Duke-Margolis Postdoctoral Associates & Affiliated Fellows Program

Duke-Margolis Postdoctoral Program in Health Policy, a two-year experience that aims to advance critical health policy research while building a pipeline of well-trained experts able to translate scientific research into policy solutions. Ideal for recent graduates (PhD, MD, PharmD, other relevant equivalent) demonstrating a strong interest in, and commitment to, a career in health policy, the program provides opportunities for conducting original policy research; applying knowledge and competencies from academic and professional experiences to real-world health policy problems; and interacting with leading experts in health care policy and practice.

2023-2025 Duke-Margolis Postdoctoral Associate—Kun Li, PhD

Kun's research interests focus on health economics and payment models, particularly looking at safety net providers and community health centers. She recently completed her PhD in Health Policy from George Washington University and wrote her dissertation on the economics of community health centers. Prior to that, she earned her MA in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University and her B.Econ in Taxation from the University of International Business and Economics in China.

Read more about Kun's background and goals here.

2022-2024 Duke-Margolis Postdoctoral Associate—Sandra E. Yankah, PhD

Health Equity Policy & Primary Care Fellowship, a one-year program in collaboration with the Duke Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, aims to equip clinicians with the knowledge and experience to translate the concepts of health equity and health policy to improve their clinical practice. Fellows learn from leading experts in medical education, research, public health, health equity, and health care policy, as well as provide clinical care in family medicine. The research findings of the Health Equity Fellows will provide a foundation for transformational change in primary care at Duke Health and other health systems.

2023-2024 Health Equity Policy & Primary Care Fellow—Gabriela Plasencia, MD, MAS

Gaby is currently a family medicine and primary care physician for Duke Family Medicine, and worked with Duke-Margolis during her residency to study the systemic exclusion of Latinx communities from COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and treatment. She plans to continue using population health strategies to reduce health disparities in the community. Gaby earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, her Master of Applied Science in Population Health Management from Johns Hopkins University, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Microbiology from the University of Florida.

Read more about Gaby's background and goals here.

2022-2023 Health Equity Policy & Primary Care Fellow—Cara Smith

Health Equity Policy & Primary Care Fellow Cara Smith remembers her time at Duke

Read her reflections here

National Clinician Scholars Program at Duke University trains clinicians to become change agents driving policy-relevant research and partnerships to improve health and health care. The goal of the program is to cultivate health equity, eliminate health disparities, invent new models of care, and achieve higher quality health care at lower cost by training nurse and physician researchers who work as leaders and collaborators embedded in communities, healthcare systems, government, foundations, and think tanks in the United States and around the world. Duke-Margolis provides the health policy opportunities for those National Clinician Scholars who have an interest in health policy research.

Meet the 2022-2024 Duke-Margolis Affiliated National Clinician Scholars

Jeylan Close, MD	Tyra Girdwood, RN, PhD	Ceshae Harding, MD
Gabriela Plasencia, MD, MAS	Carri Polick, RN, PhD	Judith Vick, MD