Reflections on the Petrie-Flom Center’s 20th: Lawrence Gostin

To mark our 20th anniversary, the Petrie-Flom Center reached out to some of our esteemed colleagues for their reflections. Please enjoy this installment from Lawrence Gostin.

Tell us about your history of working with the Petrie-Flom Center and Faculty Director I. Glenn Cohen. 

Nearly 20 years ago, the Petrie-Flom Center was established at Harvard and the O’Neill Institute started at Georgetown. Glenn was the inaugural director of his center, and so was I. Ever since those early days, Glenn and I have been the dearest of friends. Our two centers grew to be giants in the field of health law. Throughout those many years, Glenn and I have partnered in so many areas, from advocating for health and justice, to writing many scholarly articles together. Now we are co-authors in the second edition of the standard textbook, Global Health Law. Glenn is the smartest person I know, and his impact on our field has been monumental. 

How has the Petrie-Flom Center made an impact? 

Petrie-Flom has literally transformed the field of health law. I can’t think of a single issue of great public health importance where Petrie-Flom has not been at the cutting edge. From brain injuries of NFL players and research ethics and regulation to digital health and the outsized influence of artificial intelligence, Petrie-Flom has excelled. I have deep admiration for, and a very special bond with, Glenn, Susannah, and the Petrie-Flom Center. You are all warriors for health and justice.  

What issues and topics in health law are top of mind for you right now in your own work?

My research and advocacy have been all consumed by the actions of the White House and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. I feel that our nation and the world is in a perilous moment. Under attack is public health, biomedical research, international health, humanitarian assistance, and science itself. On the first day of his second term, President Trump withdrew from the WHO and began an ambitious project to dismantle the nation’s most venerable scientific agencies, including Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Levels of trust for civil servants and institutions are at historic lows. The quality of health information is virtually non-existent. These are the major health threats we face. The Petrie-Flom Center and the O’Neill Institute are well placed to fight back. And we are doing so with all of our might. 

Petrie-Flom has literally transformed the field of health law. I can’t think of a single issue of great public health importance where Petrie-Flom has not been at the cutting edge. 

Lawrence Gostin

Help us see around corners: What do you think PFC should focus on in the near and/or long-term future?

I think we need to go back to the fundamentals, including the importance of public health, the essential underpinnings of science and evidence, regulation for the public welfare, and global health solidarity. Above all, we need to recenter ourselves from “what is in it for me” to how can we work together collectively for the common good. 

Please share anything else you’d like to say about PFC and/or Glenn.

I would say, quite simply, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you Glenn, Susannah, and the Petrie-Flom Center, for your intellectual leadership over 20 glorious years.