Dr. Robert A. Harrington is a distinguished leader in cardiovascular medicine and academic medicine administration who currently serves as the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. He assumed these roles in September 2023 after an illustrious tenure at Stanford University School of Medicine where he held the Arthur L. Bloomfield Professorship and served as Chair of the Department of Medicine for more than a decade. Prior to his time at Stanford, Dr. Harrington established his reputation at Duke University as the Richard Stack Distinguished Professor and Director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, transforming it into one of the world's premier academic cardiovascular research organizations. His educational journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of the Holy Cross, followed by his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Dr. Harrington's pioneering research has focused on evaluating antithrombotic therapies to treat acute ischemic heart disease and minimizing complications from percutaneous coronary procedures, significantly advancing patient care in interventional cardiology. Early in his career, he contributed to landmark clinical trials that established clot-busting medicines as standard treatments for heart attacks, work that ultimately led to the expansion of the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Diseases into the Duke Clinical Research Institute. His methodological innovations in clinical trial design have improved evidence generation in cardiovascular medicine, while his leadership in applying artificial intelligence to medical research has positioned him at the forefront of digital health transformation. With over 520 peer-reviewed publications and service as senior editor of Hurst's The Heart, one of the leading cardiovascular medicine textbooks, Dr. Harrington has profoundly shaped both scientific understanding and clinical practice in his field.
As the 84th president of the American Heart Association from 2019 to 2020, Dr. Harrington provided critical leadership during the challenging pandemic period, guiding the organization with strategic vision while maintaining its research and advocacy mission. His commitment to advancing medical science through technology is evident in his support for AI and machine learning applications, recognizing these tools as essential components of future research and clinical care as documented in his scholarly work on responsible implementation of AI systems. Throughout his career, Dr. Harrington has mentored more than 20 post-doctoral clinical research fellows and championed collaborative initiatives including the establishment of the Center of Population Health Sciences and Stanford Center for Clinical Research. His numerous accolades, including recognition as a Master of the American College of Cardiology and receipt of the AHA Clinical Research Prize, reflect his enduring impact on cardiovascular medicine and his ongoing contributions to improving heart health worldwide.
