Paul McCray Jr., MD

81MD, 84R–pediatrics, 88F–pediatric pulmonology

Paul McCray performed fundamental research to understand airway innate immunity and respiratory infections, including SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. He developed innovative animal models of coronavirus lung disease and cystic fibrosis to study pathogenesis and therapies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a mouse model of coronavirus infection that McCray had previously developed became one of the most scientifically useful vehicles for studying the virus and testing vaccines and treatments. He discovered the human and mouse beta-defensin gene clusters that protect the lung. He used this knowledge of host defenses and virus entry mechanisms to advance therapeutic gene delivery to airway epithelia. The Roy J. Carver Chair in Pulmonary Research, McCray has served as a role model and mentor to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, pediatrics trainees, and junior faculty at Iowa.

05MD

Amber Brooks’ career is guided by two passions: serving patients living with chronic and complex pain and advocating for compassionate, quality care for all. She is an associate professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the department’s vice chair of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Through her clinical research, she has cast light on bias and stigma in pain medicine and the healing power of movement. Brooks has led efforts at Wake Forest to build health equity into the curriculum for medical learners, and her next goal is to create a training program to boost innovation in the field of addiction medicine through modern data science methods.