In This Section
Garcia Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Research Fund Announced
Alumni Spotlight: Alexandra Sundermann, MD, PhD
Garcia Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Research Fund Announced
Anna Marie Garcia, MD, PhD, has generously donated $10,000 to establish the Garcia Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS) Research Fund. This fund will be used to provide residents doing research in MIGS with resources to be successful in ways such as launching research projects, publishing in academic journals and presenting at conferences. The preference is for funds to go to resident MIGS research projects focused on endometriosis, fibroids and pain control.
Duke Ob/Gyn Announces Seven-figure Gift from Szulik Family Foundation to Improve Eclampsia, Preeclampsia Outcomes
The Duke Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is pleased to announce a seven-figure gift from the Szulik Family Foundation to support research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of eclampsia and preeclampsia, a common complication of pregnancy that can cause serious problems for the mother and baby. Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and other comorbidities that commonly occurs at the midway point of pregnancy and can be life-threatening.
“Preeclampsia is a devastating and complex disorder of pregnancy that has been studied for centuries — but early delivery remains one of our few interventions. It impacts 3 to 8% of pregnancies,” noted Vice Chair for Research Danny Schust, MD. Dr. Schust also serves as director of the Reproductive Scientist Development Program, a national training program for clinician-scientists in ob/gyn that is administered through Duke.
Dr. Schust notes that preeclampsia is thought to originate in the placenta and is likely a disorder of placental development. He is leading groundbreaking research using stem cell-based organoids as an in vitro model to study preeclampsia. He will leverage the robust patient population and unique tissue repositories at Duke and his own first-in-kind, disease-specific organoids to work with collaborators in the Triangle and throughout the country to improve current views on this disease.
The disease is more common in Black women, and in those with low socioeconomic status. “The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality of any developed nation,” according to maternal-fetal medicine specialist Brenna Hughes, MD, MSc, who also serves as division chief of maternal-fetal medicine and vice chair for obstetrics and quality. “Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy or in the year after childbirth than white women. In 2021, the department committed to reducing maternal morbidity by 50% before 2026. In just three years, we have surpassed 40%, receiving national recognition for multidisciplinary care models and high-risk pregnancy care. We have built a world-class team of community partners, clinicians, researchers and staff poised to change the landscape of reproductive health.”
For the past four years, The Szulik Family Foundation has been a generous donor to the department with
its gifts honoring the late Charles Hammond, MD. Dr. Hammond was a well-respected leader in women’s health, who served the community and department in various roles starting in 1968, including department chair from 1980 to his retirement in 2002.
Alumni Spotlight: Alexandra Sundermann, MD, PhD
Dr. Sundermann received a career development award through Vanderbilt’s Building Interdisciplinary Research Career in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) K12 program. Her project is titled “A Study of Preeclampsia Recurrence.” She is developing a pregnancy cohort that utilizes electronic health record data for participants across multiple pregnancies and maternal genetic data to better understand the drivers of preeclampsia recurrence.
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dukeobgyn@duke.edu
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Alumni jobs by sector
- 136 community/non-academic
- 140 academic
- 4 chair
- 3 vice chair
- 1 dean
Historical Highlights
Interested in the department’s Historical Highlights? Read more about Duke Ob/Gyn!
Bessie Baker
First dean of Duke’s School of Nursing
Haywood Brown, MD
Former chair of Duke Ob/Gyn
2025 Donald T. Moore, MD, Endowed Lecture Featured Speaker