Robert Salata, MD, Built a Legacy of Outstanding Leadership, Scholarship, Clinical Care, and Service, With Nationally and Internationally Recognized Contributions to Global Health

As a young college student from Youngstown, Ohio, Robert Salata, MD, FACP, FIDSA, first considered becoming an engineer, but ultimately pursued a career in medicine to more aptly combine his love of science and people.

A consummate, lifelong learner, Dr. Salata became an inspiring, internationally renowned infectious disease and global health expert, a highly regarded clinician, and a pioneer in medical education, embodying a nearly 50-year career. At the time of his passing, he was the Chair of the Department of Medicine, STERIS Chair of Excellence in Medicine, Physician-in-Chief, Program Director of the University Hospitals Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine and Global Health at University Hospitals; Chair, Department of Medicine, and John H. Hord Professorship in Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  

“Throughout his notable career, Dr. Salata achieved an exceptional record of accomplishment for leadership, scholarship, clinical care, and service, recognized nationally and internationally for his many contributions,” says Keith B. Armitage, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Case Western Reserve University and Vice Chair for Education and Residency Director in the Department of Internal Medicine for University Hospitals. “He was an outstanding clinician and a revered educator, whose example as a dedicated clinician and teacher inspired an entire generation of students, residents and fellows.”

Distinguished by an incessant curiosity and an unwavering commitment to advancing the field of infectious disease, Dr. Salata was an exceedingly rare “triple threat” in healthcare, an individual whose talent, knowledge and experiences transcend all aspects of medicine at a time when few individuals excel in clinical, research and educational activities because of time and focus patient care and administrative operations require.

Clinically, he specialized in the evaluation and management of immunocompromised patients and infections in healthcare settings. His expansive research encompassed the epidemiology of infectious disease, clinical trials of new therapeutic agents for emerging infections, and clinical HIV/AIDS research on use of antiretrovirals in resource-limited settings. He also studied the epidemiology and prevention of HIV. Much of his work was continually funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As a physician leader, Dr. Salata received the highest level of recognition at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, as the Master Clinician in Infectious Diseases at University Hospital and Master Clinician-Educator at Case Western Reserve University. Likewise, national ranking programs such as US News & World Report ranked Dr. Salata in the top 1% of physicians in the United States.

Throughout his career, Dr. Salata contributed immeasurably to public health, promoting greater understanding of infectious disease, preventive care, and treatment, with his work in HIV/AIDs serving as a template. At the height of coronavirus pandemic in 2020, he demonstrated extraordinary leadership, spearheading the clinical trial for the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in Northeast Ohio and coordinating weekly webinars for infectious disease physicians, community stakeholders, and government officials in Northeast Ohio.

During the COVID crisis, he was often referred to as the “Fauci of Ohio,” a nod to Anthony Fauci, MD, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who led the country through the COVID-19 pandemic.  Dr. Salata relied on science and clinical data to make sound recommendations for thousands of caregivers, patients and citizens of our community in countless Zoom and Podcast presentations with Daniel Simon, MD, President, Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer and the Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Health Care Leadership at University Hospitals, serving as moderator and proud Dr. Salata “side-kick” and fan.

A Visionary Global Health Influencer and Collaborator

On a global level, Dr. Salata was a major contributor to HIV research in sub-Saharan Africa as the principal investigator on HIV/AIDS-related research studies for the Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration (UCRC) since 1997. The UCRC partnership launched in 1986 to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic evolved and grew significantly under Dr. Salata’s leadership as liaison coordinator.

Traveling to Africa several times a year over his 30-year involvement, Dr. Salata helped develop the UCRC research and education infrastructure, as well as facilitated the involvement of not only infectious disease experts, but others in chronic non-communicable diseases in global health, cardiovascular medicine, oncology, neurology and genetics. Dr. Salata similarly utilized epidemiology, biomedical sciences and engineering to better understand and address global health needs.

For example, he and his research team studied infections and cancers that occur in HIV-infected individuals. One National Cancer Institute-funded study currently underway is examining the links between HIV and lung cancer risk, and how they affect patient health and clinical outcomes. Similarly, a 10-year study Dr. Salata was involved in enrolled women in Uganda and Zimbabwe to assess if hormonal contraception placed them at greater risk for acquiring HIV infection.

The infrastructure and interpersonal relationships Dr. Salata worked tirelessly to develop in Uganda paved the way for more robust scientific investigations, improved healthcare, and high-impact philanthropic opportunities. In fact, earlier this year, the Roe Green Foundation awarded a $2 million grant to University Hospitals and CWRU to advance global health initiatives from each institution and establish a state-of-the-art research hub in Kampala, named the Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Roe Green Medical Education and Research Building. The facility promises to provide a central location for research, meetings, training, and medical care, in collaboration with Ugandan partners. Construction begins in January 2025.

Shortly before his untimely passing, Dr. Salata expressed excitement over the project’s potential long-term impact. “This project is gratifying in several ways because it will promote our research there,” says Dr. Salata. “We are the longest standing collaboration in Uganda and people know about us, but bricks and mortar mean everything there.”

Other leading U.S. medical centers have buildings in Uganda already. However, he said, “We’ve been dreaming about this for decades and we’ve finally gotten this done. This will be the culmination of many, many years of trying.”

An Academic and Leadership Background Rooted in Infectious Disease

Dr. Salata graduated from Notre Dame University in 1974 with a degree in pre-professional studies. He began studying parasites in a lab his senior year, the origin of his interest in infectious disease. He attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, the only school he applied to because he loved the curriculum, which focused on body systems rather than individual subjects. After graduating medical school in 1979, he completed a residency in internal medicine at University Hospitals, and a fellowship in infectious disease at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

During his fellowship, he spent time in Mexico City studying the human immune response to amebiasis, a serious parasitic infection that is prevalent in many areas of the world, including Latin America. The experience solidified his interest in infectious disease and propelled the rest of his career.

Dr. Salata officially joined the medical staff of University Hospitals in 1985 where he ran the lab that developed monoclonal antibodies for scientific investigations and continued his amebiasis research. He developed “Chief Resident Syndrome,” early on - a steadfast commitment to medical education, leadership, and administration – starting with his days as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine. Dr. Salata’s continued training and education led to progressively senior roles as Associate Clinical Chief of Infectious Diseases, and ultimately as the Chief of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, a post he held for almost 20 years. Dr. Salata was also the founding Director of the Infectious Diseases and Immunology Institute at the School of Medicine and Medical Director of Infection Control and Prevention at University Hospitals.

Across his career, Dr. Salata  served on boards for both global pharmaceutical companies and the National Institutes of Health, reviewing clinical trial protocols and even launching his own clinical trials unit to perform Phase I trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of novel drug compounds in fighting emerging infections.

Training the Next Generation of Internists and Infection Disease Experts, Building Legacy

As an educator, he proudly mentored and trained new generations of physicians, encouraging them to be lifelong learners at a time when medicine is constantly changing. His own field grew and changed exponentially across the length of his career. For instance, in the last 35 years, 30 new diseases have been identified, most of them infectious diseases. Partnerships like the UCRC cultivate science and advances in medicine across the globe.

Indeed, the world is closer because of travel, increased recognition of infectious diseases, climate change and the realization that there are common problems that affect both resource-rich and poor countries. He saw this as an opportunity to learn and contribute globally in a meaningful way.

Dr. Salata is survived by his wife, Jody, the couple’s four children and 11 grandchildren. One of his sons, Michael Salata, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and Director of the Sports Medicine Institute Joint Preservation and Cartilage Restoration Center at University Hospitals.