Michael Vernon Relf

Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN is the Mary T. Champagne Distinguished Professor of Nursing and Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing and a Research Professor in the Duke Global Health Institute. As Dean, Dr. Relf leads one of the nation's leading schools of nursing and a globally recognized institution for nursing education, research, clinical innovation, and community engagement. In this role, he has expanded need-based scholarships, increased pathways into nursing education, and championed access, belonging, and opportunity within the nursing profession. As a first-generation high school graduate who grew up in rural America, he is keenly aware of the power, privilege, and promise of higher education and nursing.

He is a nationally recognized nurse scientist, mentor, and educator, and influential academic leader whose work has advanced humanistic, stigma-free HIV care, health equity, global health, nursing workforce development, and nursing education.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Zululand (South Africa) and Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland) and is a University Consulting Professor at Fudan University School of Nursing (China).

Areas of Expertise:

• HIV prevention, treatment, and care
• HIV-related stigma and discrimination
• Intimate partner violence and health outcomes
• Global health
• Nursing education
• Advanced practice nursing
• Nursing workforce development
• Community and population health
• Health equity and access to care
• Interprofessional and team-based care
• Academic health leadership

Dr. Relf's research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of HIV and the factors that influence health outcomes among people living with or at risk for HIV. Using mixed-methods approaches, he studies HIV-related stigma, intersectional stigma, everyday discrimination, intimate partner violence, and strategies that promote engagement in HIV primary care and treatment. His work has helped advance understanding of how social and structural factors affect health and wellbeing and has informed interventions designed to improve care, retention, and quality of life among individuals affected by HIV.

A central focus of his scholarship has been documenting and advancing the role of professional and advanced practice nurses in HIV prevention, treatment, and long-term care. His research has helped shape nursing practice, education, and competency development both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Relf's work examining the relationship between intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men received international media attention and was featured in major news outlets in North America and Europe. His research has contributed to broader conversations about violence, stigma, sexual health, and HIV prevention.

As a co-investigator on a President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-funded initiative to strengthen nursing capacity in Southern Africa, Dr. Relf collaborated with nursing leaders in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe to develop the Essential Nursing Competencies Related to HIV and AIDS. These competencies, endorsed by the International Council of Nurses, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, have since informed HIV nursing education and practice in multiple countries, including Canada and Thailand. He also led a national practice validation study to identify the competencies needed by nurse practitioners providing HIV specialty care.

His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (the National Institute of Nursing Research, the Fogarty International Center), the Health Resources and Services Administration, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the American Nurses Foundation, and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Leadership and Academic Administration

Dr. Relf has held several senior leadership positions at Duke University School of Nursing. From 2008 to 2014, he served as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. From 2014 to 2023, he served as Associate Dean for Global and Community Health Affairs, leading initiatives that expanded community partnerships, global engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He was appointed Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing in 2025.

Prior to joining Duke, Dr. Relf served as Chair of the Department of Nursing at Georgetown University and as Associate Medical Administrator and Director of Nursing and Clinical Support Services at Whitman-Walker Clinic, a nationally recognized healthcare organization serving LGBTQ+ communities and individuals affected by HIV.

Honors and Distinctions

Dr. Relf is an Advanced HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (AACRN) and Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Fellow of the Academy of Nursing Education of the National League for Nursing.

His contributions to nursing, HIV care, research, and mentorship have been recognized through numerous national awards, including:

• President's Award, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (2024)
• Researcher Recognition Award, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (2017)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, South Dakota State University (2014)
• Spirit of Nursing Award for Mentoring (2006)
• Frank Lamendola Achievement Award for Nursing Leadership in HIV Care (2003) 

Media and Speaking Topics

• Future of nursing
• Nursing workforce shortages
• HIV prevention and treatment
• HIV stigma and discrimination
• Global health
• Academic health leadership
• Nursing education innovation