Dr. Boat trained as a pediatrician and pulmonary medicine physician at the University of Minnesota, the National Institutes of Health, and at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). His first faculty appointment at CWRU, 1972-1982 focused on cystic fibrosis lung dysfunction research related to the role of abnormal mucous secretions in airways and to improving care for these patients.

Dr. Boat next assumed the chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina (1982-1993) followed by appointment as chair of pediatrics (University of Cincinnati) and director of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation (1993-2007).

Following leadership roles as CEO of UC Physicians and dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Boat returned to Cincinnati Children’s in November of 2014 as professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine within the UC College of Medicine and as director of CF WELL, a learning and education center to promote wellness and quality of life for patients with cystic fibrosis and their families.

Dr. Boat is a member of the Board of Children, Youth and Families of the Institute of Medicine and has been the author of five IOM reports addressing physical, emotional and behavioral dimensions of child health. In these roles he has been a champion for safe and nurturing family environments, as important early contributors to lifetime health and wellness, for all children.