Laureation address: Professor Robert M Califf MD
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine
Laureation by Professor Nicholas Feasey, School of Medicine
Tuesday 2 December 2025 – morning ceremony
Vice-Chancellor, it is my privilege to present for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, honoris causa, Professor Robert Califf.
Professor Califf stands among the most distinguished figures in medicine today, a physician, clinician-academic, and public servant whose work has transformed how we generate and apply medical evidence for the benefit of patients worldwide.
There have been two distinct phases to his career that both merit our recognition today. Firstly, as cardiologist, clinical trialist and founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and, more recently, in public service as Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for safeguarding public health through overseeing the safety and regulation of human drugs and medical devices, and monitoring the safety of America’s food supply. In both these roles, he has shaped the global standards by which we judge the safety, efficacy and integrity of new therapies.
Trained in cardiology, Professor Califf led many large-scale, complex, collaborative trials that have contributed hugely to the evidence base of modern cardiovascular care, bridging the divide between discovery research and clinical impact. His leadership at Duke University in North Carolina turned clinical research into a model of multidisciplinary partnership, linking academia, industry and regulators in pursuit of better outcomes for all. In doing so, he has helped revolutionise successful collaboration across academia, industry and government, an exceptional achievement.
Among these, several stand as landmark studies that helped redefine contemporary practice. Examples include the VALIANT trial, which recruited more than 14,000 participants following acute myocardial infarction and established the place of angiotensin receptor blockade as an alternative to ACE inhibition in high-risk patients, an advance that broadened treatment options for millions living with the consequences of heart attack.
Another example was HORIZONS-AMI, a pivotal investigation into anticoagulation strategies during emergency angioplasty for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, demonstrating that safer, bleeding-sparing regimens could improve outcomes in some of the sickest patients we treat. And in the field of lipid management, the IMPROVE-IT trial provided evidence that adding non-statin therapy to statins could produce meaningful incremental reductions in cardiovascular events.
Beyond the incredible statistics and trial data lies an essential narrative: that reliable evidence, ethical practice, and cross-sector collaboration are inseparable foundations of medicine and public health.
As FDA Commissioner, first in 2016-2017 and again from 2022 to 2025, Professor Califf has guided the world’s most influential regulatory body through a period of exceptional scientific opportunity and societal strain. His tenure spanned the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the rapid rise of digital health technologies, and the escalating challenge of misinformation that threatens public trust in science itself.
Under his leadership, the agency strengthened its approach to evaluating and monitoring innovative therapies, from advanced biologics to real-world-data-driven devices, ensuring that scientific rigour remained the bedrock of regulatory decision-making even amid intense public scrutiny. He championed transparency, evidence-based communication, and the modernisation of clinical-trial oversight, recognising that public confidence in medicines is as vital as the medicines themselves.
In an era when scientific evidence is increasingly contested, Professor Califf has provided a steady, authoritative voice, calling for a renewed societal commitment to truth, to data, and to the ethical stewardship of medical progress.
Vice-Chancellor, in recognition of Professor Califf’s career that has embodied the values that this University holds dear: rigour, integrity, excellence, and the pursuit of knowledge for the common good, I invite you to confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine, honoris causa, on Professor Robert Califf.