This move represents a return home for Davis, a North Carolina native, UNC graduate, and member of the UNC School of Medicine faculty from 1999 – 2011.
“I am excited to return to UNC as the Chair of Pediatrics,” Davis said. “The opportunity to serve the children and families at UNC Children’s is a true honor.”
Davis was born in Chapel Hill, grew up in Greensboro, and graduated from UNC with a degree in Biology. From there, it was on to Bowman Gray Medical School at Wake Forest University. She then completed her internship, residency, and fellowship training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology at the Indiana University Medical Center.
In 1999, Davis joined the UNC School of Medicine faculty, eventually serving as Division Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology from 2009 – 2011.
In 2011, she left UNC for Indiana University where she has held several leadership roles, including her most recent appointments as Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, Division Chief for Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine, and Director of Ambulatory Services at the Riley Children’s Hospital, part of the Indiana University Medical Center.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Davis back to Chapel Hill and feel confident that our teaching, clinical, and research missions will thrive under her leadership,” said Wesley Burks, MD, Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Burks also thanked Dr. Kevin Kelly “for his outstanding service as Interim Chair of the Department for the last two years.”
Davis’ clinical specialty is pediatric pulmonology, with a particular focus on cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia and the impact of preterm birth on lung disease. Her research centers on identifying early life determinants of disease in children with cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and respiratory impairment due to preterm birth, as well as the development of novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of early airway disease. She has received significant funding support from both the NIH and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, authored more than 100 peer reviewed articles, and led several multicenter clinical trials.
A recognized leader in pediatric pulmonology, Davis has led international guideline development for the testing of lung function in young children. She has also served as Associate Editor of the journal Pediatric Pulmonology since 2013 and is active in multiple professional societies, including the American Thoracic Society, where she serves as Chair of the Pediatrics Assembly, and the American Board of Pediatrics, where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
Davis and her husband, Samuel P. Davis, III, MD, have three children.