Luke Davis, MD, is a pulmonary and critical care specialist with an interest in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) and other pulmonary infections.
Dr. Davis decided to become a physician partly because he liked the idea of meeting new people from different backgrounds. “I am always interested in hearing my patients and their families tell their stories. It helps me understand how to help them live the best lives they can as they face illness,” he says. “It is satisfying when we relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and give patients a greater understanding and peace of mind about their illness.”
While active TB is rare in the United States and doctors know how to cure it, they often don’t see patients early enough to help, Dr. Davis says. Yale Medicine is one of the few places in Connecticut that has a dedicated TB clinic, where patients can meet with experts to get quick, accurate answers and state-of-the-art care. In the clinic, Dr. Davis and other doctors care for patients from many backgrounds, including those with complex medical conditions and those who prefer a language other than English.
In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Davis is active in a new field called implementation research that borrows the best ideas from engineering, social sciences, and the design world to improve quality of care. “Most of my research focuses on tuberculosis and global health, but I often find that what we learn there also improves the care we give back home,” he says.
