McClellan, Bundorf named co-directors of Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy

Mark McClellan and Kate Bundorf have been appointed co-directors of the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Provost Alec D. Gallimore and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine Mary E. Klotman announced today.

McClellan, the Institute’s founding director, will continue to provide leadership for the Institute’s applied research, external partnerships, and engagement with policymakers, helping it sustain and expand its current work and strengthen its national impact. Bundorf, a nationally recognized health economist and member of the Institute’s core faculty, will join McClellan in expanding educational programs, university partnerships, and faculty engagement, including support for new and interdisciplinary faculty-led research.

Gillian Sanders Schmidler will continue to serve as deputy director, providing critical operational continuity and continuing to oversee the Institute’s education portfolio and coordinate development activities.

“The Duke-Margolis Institute is entering an exciting new phase that builds on its decade-long record of research, education, policy engagement, and public impact,” Gallimore said. 

“Together, Mark and Kate will broaden the Institute’s leadership capacity, deepen its collaborations across Duke, strengthen its ability to translate faculty research into meaningful policy reform, and prepare the next generation of health policy leaders. I am excited to work with them and with Gillian to continue to advance the Institute’s important mission.”

“The Duke-Margolis Institute brings together research, education, and policy expertise to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that improve health and health care,” Klotman said. “Mark and Kate bring complementary strengths and a shared commitment to excellence that will ensure that evidence informs policies that improve health outcomes for people around the world.”

McClellan, the Robert J. Margolis, MD, Professor of Business, Medicine and Policy, is a physician-economist with extensive leadership experience in academics, government service, and the private sector to advance health care transformation, biomedical innovation, and population health. He previously served as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and a Member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. He is research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, where he chairs it Leadership Consortium for a Learning Health System. 

Bundorf is the J. Alexander McMahon Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management at Duke, faculty director of research in the Sanford School of Public Policy, and a professor of population health sciences in the School of Medicine. She served as the President of the American Society of Health Economists and is also a research associate at the NBER.  Prior to joining the Duke faculty, she was an associate professor of health research and policy at the Stanford University School of Medicine. 

“I have had the privilege of working closely with both Mark and Kate, and I could not be more confident about the future of the Duke-Margolis Institute under their leadership," said Manoj Mohanan, vice provost for interdisciplinary programs. "Mark's extraordinary experience at CMS and FDA and record of translating research into real policy impact and Kate's deep expertise in health economics and faculty engagement make a powerful combination. I am grateful for their partnership and excited about what we will accomplish together.”

The Robert J. Margolis, MD, Center for Health Policy was established in January 2016 with a significant gift from Duke medical school alumnus Robert J. Margolis and his wife Lisa, through the Robert and Lisa Margolis Family Foundation. Duke-Margolis, elevated by Duke University to an Institute in January 2024, catalyzes Duke University's leading capabilities including interdisciplinary academic research and capacity for education and engagement, to inform policymaking and implementation for better health and health care.

“I’m optimistic about this natural expansion of the Duke-Margolis leadership team, given the Institute’s increasing size and impact on health policy and the tremendous interest in the field among Duke faculty and students,” said Margolis. “Augmenting the exceptional leadership of Mark with the addition of Kate and her significant skills as a senior faculty member will advance synergies with Duke faculty research as well as strengthen our unique interdisciplinary educational programs for students across the university. I look forward to the next steps in the Institute’s innovative enterprise to further its ambitious mission to advance health, health equity, and the value of health care.”