2025

“If you get the opportunity, you should try to make life better for others. That’s been my north star,” says Mike Rosenblatt, MD ’73. He envisions a world where students from diverse backgrounds can choose careers unhindered by financial burdens. He frequently asks himself how he can turn these visions into reality. His dedication is reflected in his extensive work at Harvard Medical School. 

Rosenblatt has been an active HMS volunteer for over 50 years. He is a sought-after adviser to HMS leadership, staff, and students. He has served as president of the Alumni Council and has been a devoted Class of 1973 Reunion Committee member. Currently, he serves on the Board of Fellows and is a member of the Advisory Council on Education. 

Although Rosenblatt has profoundly impacted HMS, receiving the 2025 Distinguished Service Award for HMS Alumni was something he never anticipated. 

Raised in northern New Jersey by immigrant parents, Rosenblatt never took opportunities for granted. He vividly recalls growing up with his father, a tool and die maker who fled Europe, and his mother, a homemaker who took over the business after his father passed away. Inspired by his family’s work ethic, Rosenblatt pursued his dreams, although he never foresaw how his life would unfold. He was the first person in his family to go to college. A career in medicine wasn’t on his radar until a high school teacher, Mary Halpin, encouraged him to consider it. 

“It’s like a light bulb went off,” he says, laughing. Rosenblatt enjoyed both science and the humanities. “My teacher pointed out that I could combine both as a physician,” he adds. Once he discovered this path, he earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University before arriving at Harvard Medical School. At HMS, he built deep relationships and discovered new opportunities that expanded his horizons. 

He completed his training at Massachusetts General Hospital and joined the HMS faculty. Finding that experience gratifying, he resolved to stay connected while his career took him to new places. As executive vice president and chief medical officer of Merck from 2009 to 2016, he initiated a summer fellowship that enabled first-year HMS students to gain unique, hands-on experience working in Merck labs. From 2016 to 2021, he served on the Alumni Council, and was its president from 2019 to 2021. 

“A couple of my good friends, William Chin (MD ’72) and Steve Weinberger (MD ’73), served as presidents of the Alumni Council—I got to follow in their footsteps,” Rosenblatt says. As president, he championed a debt-free college experience, inspired by a gift to Columbia University from Roy Vagelos, a physician-scientist who had recruited him to Merck. “I was able to go to HMS because I was given scholarships and loans. I remember clearly that it took me 15 years to pay off those loans, and I vowed to give back in return.” 

Collaborating with HMS Dean George Q. Daley, AB ’82, MD ’91, PhD, and then-Harvard University president Larry Bacow, JD ’76, MPP ’76, PhD ’78, he and his fellow Alumni Council members made achieving a debt-free education a School-wide priority.

“Ideally, you’d like people to make career choices based on what they are passionate about, rather than by their need to pay back loans,” Rosenblatt says. “I honestly felt that the wealthiest medical school on the planet ought to be able to do at least as well as some of these other schools, and probably better.” While the goal has yet to be reached, he remains optimistic about the possibilities. 

Rosenblatt’s passion for bettering the School and the community is palpable. He approaches his work with excitement and gratitude. When asked what keeps him dedicated, he replies: “This is really the century of human biology. We’re learning so much and getting so many opportunities. It’s such an exciting time in our field, and Harvard is clearly a leader in advancing medicine.” He also finds fulfillment in the relationships he builds. “The best of life is being able to have these wonderful professional opportunities alongside these deep friendships.” 

He loves what he does, attributing his ability to engage in causes he’s passionate about to the support of his family—his wife, kids, and grandkids.