Skip to main content

Nrupen Bhavsar

Associate Professor in Surgery
Surgery, Surgical Sciences
710 W. Main St, Durham, NC 27701
710 W. Main St, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


I am a quantitative epidemiologist with methodological expertise in the design and analysis of observational studies that leverage data from cohort studies, registries, and the electronic health record (EHR). My background, training, and research is in the measurement and characterization of biomarkers, risk factors and treatment outcomes for chronic disease using real-world datasets. My primary research interests are in the use of novel sources of data, including the EHR, to conduct chronic disease research at the intersection of informatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology. My ongoing work aims to integrate informatics, epidemiology, and biostatistics to reduce the burden of chronic disease. I have topical expertise in multiple chronic diseases, including oncology, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. In parallel, I have a portfolio of research that aims to understand the impact of social determinants of health, including dynamic neighborhood changes, such as gentrification, on the health of adults and children. 

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor in Surgery · 2025 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Associate Professor in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics · 2023 - Present Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Translational Biomedical, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2017 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published September 16, 2024
Links Between Health and Place in Durham
Published December 23, 2015
Commentary: Evaluating a new era in Medicare hospice and end-of-life policy

View All News

Recent Publications


Off-label use of alemtuzumab, belatacept, and rapamycin in kidney transplantation-Long-term real-world experience.

Journal Article Am J Transplant · January 2026 Conventional immunosuppressive regimens in kidney transplantation continue to pose significant challenges, largely due to their reliance on calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and corticosteroids. These challenges have driven the search for alternative regimens ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neighborhood Environmental and Contextual Factors Improve Prediction of Childhood Body Mass Index: An Application of Novel Graph Neural Networks.

Journal Article AJE Adv · September 24, 2025 Childhood obesity is a major risk factor for adult cardiovascular disease. Current obesity-prediction models were not developed in diverse populations and do not include heterogeneous social, environmental, and climate factors that may impact body mass ind ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


1/3 CTSA UM1 at Duke University

ResearchFaculty Member · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2032

Surgical Critical Care Initiative (SC2i): Civilian application of military decision support tools for critically injured patients

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Henry M. Jackson Foundation · 2023 - 2027

Interventions that Address Structural Racism to Reduce Kidney Health Disparities Research Coordinating Center

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2025

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Johns Hopkins University · 2010 Ph.D.