Dr. Edward Holmes will become the Medical Center's new vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of medical education at the School of Medicine in 1999, Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Ralph Snyderman announced Wednesday. Holmes will fill the spot currently occupied by outgoing vice chancellor Dr. Gordon Hammes, professor of biochemistry.
Holmes currently holds the positions of senior associate dean for research, vice president for translational medicine and clinical research and special counsel to the president at Stanford University.
"He is uniquely qualified for these important responsibilities, and he comes at a time of great opportunity for Duke University Medical Center," Snyderman said in a press release. "Our institution is poised to move into the forefront of academic medicine, and I look forward to working closely with Ed to fulfill this goal."
Holmes worked at the Medical Center from 1970 to 1991, and said he is excited about returning. "I have fond memories and tremendous respect for the University and faculty," he said. "I'm delighted to be able to come home."
The appointment is the culmination of an eight-month-long national search to fill Hammes' position. In an interview with The Chronicle early last month, Hammes said he told Snyderman in spring 1997 about his decision to step down in one year to pursue teaching and research.
"It was my own decision [to leave]," Hammes said.
Holmes will take over the position Jan. 1, 1999. The executive committee of the Board of Trustees approved the appointment in August.
The official announcement comes on the heels of Duke's involvement in a new multi-university cancer genetics research project. "The human genome project is going to open new vistas for biomedical research," Holmes said. He added that he hopes to apply his expertise in translating laboratory discoveries to the hospital in his new position.
In addition to Holmes' role as chancellor of all of the education and research aspects of the Medical Center, his position will include the title of Medical School dean, a post formally held by Snyderman. As dean, Holmes will be responsible for all research and education in the medical school. As chancellor for health affairs, Snyderman will now function as executive dean of the Medical School.
Snyderman was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
The position of vice chancellor for academic affairs was created by Snyderman about seven years ago, and Hammes was the first to assume the title.
Holmes began his residency at the Medical Center in 1971, after attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, according to the press release. The Winona, Miss. native then joined Duke's faculty in 1974 as part of the departments of medicine and biochemistry.
In addition, Holmes has held administrative positions at the University of Pennsylvania medical school as chief of medicine and chairman of the department of medicine prior to his positions at Stanford. Throughout his academic and administrative appointments, Holmes has published more than 125 articles, chapters, reviews and editorials concentrating on the topics of genetics and metabolic disease. During the previous 15 years, his research interests have focused on a genetic abnormality that appears to help patients with congestive heart disease. Holmes' work has led to a drug therapy to mimic the positive effect of this abnormality.
The announcement of Holmes' appointment to the position comes at the same time as Dean of Medical Education Dr. Dan Blazer's decision to step down from his post. The decision, announced in the Sept. 29 edition of Inside DUMC magazine, comes as a result of Blazer's desire to return to his teaching and research, the magazine reported.
Until he steps down June 30, 1999, Blazer said he will maintain his position and work with Holmes and Snyderman to affect a smooth transition. "Dr. Holmes will have to decide how to structure my position, but I suspect that the responsibilities will not be the same and perhaps the title will change," he said. "But we don't know as of yet and we must give Dr. Holmes an opportunity to get settled and decide upon the optimal structure for the entire academic enterprise of the Medical Center."
Tim Millington contributed to this story.
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