James R. Duncan, MD, PhD

2023 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

James R. Duncan, MD, PhD, developed protocols and led by example, delivering interventional radiology procedures and care to the sickest of COVID-19 patients while maintaining safety for faculty and trainees. Serving on the front line, along with the entire interventional radiology team, Duncan developed bedside approaches for dealing with complex COVID-19 cases including drainage of pleural effusions under ultrasound guidance. He and his team placed many central access lines in COVID-19 patients at the bedside. Duncan also managed interventional radiology procedures in COVID-19 patients in the interventional radiology suites. He led these complex procedures, often dealing with clotting issues, in an atmospherically controlled environment, which maximized patient and staff safety. Much of this work included “on the fly” adjustments to the significant complexities of COVID-19 patient management. Interventional radiology patient volumes increased during the pandemic, as interventional radiology procedures were often used as an alternative to surgery. Duncan was often the first one in the room to care for the patient, sparing residents and fellows some of the difficult front-line exposures they might otherwise have faced.