At every level of her training and career, Alixandra Purakal, M.D., assistant consulting professor in the Department of Radiology at and chief of the Community Division in the Department of Radiology at Duke University, has maintained a record of leadership and integrity.

While at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, she served in a number of roles in the Student Senate and other student organizations, including as Class of 2013 vice president, Communications Committee chair, Social Committee chair, and later was the first woman to hold the office of Student Senate president for two consecutive years.

She received a number of academic and service awards, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Arnold P Gold Humanism in Medicine, the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award, the Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Award, the Class of 2013 Academic Achievement Award and the Robert J. Sokol Alumni Association Prize.

She completed her Diagnostic Radiology residency at the University of Chicago. During residency, she was awarded the Neuroradiology Exemplary Junior Resident Award, and the John J. Fennessy Memorial Award for Research and Performance in Thoracic Imaging. She served as chief resident before starting her Breast Imaging fellowship at the University of Chicago.

Participating in the Association of University Radiologists Leadership Development Course and the American Medical Association House of Delegates further strengthened Dr. Purakal’s resolve to pursue leadership opportunities. During her first years at Duke, she served as her division’s director of Recruitment. She is a champion for diversity and inclusion, and received the University of Chicago Radiology Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award. She serves on the Duke Women in Radiology Executive Council as vice president of Communication and Service.

In 2022, she was appointed division chief for the Community Division in the Department of Radiology at Duke University. As the youngest and first female chief of the division, she leads the group of 17 radiologists, including staffing, scheduling, recruitment, and aspects of the division’s quality and safety, and peer-learning initiatives. In this role, she received a grant from the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Radiology for further career development. She was recently selected to participate in the prestigious Academic Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement program at Duke.

Dr. Purakal also serves as a member of the Duke Raleigh Hospital Medical Executive Committee, deliberating hospital policies and procedures, as well as helping ensure the medical staff functions efficiently. She also serves as medical director of Imaging Services at Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Ambulatory Services.