Reflections of Leadership and Research: Celebrating Richard Platt
Earlier this fall, friends, collaborators, colleagues, mentors, and mentees of Richard Platt – traveling from as far as Nashville, West Virginia, California, and Washington DC – gathered at the Harvard Club of Boston to celebrate his tenure as President and Chair of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. The event marked his 20+ year career as the second chair of the department.
Current Institute President and Chair Emily Oken, pictured at left between founding Chair Thomas Inui (left) and Rich Platt (right) opened the program with a poignant review of what she coined the central theme of Rich’s career: “What happens next?”. She documented his early beginnings as a researcher, from helping pioneer the use of electronic medical records for research (not long after a study wherein he and team mailed 19,000 physical surveys), to taking leadership of a young Department of Population Medicine entering its second decade, and then the helm of the FDA Sentinel System. Under his tenure, the department nearly doubled in size, with extramural funding increasing nine-fold. Having transitioned into the Chair role earlier this year, Emily thanked Rich for building the department into “an amazing, nurturing platform for growth and development.” The program continued with an address from Point32Health Chief Medical Officer Glenn Pomerantz, and four panels of colleagues.
Where It All Began
Jon Finkelstein managed a mock gameshow with contestants Thomas Inui, Gordon Moore, and Dennis Ross-Degnan. In the style of the New York Times Wordle, the group played “PLATT”, wherein they used the acronym to provide their reflections of Rich’s career: Population medicine doctor, Leadership, Argument and disputation, Training and mentorship, and Thanks and appreciation.
Shaping the Department
Led by Jason Block, Grace Lee, Tracy Lieu, Michael Sherman, and Anita Wagner discussed the evolution of their careers working with Rich through a thoughtful series of questions.
Making a National Impact
Facilitated by Judy Maro, Denise Cardo, Kevin Cranston, Mike Klompas, and Darren Toh discussed how Rich’s innovations in the department led to national change: his work changed the conversation around how we collect and use data in public health initiatives.
The Importance of Mentorship
Led by Ann Wu, Jeff Brown, Susan Huang, Chanu Rhee, and Ken Sands detailed Rich’s unique talent for quiet mentoring: a combination of unwavering support and kindness that let his mentees shine.
Thanks for All the Years
Admitting to ambivalence at the prospect of an event held in his honor, Rich expressed gratitude at the opportunity to convene and reflect on his career. He took the room back to his first academic publication as a fellow, noting that his research career – which predated The Belmont Report, published in 1979 – “spans the period during which the whole structure of the way we think about research on humans has been put into place.” From electric typewriters to electronic medical records, Rich’s illustrious career has paved the way for how we approach research and work to improve the health of populations.
Gratitude, not Goodbye
Luckily for the Institute, the celebration was not a farewell party, as Rich remains as Director of the Division of Therapeutics and Infectious Disease Research (TIDE) and co-investigator of Sentinel. Known and revered for his consistency in fashion (bowties and Oxford shirts), hobbies (bicycling, crossword puzzles, and Osprey-watching, to name a few), and diet (carrots, and more carrots), we look forward to continuing to benefit from Rich’s steadfast mantle of leadership, mentorship, and research as long as he’ll let us.
If you want to relive the celebration, or were unable to join us, you can view the event recording here. To skip to a section of interest, see the timestamps below.
| Welcome and Opening Remarks | 8:08 |
| Remarks from Glenn Pomerantz | 21:11 |
| Panel 1: Where it all began | 26:20 |
| Panel 2: Shaping the Department | 53:00 |
| Panel 3: Making a National Impact | 2:03:00 |
| Panel 4: The Importance of Mentorship | 2: 34:40 |
| Remarks from Rich Platt | 3:20:40 |
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