Department Leadership
Learn more about Dr. Falk and the Department鈥檚 Vice Chairs, including Gerald Hladik, MD, Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs; Debra Bynum, MD, MMEL, FACP, Vice Chair for Education; Cristin Colford, MD, Executive Vice Chair; Spencer Dorn, MD, MPH, MHA, Vice Chair for Care Innovation; Linda Raftery, Vice Chair for Administration; and Janet Rubin, MD, Vice Chair for Research.
Ron Falk, MD
Nan and Hugh Cullman Eminent Professor
Chair, Department of Medicine
Co-Director, 黑料网 Kidney Center
Dr. Falk was appointed as Chair of the University of North Carolina Department of Medicine in July, 2015 after having served as Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension from July, 1993 through May, 2015.
Dr. Falk is recognized as an international expert in vasculitis and autoimmune kidney disease. His career as a translational physician-scientist spans more than three decades. His practice and translational research focus on characterizing the cell, tissue and physiologic changes in the development of specific autoimmune kidney diseases and developing new approaches for studying autoimmunity, inflammation and basic neutrophil/monocyte biology. After the discovery in 1988 by Dr. Falk and colleagues of myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (MPO-ANCA), his laboratory has focused on clinical and translational science investigation of the immunogenesis, pathogenesis and response to treatment of ANCA vasculitis and other autoimmune kidney disease.
Dr. Falk is a highly respected scholar and mentor who has guided, for over three decades, young physicians, scientists, and physician-scientists to successful careers in academia and industry.
Dr. Falk has served in various capacities within the American Society of Nephrology, including numerous committees and ASN Council. He served as its president from 2011-12. A notable achievement during his term as president was the founding of the Kidney Health Initiative in 2012, which is a public/private partnership of American Society of Nephrology and the U.S. FDA. During his tenure as ASN President, the American Society of Nephrology Foundation for Kidney Research was established with a substantial endowment. He has also served or chaired on numerous study sections and special emphasis panels within the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Falk continues to receive funding in a P01 Program Project Grant, 鈥淎NCA Glomerulonephritis: From Molecules to Man,鈥� UM1, 鈥淕DCN Clinical Center鈥擜dvancing Clinical Research in Primary Glomerular Diseases,鈥� and a T32 Renal Epidemiology Training Grant.
Gerald Hladik, MD
Doc J. Thurston Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs, Department of Medicine
Debra Bynum, MD, MMEL, FACP
Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair for Education, Department of Medicine
Originally from eastern North Carolina, Dr. Bynum was the first person in her family to attend college and graduated from Davidson in 1990 with a degree in Biology and a focus on ecology and marine biology. From there, she came to Chapel Hill for medical school and stayed at 黑料网 for residency training. After completing a year as chief resident, she joined the faculty at WakeMed Hospital where she worked in the clinic caring for Raleigh鈥檚 underserved, attended on the inpatient service with 黑料网 residents and students, and helped to found one of the first hospitalist programs in the area.聽
After three years at WakeMed, she returned to 黑料网 for further training as a fellow in the Geriatric Medicine program and was appointed to a faculty position in 2001. During the subsequent fourteen years, she held multiple leadership positions within the School of Medicine, the Department of Medicine, and the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship and Internal Medicine Residency programs. She directed the Acting Internship for senior students as well as co-directed the clinical skills course for second year students, served on the School of Medicine education committee, and helped to design, implement, and co-direct both a transition course for new third year students as well as a teaching elective for fourth year students. She served as the Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship from 2008-2014 and was selected to lead the Internal Medicine Residency program in May of 2014.聽
She has received multiple teaching awards and completed the requirements to earn a Master of Science degree in Medical Education Leadership. With this dedication to teaching and learners at all levels, Dr. Bynum was selected to serve as the Vice Chair for Education for the Department in 2022. 聽
Cristin Colford, MD
Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Dr. Cristin Colford is an experienced clinician, medical educator and administrator. She received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in 2001, followed by residency and chief residency in 2005. Dr. Colford is Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine. She is the former Associate Program Director for the internal medicine residency program and has experience in undergraduate medical education as a clerkship director, course director, and thread director for patient care and clinical skills. Her leadership has been recognized for curriculum development, learner assessment, faculty development, mentoring, and quality improvement. Dr. Colford has received numerous awards for outstanding teaching and clinical care, including the Academy of Educators Excellence in Teaching Award and the 黑料网 Health Care Carolina Care Excellence Award.
As executive vice chair, Dr. Colford supports the clinical, educational and research activities in each division. She collaborates with faculty from all divisions in the 黑料网 Department of Medicine, to develop innovative, patient centered, forward thinking models of care.
Spencer Dorn, MD, MPH, MHA
Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair for Care Innovation, Department of Medicine
Dr. Spencer Dorn arrived at 黑料网 as a fellow in 2005, joined faculty in 2009, was appointed Vice Chief of Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2012, and Vice Chair of Medicine for Care Innovation in 2019. In his current role, he focuses on enhancing existing care processes and models 鈥� while developing new ones 鈥� that support the department鈥檚 600-plus physicians and advanced practice providers and that better meet the needs of the various patient populations they serve.
Dr. Dorn鈥檚 clinical practice focuses on functional GI and motility disorders, for which he has served as an investigator on numerous clinical trials, co-authored national practice guidelines, and has been consistently named to the list of Best Doctors in America. He is an experienced physician administrator who previously led and managed one of the nation鈥檚 premier academic gastroenterology practices. He broadly understands the forces shaping healthcare, serving on national gastroenterology practice committees, and frequently presenting and publishing on healthcare delivery.
Dr. Dorn received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, his medical degree from the State University of New York at Brooklyn, and his Masters of Public Health and Masters of Health Care Administration from the 黑料网 School of Public Health. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital and gastroenterology at 黑料网.
Janet Rubin, MD
Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine
Dr. Rubin became the Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine in 2015. She brings over 30 years of experience in funded research, NIH and VA grant review and junior faculty development to this position. A longstanding interest in mentoring young investigators toward independent research careers has been critical to her new initiatives as Vice-Chair. These include the Physician-Scientist Development Pathway, the recruitment of new physician scientists to the DOM, outreach to the DOM鈥檚 many K-grant holders, and involvement in 黑料网鈥檚 successful MSTP program. Along with Alex Duncan, she developed and teaches the highly successful R-grant writing group.
Dr. Rubin鈥檚 NIH funded laboratory investigates how physical factors regulate mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Recent findings include that the nuclear envelope is a mechano-sensory site, and that intranuclear actin regulates osteogenesis. These studies use cellular techniques as well as a running mouse model.
Dr. Rubin practices endocrinology as a member of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. She has adjunct appointments in Bioengineering, Pharmacology and Pediatrics. Dr. Rubin鈥檚 family is committed to 黑料网 Medicine: her husband is a member of the Cardiology Division, her daughter is an Endocrinology fellow, and her son-in-law is a Nephrology fellow.
Linda Raftery, BSN, MHA
Vice Chair for Administration, Department of Medicine
Ms. Raftery received her BSN and Masters in Healthcare Administration, both from Duke University. She has served in diverse roles across many facets of health care, both in community hospitals and academic medical centers. Five years of nursing, primarily in intensive care units provided a critical foundation and desire to support and provide leadership for advances in health care delivery鈥揻rom the lab to the bedside.
As Business Manager of Hospital Information Systems and Director of Radiology and Cardiology at Rex Hospital, Ms. Raftery led the expansion of Radiology services, implemented centralized scheduling and improved financial performance.
Ms. Raftery鈥檚 early management at 黑料网 was with 黑料网 Physicians and Associates, focusing on charge capture, coding and editing systems to facilitate clean claim filing. In 2007, she joined the Department of Medicine as the Manager for Cardiology and the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center. Soon thereafter, the healthcare system launched the Center for Heart and Vascular Care to facilitate multi-disciplinary care to patients with cardiac and vascular disease. Ms. Raftery served as the Associate Chief for Administration for 黑料网 Center for Heart and Vascular Care from 2009 through 2015.
As Vice Chair for Administration in the Department of Medicine, Ms. Raftery serves as the chief administrative and 聽financial officer of the department, working with our administrative and financial leadership 聽to improve financial and operational performance across our clinical, research and education missions. Working with physician and administrative leadership across all twelve divisions of the Department of Medicine she represents the administrative lens to develop a strategic vision for the Department, implement new programs, recruit faculty, invest in research, promote education and manage efficient service oriented operations.