Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD

Chief Vision and Values Scientist
A. Eugene and Marie Washington Presidential Distinguished Chair
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Departments of Neurobiology, Bioengineering, and Neurosurgery
Duke University

Office: (919) 681-7371
kafui.dzirasa@duke.edu

PubMed / CV

Dr. Kafui Dzirasa is the first African American to complete a PhD in Neurobiology at Duke University. His research interests focus on understanding how changes in the brain produce neurological and mental illness. Kafui obtained an MD from the Duke University School of Medicine in 2009 and completed residency training in General Psychiatry in 2016. Kafui was featured on CBS 60 Minutes and has been awarded the One Mind Rising Star Award and the Sydney Baer Prize for Schizophrenia Research. In 2017, he was recognized as 40 under 40 in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum, and the Engineering Alumni of the Year from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  

Kafui was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE): the nation’s highest award for scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. He has also been recognized with the Alan Leshner Public Engagement Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award. He has served on the Editorial Advisory Board for TEDMED and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director. Kafui is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator.

Positions & Education

Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC (2023-Present)
Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Duke University Hospital
Durham, NC (2010-2016)
Residency, General Psychiatry

Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, NC (2001-2009)
Doctor of Medicine
Medical Scientist Training Program

Duke University
Durham, NC (2007-2009)
Postdoctoral Research
Advisor: Miguel Nicolelis

Duke University Graduate School
Durham NC (2003-2007)
Doctor of Philosophy in Neurobiology
Thesis: Electrophysiological Correlates of Neurological and Psychiatric Disease
Advisor: Miguel Nicolelis

University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD (1996-2001)
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Magna cum laude
Meyerhoff Scholar

Honors & Awards

Teal and green Howard Hughes Medical Institute logo

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
2021

Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award Laureate
2021

Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award Laureate logo

Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
2021

Green and white National Academy of Medicine logo
  • Distinguished Professor Award - (2024)

  • Presidential Distinguished Chair - (2023)

  • Elected Member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering - (2023)

  • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Full Member – 2023

  • National Institutes of Health Pioneer Award – (2022)

  • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Daniel H. Efron Research Award – (2021)

  • Duke University Presidential Award for Distinguished Service – (2021)

  • Duke Medical School Ruth and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Faculty Research Prize – (2021)

  • Duke Medical School Early Career Mentoring Award in Basic – Translational Science – (2020)

  • Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award – (2019)

  • Duke University Graduate School Few-Glasson Alumni Society – (2019)

  • American Society for Clinical Investigation – (2019)

  • AAAS Alan Leshner Public Engagement Fellowship – (2019)

  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers MAC Eminent Engineer Award – (2018)

  • Engineering Alumni of the Year, UMBC – (2017)

  • NMQF 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health – (2017)

  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers – (2016)

  • Awarded NIH Clinical Lasker Fellowship (declined) – (2016)

  • Duke Medicine Alumni Emerging Leader Award – (2016)

  • Robert J. Lefkowitz Society for Physician Scientists – (2014)

  • Appleseed Resident Teaching Award – (2014)

  • Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Prize for Schizophrenia Research – (2013)

  • National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award – (2013)

  • One Mind Institute Rising Star Translational Research Award – (2013)

  • Duke Institute of Brain Sciences Research Incubator Award – (2013)

  • TheGrio’s 100 Award: Making History Today – (2013)

  • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award – (2011)

  • NIMH Brain Camp Travel Award – (2009)

  • UNCF Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellow – (2008)

  • Days of Molecular Medicine Travel Award – (2008)

  • Young Leaders of the Future, EBONY magazine – (2008)

  • Somjen Award for Most Outstanding Dissertation Thesis – (2007)

  • Charles Johnson Leadership Award – (2007)

  • Minority Trainee Research Forum Travel Award – (2006)

  • Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Fellow – (2006-2007)

  • Awarded American Psychological Association DPN Fellowship – (2006)

  • UNCF Merck Graduate Science Research Fellow – (2006-2007)

  • Wakeman Fellow – (2003-2005)

  • Medical Scientist Training Program – (2001-2003)

  • United States Achievement Academy Academic All-American Scholar – (1999)

  • CoSIDA Academic All-American Scholar – (1999)

  • Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges – (1999)

  • National Collegiate Minority Leadership Award – (1999)

  • Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholarship Award – (1999)

  • UMBC Community Service and Leadership Award – (1999)

  • Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll – (1998-1999)

  • Dean’s List – (1997-2000)

  • Meyerhoff Scholarship recipient – (1996-2001)

Interests:

Changing the world

Group photo of former President Obama signing a piece of paper with Dr. Kaf and former Vice President Biden

Invited Presentations