Charles B. Cairns, MD
Member-at-Large Drexel University
Biography
Charles B. Cairns, MD, is the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president for medical affairs at Drexel University. He is a leader in emergency medicine and critical care education, training and research.
Previously, he served as dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University and as dean of the College of Medicine and assistant vice president for clinical research at the University of Arizona. He has also served as chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of North Carolina, associate chief of emergency medicine at Duke University and director of emergency medicine research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the world’s largest academic research organization.
Dr. Cairns has served as director of the NIH United States Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group and as principal investigator of the DHS National Collaborative for Biopreparedness. Most recently, he has led COVID-19 research and innovation efforts to understand the acute and longitudinal immune response to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection through several projects, including as a clinical lead for the NIAID COVID-19 Immunophenotyping (IMPACC) study and the DSMB of the NHLBI convalescent plasma study, and as principal investigator of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation project on the prediction of COVID-19 community infection and recovery.
Dr. Cairns is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College and received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina. He completed his residency in emergency medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular research at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Previously, he served as dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University and as dean of the College of Medicine and assistant vice president for clinical research at the University of Arizona. He has also served as chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of North Carolina, associate chief of emergency medicine at Duke University and director of emergency medicine research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the world’s largest academic research organization.
Dr. Cairns has served as director of the NIH United States Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group and as principal investigator of the DHS National Collaborative for Biopreparedness. Most recently, he has led COVID-19 research and innovation efforts to understand the acute and longitudinal immune response to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection through several projects, including as a clinical lead for the NIAID COVID-19 Immunophenotyping (IMPACC) study and the DSMB of the NHLBI convalescent plasma study, and as principal investigator of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation project on the prediction of COVID-19 community infection and recovery.
Dr. Cairns is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College and received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina. He completed his residency in emergency medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular research at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
