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Peter A Ubel, Madge and Dennis T. McLawhorn University Distinguished Professor  

Office Location: 100 Fuqua Dr, Box 90120, Room W309, Durham, NC 27708-0120
Email Address: peter.ubel@duke.edu
Web Page: http://www.peterubel.com
Web Page: http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/faculty/peter-ubel

Areas of Expertise

  • Health Policy, Economics

Education:
M.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1988
B.A., Carleton College, 1984

Teaching (Fall 2025):

  • Pubpol 165.01, Intro to us health care systm Synopsis
    Rubenstein 153, Tu 04:40 PM-07:10 PM
  • Hlthmgmt 705.101, Seminars in healthcare 1 Synopsis
    Fuqua hca, W 09:00 AM-11:30 AM

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. Cutter, CM; Jones, RD; Spector, ND; Singer, K; Paradis, KC; Telem, DA; Kerr, EA; Feldman, EL; Stewart, AJ; Settles, IH; Ubel, PA; Pollart, SM; Hopf, HW; Griffith, KA; Bickell, NA; Brown, A; DiMeglio, LA; Fogarty, CT; Garg, N; Heron, SL; Koopman, RJ; McGrew, M; Muraszko, K; Petty, EM; Puce, A; Taylor, AL; Tedesco, L; Turner, S; Williams, PM; Jagsi, R. "Engaging Peer Mentors for Opportunity, Well-Being, and Equity Realization-A Leadership Intervention for Women in Academic Medicine.." J Womens Health (Larchmt) 34.12 (December, 2025): 1518-1528. [doi]  [abs]
  2. Biermann, HD; Speight, CD; Montembeau, SC; Mitchell, AR; Lowe, EF; Krishnan, A; Scherer, LD; Matlock, DD; Ubel, PA; Allen, LA; Dickert, NW. "Qualitative Analysis of Patient-Physician Discussions About the Benefits and Tradeoffs of Heart Failure Medications.." Journal of cardiac failure (September, 2025): S1071-9164(25)00375-6. [doi]  [abs]
  3. Doerstling, SS; Engelhard, MM; Akrobetu, D; Sloan, CE; Campagna, A; Nguyen, T-V; Madanay, F; Chen, F; Ubel, PA. "Impact of Medical Conditions and Area Deprivation on Fundraising Success in Online Crowdfunding: Cross-Sectional Study.." J Med Internet Res 27 (July, 2025): e72475. [doi]  [abs]
  4. Kerr, EA; Griffith, KA; Jones, RD; Cutter, CM; Feldman, EL; Paradis, KC; Settles, IH; Singer, K; Spector, ND; Stewart, AJ; Telem, DA; Ubel, PA; Jagsi, R. "Gender and Career Milestones of Mid-Career to Senior Medical Faculty Who Held Career Development Awards.." JAMA internal medicine 185.7 (July, 2025): 890-893. [doi]
  5. Peoples, N; Ubel, PA. "Nurturing Future Health Care Leadership With Student-Run Clinics-Reply.." JAMA internal medicine 185.6 (June, 2025): 747. [doi]

Curriculum Vitae

Highlight:
I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University. My research and writing explores the quirks in human nature that influence our lives — the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness and the way our society functions. (What fun would it be to tackle just the easy problems?)

I am currently exploring controversial issues about the role of values and preferences in health care decision making, from decisions at the bedside to policy decisions. I use the tools of decision psychology and behavioral economics to explore topics like informed consent, shared decision making and health care spending. My books include Pricing Life (MIT Press 2000) and Free Market Madness (Harvard Business Press, 2009). My newest book, Critical Decisions (HarperCollins), came out in September of 2012, and explores the challenges of shared decision making between doctors and patients.

Bio/Profile

Dr. Peter Ubel is a physician and behavioral scientist whose research and writing explores the quirks in human nature that influence people's lives — the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect health, happiness and the way society functions.

Ubel joined the Fuqua School of Business as a Jack O. Blackburn Professor of Marketing in 2010 and holds a position in the Sanford School of Public Policy as a Professor in Public Policy, as well, specializing in health policy and economics. He previously was a Professor of Medicine and Psychology at the University of Michigan, where he taught from 2000 to 2010, and later went on to direct the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine. 

His research explores controversial issues about the role of values and preferences in health care decision making, from decisions at the bedside to policy decisions. He uses the tools of decision psychology and behavioral economics to explore topics like informed consent, shared decision making and health care rationing. 

In his spare time, he enjoys classical piano, sports, chili peppers, and wrestling with his two young boys, and recently, playing chess.

Peter A Ubel

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