Interviewed extensively by national media; has appeared on ABC News, 20/20, CBS The Early Show, NBC Nightly News, a PBS Documentary called “The New Medicine,” and many other programs.
Authors a monthly column in Body and Soul
Author of two books: Consciously Female and Body, Soul and Baby: A Doctor’s Guide to the Complete Pregnancy Experience, From Preconception to Postpartum

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/2104264/

Mindful Eating

Ruth Wolever, PhD, clinical health psychologist (specializes in behavior change, treatment of stress-related programs and mind-body health)

• Research director of Duke Integrative Medicine
• Research and clinical practice focus on using the connection between mind and body to improve health and applies integrative medicine techniques to affect lifestyle changes
• NIH-funded studies explore use of mindfulness to improve sleep, weight management, diabetes control and more

Interview experience with national and local media.

Sample interview:
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/2409652/