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Lisa M McElroy

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery
DUMC 3512, Durham, NC 27710

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 Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor of Surgery · 2021 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Onyekwere E. Akwari Assistant Professor of Surgery · 2022 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Assistant Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2020 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments

In the News


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

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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

The association between long-term PM2.5 exposure and risk for pancreatic cancer: an application of social informatics.

Journal Article Am J Epidemiol · March 4, 2025 There is a profound need to identify modifiable risk factors to screen and prevent pancreatic cancer. Air pollution, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cancer. We conducted a case-control study using ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Endocrinology and Metabolism Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

Improving Racial Equity in Clinical Decision Making about Access to Organ Transplant

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities · 2022 - 2027

Living donor liver transplant in minority populations

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Vanderbilt University Medical Center · 2023 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


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