Dec 22, 2025
In this episode of the NCS Podcast Perspectives series, host Nicholas Morris, MD, speaks with Cherylee Chang, MD, division chief of neurocritical care and professor of neurology, neurosurgery and medicine at Duke University. Dr. Chang reflects on her journey from an early interest in cardiothoracic surgery to neurology, and ultimately, to the “intersectional” work that drew her to neurocritical care.
She discusses her early training in the field, efforts to establish certification and fellowship accreditation pathways and the challenges of defining the essential components of what constitutes neurocritical care. Dr. Chang also shares insights from Duke’s advanced practice provider model, her work to broaden multidisciplinary inclusion within NCS and her current focus on leadership development, workforce shortages and strategies to better attract the next generation to the field.
Dr. Chang recommends the following books for those
interested in developing their leadership
potential:
Difficult Conversations
by Douglas Stone, Bruce
Patton and Sheila Heen
Extreme Ownership
by Jocko
Williams
Leadership and
Self-Deception by The Arbinger
Institute
The
Fearless Organization by Amy
Edmonson
The
Leader’s Guide to Mastering Feedback by Joan
Hibdon
The
Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
The views expressed on the NCS Podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official positions of the Neurocritical Care Society.