Research News

It is with deep sadness that we share the sudden passing of Mike Kattan, PhD, MBA, Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, and the Dr. Keyhan and Dr. Jafar Mobasseri Endowed Chair for Predictive Analytics.

Motivated by his personal cancer journey, Dr. Kattan transformed and innovated modern statistical prediction methods for medical decision making. He created the risk prediction paradigm that shaped the field now broadly called data sciences, and his work set the trajectory for user-centered medical prediction design, now a standard in the field. He developed more than 100 prediction tools – most commonly for cancer, often called "Kattan nomograms," and was awarded two patents for his work.

Dr. Kattan completed his undergraduate degree and MBA at the University of Arkansas, and PhD at the University of Houston. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Informatics at the Baylor College of Medicine. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic in 2004, Dr. Kattan served on staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he remained a consultant at the Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases.

In his 20-year role as Chair of Quantitative Health Sciences, Dr. Kattan advocated for his people – first and always. He cared deeply about others, and his energy was contagious. No problems were ever too big for Dr. Kattan, who made certain that he was always available to help find ways to solve them. His vision and advocacy for QHS helped the department grow from 96 caregivers in the early 2000s to 160 caregivers today.

Dr. Kattan's work in nomograms led to a special assignment from the American Joint Committee on Cancer, where he reviewed and recommended cancer risk calculators for worldwide use. At Cleveland Clinic, he led a team that analyzed outcomes data for clinical researchers and developed predictive analytics for 32 diseases, allowing physicians to design treatment tailored to individual patients.

Dr. Kattan co-authored over 1,200 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His work was well-cited, with over 60,000 citations and an H-Index score of 129. Dr. Kattan was an early adopter of open science, making all his models publicly available decades ago. He developed the Cleveland Clinic Outcomes book series, providing one of the first transparent outcomes in healthcare and setting the standard for reporting with focused attention on safety and quality.

Dr. Kattan loved technology, and he was awarded many times over his career for his notable achievements. He received the Mason Sones Award for Innovation for his pioneering work with nomograms that predict the risk of prostate cancer recurrence in 2016. Moreover, he is the only non-MD to receive the George W. Crile Founders Professional Staff Award for Research in 2022. He was named Fellow of the American Statistical Association in 2018 and he was the only member of the Society for Medical Decision Making to have received all three of its professional awards.

Dr. Kattan was a tremendous visionary and leader. He was a pioneering scientist who was motivated by his passion to help others. He rode the VeloSano ride annually since its inception in 2013 and had been a team captain for many years. It always brought him great joy to share his passions with others – he was never short on inviting others to join him for a bike ride, a concert or a casual happy hour.

Dr. Kattan’s legacy is one of wisdom, joy, and laughter. His humor not only brightened the day, but it created a space for learning and building camaraderie. His genuine care for his team and his colleagues was evident in every conversation and every interaction. He will be mourned by many, including his family, friends, and colleagues.

A celebration of life will be held at the Cleveland Clinic in the Bunts Auditorium at 4:30 PM on September 5, 2024, and will be broadcasted for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, his family invites you to donate to support infrastructure and maintenance at his “Happy Place”, the Bedford Metroparks Mountain Bike Trails.