Duke Surgery Announces New Division Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

By Jessica Bronchick, Duke Surgery

The Duke Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the appointment of Dawn Marie Coleman, MD, FACS, to the role of Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.

Dr. Dawn Coleman
Dawn Marie Coleman, MD, FACS, has been named the new Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Duke.

Dr. Coleman, a Clinical Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, joins Duke from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she served as Co-Director of the Pediatric Renovascular Hypertension Center as well as Program Director for the Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency and Fellowship at Michigan.

Her clinical and translational research interests encompass a unique pediatric vascular surgery practice, and her research leverages a multidisciplinary team to deeply phenotype patients with renovascular hypertension resulting from aorto-renal arterial dysplasia. She has made several high impact research contributions to this rare disease, and received major funding from the Taubman Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Dr. Coleman also leads an international pRVH patient-centered outcomes research collaborative.

Dr. Coleman serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to a Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team. She has deployed on three occasions to support forward operations in the Middle East.  

“After a nationwide search, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Coleman to Duke,” says Dr. Allan D. Kirk, Chair of the Department of Surgery. “She is a superb clinician, a skilled investigator, and an effective educator. However, I believe her towering strength is her humanistic approach toward leadership. Dr. Coleman’s rich, real world experience serves as a strong foundation for her executive intuition, and we are so fortunate to have her lead the growth of both the department and the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.”

Dr. Coleman obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Cincinnati, where she went on to obtain her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2003. She completed her General Surgery residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in 2010, and subsequently completed a fellowship in Vascular Surgery at Michigan in 2012. Upon completing her surgical training, Dr. Coleman joined the faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Surgery at both the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

"Dr. Coleman's rich, real world experience serves as a strong foundation for her executive intuition, and we are so fortunate to have her lead the growth of both the department and the division."

- Dr. Allan D. Kirk, Chair of the Department of Surgery

Dr. Coleman holds leadership positions in several professional societies and associations, most recently having joined the Society of University Surgeons and the Excelsior Surgical Society. She is a dedicated surgeon educator and mentor, and is currently appointed as the President-Elect for the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery. She has contributed review service to several peer-reviewed journals, and is currently a member of the editorial board for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery as well as Vascular Surgery Associate Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research.

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the extraordinary faculty and leadership of the Duke Department of Surgery,” says Dr. Coleman. “It’s an exciting time to join such a high performing team and renowned medical institution. I am beyond grateful for Dr. Shortell’s progressive divisional leadership to date, and the opportunity I have been granted by Dr. Kirk and Institutional Leadership to steward this division forward. Duke is renowned for being forward-thinking and at the forefront of surgical innovation, advancements in patient care, and dedication to research. I am certain that Duke Vascular and Endovascular Surgery will continue to excel and lead with clinical, educational, and academic excellence locally and nationally.”

"It's an exciting time to join such a high performing team and renowned medical institution. I am beyond grateful for...the opportunity I have been granted to steward this division forward."

- Dr. Dawn Marie Coleman

Since 2005, Cynthia Shortell, MD, Professor of Surgery and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, has skillfully led the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery as Division Chief. Since 2006, she has also served as Chief for the Section of Vascular Surgery at the Durham VA Medical Center; Director of Duke’s Center for Vascular Disease; Director for Duke’s Venous Center of Excellence; and Medical Director for Duke’s Vascular Non-Invasive Laboratory.

Dr. Shortell will continue her stewardship of the division as a faculty member and through her departmental leadership positions.

“I would like to thank Dr. Cynthia Shortell for her extraordinary leadership over the past 17 years in the division, to which she brought unparalleled dedication and enthusiasm,” says Dr. Kirk. “I am pleased that she will remain on our faculty at Duke Surgery as well as an integral piece of our department’s administration as Executive Vice Chair. I am excited to witness her continue to lead and develop our various educational programs.”

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Coleman to her new role,” says Dr. Shortell. “She is exceptionally well qualified and has the strong leadership skills needed to take our division forward. I am committed to working closely with her to make the transition a smooth one.”

Dr. Coleman’s appointment as Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery begins October 1, 2022.

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