Michael Relf

Interim Dean, School of Nursing

Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANS-BC, AACRN, CNE, FAAN, is a Professor of Nursing and Global Health and Interim Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing. He previously served as Associate Dean for Global and Community Affairs from 2014-2023 and as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Accelerated BSN Program for the School of Nursing from 2008-2014.

His research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of HIV using mixed-methods particularly focusing on intimate partner violence, HIV-related stigma, and interventions to promote engagement in HIV-oriented primary medical care. Additionally, through his research, he has documented the role of the professional and advanced practice nurse in the prevention, care and treatment of persons at risk for or living with HIV.

Dr. Relf’s work examining the intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men received international press attention. As a co-investigator on a President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded project to build nursing capacity in the context of HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa, Dr. Relf, in collaboration with colleagues from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, published the Essential Nursing Competencies related to HIV and AIDS endorsed by the International Council of Nurses, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. In collaboration with Dr. Julie Barroso from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Relf has tested the efficacy of an internalized stigma reduction intervention among women living with HIV in the United States. He is now collaborating with partners in Rwanda (University of Rwanda) and Tanzania (Muhimbili University of Health and Applied Sciences) to adapt the intervention to the culture and context in these two countries.

Dr. Relf is an Advanced HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (AACRN) and certified nurse educator (CNE). Prior to joining the School of Nursing in 2008, Dr. Relf was the Chair of the Department of Nursing at Georgetown University (2001 to 2008) and the Associate Medical Administrator/Director of Nursing and Clinical Support Services at Whitman-Walker Clinic (1999 to 2001). He earned his BS with a major in nursing from South Dakota University, his MS in nursing administration in healthcare services from Georgetown University and his PhD in nursing from Johns Hopkins University. He has been a visiting professor at Queen University Belfast (Northern Ireland), the University of Zululand (South Africa) and Fudan University (China). He is a 2019 Fellow of the NLN’s Academy of Nursing Education and a 2008 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. In July 2023, Dr. Relf was appointed as an honorary professor in the School of Nursing at Fudan University in Shanghai, PRC.