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L. Ebony Boulware

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine
Medicine, General Internal Medicine
200 Morris Street, 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 27701

Overview


Dr. Boulware is a general internist, physician-scientist and clinical epidemiologist focused on improving health and health equity for individuals and communities affected by chronic health conditions such as kidney disease. A national thought leader in health equity, she has identified patient, clinician, system, and community-level barriers that result in disparate outcomes for Black and other marginalized individuals. Using pragmatic trials, she has developed successful interventions, shaped guidelines, raised physician awareness and changed clinical practice.  Throughout her work, Dr. Boulware has sought to improve transparency and trustworthiness in science and medicine. 

Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes for Health, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and other organizations throughout her career. She has published over 200 manuscripts, book chapters, and editorials, and she mentors numerous students, residents, fellows, and faculty members.  Dr. Boulware is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  • A.B. Vassar College, 1991
  • M.D. Duke University, 1995
  • M.P.H. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 1999

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine · 2023 - Present Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Medicine
Affiliate of the Center for Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research · 2014 - Present Center on Health & Society, Social Science Research Institute
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2021 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

Recent Publications


System Interventions to Achieve Early and Equitable Kidney Transplants (STEPS): Protocol for STEPS, a randomized comparative effectiveness clinical trial.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · June 2025 The System Interventions to Achieve Early and Equitable Kidney Transplants Study (STEPS) is an ongoing pragmatic clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of an equitable and patient-centered approach to kidney care on equitable access to early kidney ... Full text Link to item Cite

Kidney Transplant Fast Track and Likelihood of Waitlisting and Transplant: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

Journal Article JAMA Intern Med · May 1, 2025 IMPORTANCE: Kidney transplant (KT) is the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The evaluation process for KT is lengthy, time-consuming, and burdensome, and racial and ethnic disparities persist. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential as ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


TRIO NRSA Training Core-Pre Doc Trainee

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2023 - 2028

Duke Program of Training in Pulmonary ReSearch to Promote, Engage and Retain Academic Researchers (PROSPER)

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2026

Diet and Hypertension Management in Chronic Kidney Disease

ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Johns Hopkins University · 1999 M.P.H.
Duke University, School of Medicine · 1995 M.D.