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Lisa M McElroy

Associate Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery

Overview


I am an abdominal transplant surgeon with a health services research lab focused on understanding how complex health care processes and large multidisciplinary teams affect outcomes of high cost, high acuity patients.  I have a master's degree in health services and outcomes research methodology with supplemental training in health disparities research methods, engineering methods for healthcare system and process assessment, organizational behavior theory and change management, and implementation science.

As my research has progressed, an emerging theme has been the interplay between biologic and social risk, which each contribute to a patient’s ultimate success but receive disproportionate consideration in anticipation of and in response to subpar outcomes. I am currently involved in several efforts that build on this concept and employ an approach to health equity research that accounts for center and organizational-level characteristics when examining differences in care based on social determinants of health. 

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Surgery · 2026 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Onyekwere E. Akwari Associate Professor of Surgery · 2026 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2026 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments

Recent News Items


Published February 24, 2023
A Fair Process: Lisa McElroy Strives to Make Transplant Selection More Equitable

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Recent Scholarly Works


Organ-specific differences in the epidemiology of cytomegalovirus infections in high-risk (cytomegalovirus donor seropositive, recipient seronegative) solid organ transplant recipients with prolonged follow-up: A 10-year experience.

Journal article Am J Transplant · August 2026 Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes significant morbidity in CMV donor seropositive/recipient seronegative (D+R-) solid organ transplant recipients, but organ-specific differences in CMV epidemiology and the utility of laboratory surveillance after prophylaxis (S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterizing Middle Eastern and North African Patients in US Transplant Data.

Journal article Transplant Direct · August 2026 BACKGROUND: The Office of Management and Budget's March 2024 Statistical Policy Directive 15 revision requires reporting Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) individuals separately from the White category. This study compares MENA and non-MENA transplant ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


TxAccess for Improved Care of Patients with Delayed Graft Function

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by CareDx, Inc. · 2026 - 2033

2/3 CTSA K12 Program at Duke University

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences · 2025 - 2030

Endocrinology and Metabolism Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2024 - 2029

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Education


Northwestern University · 2014 M.S.
Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine · 2009 M.D.