Harrington to be dept. chair of medicine at Stanford

Robert Harrington, director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute since 2006, will become chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University beginning July 1.

After more than a year of searching for a new dean, a search committee at Stanford settled upon Harrington from numerous candidates across the nation, said Philip Pizzo, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine in The Dean’s Newsletter. Harrington, who is also the Richard S. Stack MD Distinguished Professor at the University’s School of Medicine and a practicing cardiologist, came to Duke on a cardiology fellowship in 1990.

“This has been the most difficult decision of my professional life, but I feel it is the right move for me personally and professionally and, ultimately, for the DCRI as well,” Dr. Harrington said in a DCRI news release. “Change is hard to adjust to, but I have had great leaders on my executive team, and I know they will all help the entire DCRI become an even better organization than it is today.”

Harrington has authored or co-authored over 350 scientific publications and reviews, and has served on numerous editorial and scientific advisory boards, Pizzo said in the newsletter. His research interests include antithrombotic therapy for acute ischemic heart disease and the disease mechanism of acute coronary syndromes, among others.

“Dr. Harrington’s breadth of knowledge, his area of research, commitment to patient care and clinical excellence, and his leadership roles at Duke and nationally make him an ideal choice for this position,” Pizzo said. “Training future leaders and excellence in clinical care remain at the core of his mission, and he devotes part of every week to the practice of clinical cardiology—something he also intends to do at Stanford.”

Harrington’s wife Rhonda Larsen, consultant for clinical research and training at DCRI and founder of Site Research Solutions, will be accompanying him to Stanford.

—Staff Reports