by Cindy Abole
Public Relations

MUSC lost a valued colleague, researcher and mentor April 28 with the death of George Cooper IV, M.D., Distinguished University Professor of Medicine and director of the Gazes Cardiac Research Institute.

Dr. George Cooper IV

An internationally renown expert in heart physiology and heart failure research, Cooper was professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. Cooper was chief of cardiology at the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center and appointed to director of Gazes Institute in 1994.

M. Rita Young, Ph.D., associate chief of staff for research at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, valued Cooper's career and experience that was helpful to junior research faculty on campus.

"George was a VA investigator for the past 25 years, with his VA research focusing on the causes of heart failure, a significant problem in the aging veteran population. He was a passionate researcher and a highly respected mentor for junior scientists, faculty, clinicians and students. As both a VA researcher and chief of cardiology at the VA Medical Center, George was truly dedicated to advancing the health of veterans."

Cooper grew up in Alexandria, Va., and received his bachelor's degree in 1964 from Williams College and medical degree in 1968 from Cornell University Medical College in New York. He completed his internal medicine training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and research and cardiology fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and Duke University Medical Center. He also conducted research at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Md.

During his career, he authored more than 80 scientific articles and 10 book chapters in the field of cardiac mechanics and served on editorial boards of major cardiology journals and specialized boards with the National Institutes of Health and Veteran's Administration.

Gazes Cardiac Research Institute acting director and colleague Donald R. Menick, Ph.D., praised Cooper for his leadership, vision and compassion to improve cardiac care. "George had a great passion for promoting cardiovascular research. Most importantly, he wanted to ensure what he discovered in the lab made a difference in his patient's lives. To this end, he brought together talented clinical and basic scientists focused on understanding and treating heart disease, which became the Gazes Cardiac Research Institute. He has had a great impact on all of us who worked with him and on research here at MUSC."

Julius Sagel, M.D., Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Medical Genetics and former head of the medicine service at the VA Medical Center, has worked with Cooper at MUSC and the VA hospital for almost 30 years.

"I was associated with Dr. Cooper since his arrival to MUSC and the VA Medical Center. I gained enormous respect for his intellect, scientific productivity and ability to guide the careers of young faculty. Dr. Cooper was able to develop a very strong cardiology section and helped strengthen the affiliation between both institutions. In addition to his highly successful research career, he also dealt appropriately with clinical issues."

Cooper is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Roemig Cooper, and sons, George, F. Cullen, William Wise, James Andrew and other family.

Tommy Gallien, lab manager in Gazes Cardiac Research Institute, said that everyone will miss his contributions and research insight.

"George's initial curiosity as an intern was: 'Why doesn't the heart grow sufficiently to correct for problems presented by hypertension and other cardiac diseases?' He spent his 27 year career at MUSC in pursuit of the answers and founding a diverse and distinguished research team to seek new therapies in treating cardiovascular disease. He was particularly proud of treating our veteran population.

Stephen Lanier, Ph.D., associate provost for research, said Cooper established and led a well-recognized, research program that focused on the mechanisms of heart failure that had a broad impact on the field over a sustained period of time. "His perspective as a cardiologist and basic scientists allowed him to nurture an integrated, well-grounded research program that touched upon molecular and functional aspects of cardiac biology associated with heart failure, which was truly a special feature of the program."

Memorials may be made to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 71 Broad St., Charleston, S.C., 29401 or the Gazes Cardiac Research Institute at MUSC, 18 Bee St., Charleston, S.C., 29401.