Robert M. Califf Oral History Interview, 2007-2007

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Summary

Creator:
Califf, Robert M.
Abstract:
Robert M. Califf attended Duke University School of Medicine, and he completed his residency in internal medicine at University of California-San Francisco and a fellowship at Duke in cardiology. His early faculty appointments at Duke corresponded with his time as Director of the Cardiac Care Unit. Califf spent the majority of his career at Duke University. Most recently, he was Vice Chancellor for Health Data Science; Donald F. Fortin, MD Professor of Cardiology; and Director, Duke Forge. Under the Obama administration, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2015-2016), and was Commissioner of Food and Drugs (2016 to 2017). In November 2019, he left Duke for Alphabet. Califf is a prolific researcher in the areas of improving health outcomes, cardiovascular medicine, quality of care, and the clinical research enterprise. Califf is also pioneer of clinical trial research methods, and solidified infrastructure for clinical trials at Duke by founding the Duke Clinical Research Institute. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted at separate times. Interviews were conducted on June 11, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry and October 18, 2019 by Josephine McRobbie. In the 2007 interview, Califf discusses how he entered the field of cardiology, medical school experiences, his career at Duke, and the evolution of the cardiology databank into the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). In the 2019 interview, Califf discusses his upbringing in South Carolina; his formation as a cardiologist; his work as a clinician, researcher, and administrator at Duke; and his 2016-2017 tenure as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Major topics include advances in cardiology, developments in clinical trial research, leadership, and mentorship.
Extent:
2 Interviews (2 CDs, 2 transcripts) and 1.08 GB
Language:
English
Collection ID:
OH.CALIFFR

Background

Scope and content:

Includes 2 oral history interviews with Dr. Robert M. Califf. The first interview was conducted by Jessica Roseberry on June 11, 2007. The second interview was conducted by Josephine McRobbie on October 18, 2019.
In the June 11, 2007 interview, Califf, then the vice chancellor for clinical research and the director of Duke Translational Medicine Institute, discusses how he got into the field of cardiology, his work at the cardiology databank, early days of computing, medical school at Duke University, experiences working at Duke, and the evolution of the databank into the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI).
In the October 18, 2019 interview, conducted several weeks before Califf left Duke for a position at Google parent company, Alphabet as head of strategy and policy for Google Health and Verily Life Sciences, Califf discusses his upbringing in South Carolina; his formation as a cardiologist; his work as a clinician, researcher, and administrator at Duke; and his 2016-2017 tenure as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Major topics include advances in cardiology, developments in clinical trial research, leadership, and mentorship.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Robert M. Califf, MD MACC was born in Anderson, South Carolina, and spent his early years in Clemson, South Carolina. After moving to Columbia, South Carolina, as a young boy, Califf went on to be captain of the 1969 AAAA South Carolina Championship basketball team. After attending Duke University to study psychology, Califf switched his focus to medicine, enrolling for a Doctor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. In the year before beginning medical school, Califf worked as an orderly at a hospital in Greensboro. Califf went on to complete his residency in internal medicine at University of California-San Francisco and a fellowship at Duke in cardiology. His early faculty appointments at Duke corresponded with his time as Director of the Cardiac Care Unit.
Prior to his November 2019 hire at Alphabet, Califf spent the majority of his career at Duke University. Most recently, he was Vice Chancellor for Health Data Science; Donald F. Fortin, MD Professor of Cardiology; and Director, Duke Forge. Under the Obama administration, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2015 to 2016, and was Commissioner of Food and Drugs from 2016 to 2017.
Califf is a prolific researcher in the areas of improving health outcomes, cardiovascular medicine, quality of care, and the clinical research enterprise. Califf is also pioneer of clinical trial research methods, and solidified infrastructure for clinical trials at Duke by founding the Duke Clinical Research Institute. From mentors like Dr. Eugene Stead, Califf learned the value of critique and intellectual exchange in medicine, and this served him in later administrative appointments at Duke.

Acquisition information:
Accession A2007.0147 (transferred by Jessica Roseberry, June 2007), Accession A2019.098 (transferred by Josephine McRobbie, November 2019)
Processing information:

Processed by Archives staff: 2007; updated by Lucy Waldrop: November 2019

Arrangement:
Organized into the following series: Interview June 11, 2007; Interview October 18, 2019.
Rules or conventions:
DACS

Contents

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Restrictions:

None.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred citation:

Robert M. Califf Oral History Interviews, Duke University Medical Center Archives.