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Alexander Tan Limkakeng Jr.

Professor of Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine
2301 Erwin Road Box 3096, Durham, NC 27710
2301 Erwin Road, Box 3096, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Dr. Alexander T. Limkakeng, Jr., MD, MHSc, FACEP is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Director of the Acute Care Research Team, and Director of the Resident Research Fellowship for the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Limkakeng has served as chair of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Research Committee, and been the Course Director of the ACEP Research Forum from 2016-2018, the largest emergency medical research platform in the nation. He is also the Assistant Director of ACEP’s Emergency Medicine Basic Research Skills course. He was elected to the Nominating Committee of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine.

As a researcher, Dr. Limkakeng has led multiple clinical trials and interdepartmental sponsored projects and is author on over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. These include studies in emergency conditions such as COVID-19, traumatic brain injury, hypertension, heart failure, thrombosis, stroke, envenomations, and septic shock. His research has been funded by grants and contracts totaling over $9 million dollars. He has lectured internationally on acute coronary syndrome, responsible conduct of research, design of clinical trials, and precision medicine in emergency care. He has led Duke’s involvement in NIH-funded research networks and in industry-funded work that led to FDA approval for multiple high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays and point-of-care COVID-19 diagnostic tests. He has servesd as Co-PI for the Duke U24 Hub in the NIH Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net) (1U24NS114416) and now serves as a co-PI on the Duke U24 Hub award (1U24NS129498) in the NIH Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clinical Trials (SIREN) Network and in the NIH NINDS Strokenet network (1U24NS135250)

His personal research interest is finding new ways to diagnose acute coronary syndrome. In particular, he is interested in novel biomarkers and precision medicine approaches to this problem. The common element throughout this work is a focus on time-sensitive health conditions.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Emergency Medicine · 2021 - Present Emergency Medicine, Clinical Science Departments

In the News


Published May 1, 2023
Duke Emergency Medicine Comes into Its Own
Published February 4, 2019
Blood Test Could Detect Early Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Published July 11, 2017
These Kits Will Save Lives, But There Is Much More Work Ahead to Stem the Opiate Epidemic

View All News

Recent Publications


Acute coronary syndrome prevalence and outcomes in a Tanzanian emergency department: Results from a prospective surveillance study.

Journal Article Afr J Emerg Med · March 2025 BACKGROUND: Preliminary data suggests that the burden of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is high in Tanzania. After efforts to improve ACS care, we sought to describe ACS diagnosis rates, care processes, and outcomes in a Tanzanian Emergency Department (ED). ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in intermediate-risk emergency department patients with abnormal high-sensitivity troponin.

Journal Article J Cardiovasc Magn Reson · January 28, 2025 BACKGROUND: Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain often have abnormal high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn). However, only about 5% have an acute coronary syndrome. We aimed to assess the safety, feasibility, and utility of a clin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Exploring Perceived Barriers and Facilitators for Implementing Acute Pain Clinical Trials: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Ketamine Infusions for Sickle Cell Pain.

Journal Article J Pain Res · 2025 OBJECTIVE: Vaso-occlusive events (VOEs) are the primary cause of acute pain in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), where high-dose opioids are the current standard treatment. Ketamine, a non-opioid analgesic, holds potential for managing acute SCD ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia regIonal Stroke trIal cONsortium (ENVISION)

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2023 - 2028

Mid-Atlantic praGmatic NETwork for Inclusive Clinical trials in emergency care (MAGNETIC)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2023 - 2028

STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING STROKE TREATMENT RESPONSE (SISTER) TRIAL

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Cincinnati · 2024 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 2012 M.H.S.
University of Pennsylvania · 2001 M.D.