By Duke Medicine News and Communications

DURHAM, N.C. -- Cynthia K. Shortell, M.D., has been named chief of vascular surgery at Duke University Medical Center. The announcement was made by Duke surgery chairman Danny O. Jacobs, M.D.

Shortell, 47, comes to Duke from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, N.Y., where she served as associate professor of surgery and associate professor of pathology.

Surgically, she is known for performing both open and minimally invasive surgery of the aorta and the lower extremities, as well as carotid endarterectomies, in which surgeons open blocked arteries that supply the brain with blood. She also has research interests in the use of clot-busting and blood-thinning drugs for the treatment of blocked blood vessels and for the prevention of stroke.

"Dr. Shortell will lead our effort to establish as integrated Center of Excellence in Vascular Medicine and will further enhance our clinical and educational programs," Jacobs said. "She has proven herself to be an energetic, enthusiastic, mature and visionary thinker."

Shortell received her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1984. She then completed her residency at the University of Rochester, as well as fellowships in vascular surgery and hematology, before joining the Rochester faculty in 1993.