Dr. Harriet Smith Kaplan, a pioneering psychiatrist, devoted physician, beloved mentor, and former investigator at The Lundquist Institute (TLI), passed away peacefully on January 3, 2026, at the age of 96. Her life was defined by an unwavering commitment to patient care, medical education, and the integration of compassionate medicine across disciplines.
Born in 1929 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Dr. Kaplan distinguished herself early as a scholar, graduating as valedictorian of her high school class and later earning her undergraduate degree in zoology from UCLA. She received her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1956, a time when women were just beginning to forge pathways in academic medicine.
Dr. Kaplan’s professional home became Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she built a career marked by intellectual rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and deep humanity. There, she met her husband, Dr. Melvin Kaplan, then Chief of Internal Medicine. Together, they formed a partnership rooted in shared values of service, excellence, and dedication to the Harbor community.
Initially trained in nuclear medicine, Dr. Kaplan later completed a second residency in psychiatry, ultimately shaping a career that bridged medicine and mental health. In Harbor’s Department of Psychiatry, she cared for patients with complex medical and psychiatric needs while working closely with colleagues across specialties, including endocrinology and diabetes care. She also led Harbor-UCLA’s psychiatric crisis intervention clinic and served as a psychiatric liaison, helping to advance a more integrated and compassionate model of care.
Her influence extended well beyond clinical practice. Dr. Kaplan was deeply committed to education and mentorship, remaining actively engaged in teaching and professional programs even after retiring from full-time practice in the late 1990s.
In 2004, Dr. Harriet Kaplan and her husband, Dr. Melvin Kaplan, were honored as Harbor-UCLA Research and Education Institute (REI) Silver Knight awardees in recognition of their enduring contributions to the Harbor-UCLA academic and research community and their service as early members of the Institute’s Collegium/Foundation Board. [REI was later renamed The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation, where the Kaplans are now recognized as “ Legends.”] Upon receiving this honor, Dr. Kaplan reflected on the institution that shaped her life’s work, sharing words that continue to resonate today:
I cherish my association with so many highly accomplished colleagues in the Harbor family. Harbor has a foundation of academic and scientific excellence, mutual respect, and ethical conduct, whether it involves research, education, or patient-care.
Dr. Harriet Smith Kaplan
Dr. Kaplan is remembered not only for her professional accomplishments but also for the values she embodied, including intellectual curiosity and a deep commitment to healing. She lived her life in service to others, balancing a distinguished medical career with devotion to her family and community. Her legacy endures through the generations of clinicians she mentored, the patients she cared for, and the Harbor-UCLA and TLI community she helped shape.
To honor Dr. Harriet Kaplan’s enduring legacy of service and compassion, memorial contributions may be made to The Lundquist Institute.