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Allan Douglas Kirk

David C. Sabiston, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery

Overview


I am a surgeon with interest in immune management of transplant recipients. I am particularly interested in therapies that influence T cell costimulation pathways and adjuvant therapies that facilitate costimulation blockade to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs without undue suppression of protective immunity. I am also interested in understanding how injury, such as that occurring during trauma or in elective surgery, influences immune responses and subsequent healing following injury.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


David C. Sabiston, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery · 2015 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Professor of Surgery · 2014 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Chair of Surgery · 2014 - Present Surgery, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Pediatrics · 2014 - Present Pediatrics, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Integrative Immunobiology · 2014 - Present Integrative Immunobiology, Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2015 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers
Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship · 2021 - Present Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published December 15, 2023
What Matters Most to Surgeons-in-Training
Published September 1, 2023
Antibody May Help Prevent Organ Rejection After Transplants
Published May 20, 2020
What Causes a Person's Immune System to Weaken?

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Recent Publications


Development of a natural language processing algorithm to extract social determinants of health from clinician notes.

Journal Article Am J Transplant · March 6, 2025 Disparities in access to the organ transplant waitlist are well-documented, but research into modifiable factors has been limited due to lack of access to organized pre-waitlisting data. This study aimed to develop a natural language processing algorithm t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immunomodulation of T cell-mediated alloimmunity by proximity to endothelial cells under the mammalian target of rapamycin blockade.

Journal Article Am J Transplant · February 2025 Endothelial cells (ECs) are an initial barrier between vascularized organ allografts and the host immune system and are thus well positioned to initiate and influence alloimmune rejection. The mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor rapamycin is known to i ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NIAID

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2029

Advanced Immunobiology Traning Program for Surgeons

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2029

Tolerance to Allogeneic Hearts via Implantation of Cultured Donor Thymus

ResearchAdvisor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 1992 Ph.D.
Duke University, School of Medicine · 1987 M.D.
Old Dominion University · 1983 B.S.