Clarke-Pearson Professorship Extends Women’s Health Legacy

Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, MD, FACOG, has been named the inaugural recipient of this distinguished professorship in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dan and Katchy Clarke-Pearson have extended a decades-long legacy of supporting women’s health through the establishment of the Drs. Daniel and Kathleen Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Now 20 years after the Clarke-Pearsons arrived at UNC with Dan’s appointment as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this professorship will fuel research and educational opportunities for the department for generations to come.

Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, MD, FACOG, director of the department’s Global Women’s Health division and one of the world’s leading experts in the field, has been named the inaugural Clarke-Pearson Professor. Stringer, who also serves as Associate Director for Research within UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, was recruited to UNC by Dr. Dan Clarke-Pearson in 2012.

“This professorship represents several aspects of our shared core beliefs with UNC School of Medicine, as well as our deep appreciation for the opportunities that UNC has provided to each of us,” Dr. Katchy Clarke-Pearson said.

Katchy worked as an elementary educator before gaining admission to the School of Medicine before becoming an accomplished pediatric physician, serving rural communities outside of Chapel Hill following her graduation. Her passion for patient care paired perfectly with Dan’s career in research and education, and the Clarke-Pearson Professorship is an extension of those shared values.

“Throughout our journey in medicine, we were fortunate to have philanthropic support to not only pursue our dreams, but also become leaders in teaching, research and patient care,” Dr. Dan Clarke-Pearson said. “It is important to provide the same opportunity to academic leaders like Jeff by paying it forward, ensuring the landscape of women’s healthcare continues to evolve and life-changing care prospers.”

“It is a great honor to have Dan and Katchy provide this distinguished professorship so that we can continue on a path of supporting our leaders like Jeff,” said Genevieve Neal-Perry, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “It is really special for them to be able to pass this baton so that we continue to support work that is so important for women’s health.”

“Dan was the chair who recruited our group to UNC in 2012, and that makes it especially meaningful to me,” Dr. Stringer said. “He put a lot of faith in our group, he visited our site in Zambia to see the work that we were doing. He presided over a period of extraordinary success of our department, growing it into some nontraditional places like the Horizons program for taking care of patients with substance abuse disorders and, obviously, global health. He understood early on how we all live in an interconnected global world and that there are things that we can learn from our work overseas that can be brought back here to North Carolina.”

When Dr. Stringer and his team of eight expatriate faculty were recruited to UNC, he was leading an organization of 800 people in Zambia. Under his leadership, Global Women’s Health has flourished, expanding its reach to include projects in eight countries. Now based in Chapel Hill, Dr. Stringer directs the division of Global Women’s Health and holds key leadership roles within the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the Center for AIDS Research.

“Jeff’s unwavering dedication to enhancing the welfare of humanity, particularly those most vulnerable, has not only yielded remarkable results but has also inspired a new generation of investigators to pursue similarly impactful work,” said Dr. Neal-Perry.

Among the current projects currently being pursued by Dr. Stringer and his team are new technologies to overcome barriers to obstetric ultrasound access. Their work includes a suite of novel, deep-learning AI algorithms that integrate with low-cost ultrasound devices and allow untrained providers to make critical diagnoses in settings where ultrasound has traditionally been unavailable.

“Jeff is a visionary leader in women’s health research whose innovative work continues to shape the future of obstetrical care,” said Dr. Neal-Perry, adding that recent advancements in sonography and artificial intelligence are truly transformational, with the potential to revolutionize how obstetrical care is delivered both nationally and globally. “These groundbreaking innovations are not only enhancing diagnostic precision but are also poised to save countless lives, underscoring his profound impact on improving maternal and fetal health worldwide.”

“Jeff is an outstanding individual who inspired me at every opportunity,” said Dr. Dan Clarke-Pearson. “He had already established himself as a significant researcher, and he really embraced the collaborative nature of the work happening across UNC. We are excited to see what Jeff and his team continue to do.”