The Duke Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the appointment of Bradley J. Segura, MD, PhD, FACS as the new Chief of the Division of Pediatric General Surgery.
Dr. Segura brings with him a deep commitment to children and families, a passion for academic medicine, and more than a decade of leadership experience in pediatric surgery. He joins Duke from the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he served as a faculty member in the Division of Pediatric Surgery since 2011. As Associate Professor of Surgery with Tenure, he held multiple leadership roles at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, including Associate Surgeon in Chief, Trauma Medical Director, Surgical Co-Director of the ECMO Program, Surgical Director of the Intestinal Failure Clinic, UMN Surgery Residency Wellness Coach, UMN Medical School DEI Coach, and Mentorship Director of the NIH-funded MSTEPP program to develop and recruit undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities into medicine and surgery. Prior to the University of Minnesota, Dr. Segura served as an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, where he began building his national reputation as a surgeon-scientist and mentor.
Dr. Segura's research interests primarily address inflammation and signaling within the enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal tract and the surgical treatment of pediatric congenital and acquired GI disorders, including necrotizing enterocolitis. His work has been published in journals such as JAMA, the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Journal of Surgical Research, and the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis. His clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery in infants and children and global care of the vulnerable and underserved. His research and clinical care reflect a career-long dedication to advancing the care of children through innovation, collaboration, and discovery.
Dr. Segura earned his bachelor of science in Biology from Arizona State University, and he earned an MD and a PhD in Physiology from the University of Michigan, where he also served as a General Surgery Resident. He completed a fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh/UPMC. Throughout his training and career, he has remained deeply invested in education, mentorship, and the development of future leaders in pediatric surgery.
"Dr. Segura is an outstanding leader and a gifted clinician, educator, and surgeon-scientist," Duke Surgery Department Chair Peter Allen, MD, said, adding, "We're thrilled to welcome him and his talents to Duke Surgery."
"I am honored and deeply humbled by the opportunity to join this amazing team at Duke," Dr. Segura said. "Together, I know we will continue to provide outstanding care for children and grow to new heights while partnering with colleagues at the University of North Carolina to build North Carolina Children's Hospital."
Dr. Segura succeeds Dr. Cynthia Shortell, who served as interim Chief of Pediatric General Surgery since November 2024. The department is grateful to Dr. Shortell's leadership and steady guidance during this period of transition. We also extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Henry Rice, the division chief before Dr. Shortell, for his enduring legacy in pediatric surgery and for his leadership and support of Dr. Shortell during her tenure as interim chief.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Segura on his appointment to this position. We look forward to the vision, energy, and leadership he brings as we continue to build the future of pediatric surgical care at Duke.