Dr. Russel Kaufman, vice dean for education and academic affairs at the School of Medicine, is leaving to become the next director and CEO of the Wistar Institute, an independent nonprofit biomedical research center in Philadelphia.
Kaufman's move leaves the School of Medicine with another vacancy to fill and at least a temporary vacuum of administrative leadership for the medical school curriculum review.
Kaufman said the review would continue without him, however. "It will go on full speed," he said. "I don't think we'll lose a step. I've put in place many strong people, and I have all the confidence in the world that the dean and the new vice dean will work with the curriculum committee."
Bill Wood, a member of the committee and president of the Davison Council, the medical school's student government, said that the dean has assured the group that the curriculum review will continue as a top priority of the new vice dean. "To have Russel Kaufman go probably leaves people questioning where the curriculum revision process is going to go," he said.
Kaufman, a Duke researcher for 22 years, said he would have no problem leaving the academic medical setting. "I was at the National Institutes of Health for a couple of years, and I enjoyed that a great deal," he said. "There won't be any clinical care, but I will be able to see patients and teach at the University of Pennsylvania."
Kaufman, like many Wistar researchers, will also receive an adjunct professor appointment at Penn's school of medicine. The Wistar Institute developed the rabies and rubella vaccines and currently focuses on research in genetics, immunology and cancer biology.
Kaufman said his first priority for the center is to develop new programs for the National Cancer Institute-funded research initiative.
Kaufman came to Duke in 1980 as an assistant professor of medicine, and now serves as a professor of medicine and biochemistry. Administratively, he served as chief of the hematology and oncology division from 1990 to 1995, and chief of medical oncology and transplantation from 1995 to 1998. He was also vice chair of academic programs and development for the Department of Medicine from 1995 to 1999 and has served as vice dean for education and academic affairs since 1999.
Dr. Sandy Williams, dean of the medical school, is traveling and could not be reached for comment.
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