Affiliated Treatment Facilities
Contact Information
Abramson Cancer Center
3400 Spruce Street
6th Floor, Silverstein Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104
01. Doctor Overview
Doctor Overview
Dr. Cooper has been practicing for decades after receiving his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1964, then continuing to complete a residency and fellowship to further his experience.
Dr. Cooper is credited with completing the first successful single-lung transplant in 1983 while working at the University of Toronto. After taking part in the 44th failed attempt at lung transplantation in the late 1970s, Dr. Cooper enlisted the support of his colleagues and a team of international research fellows to conduct a series of experiments aimed at identifying why previous lung transplant surgeries were failing. Dr. Cooper and his team discovered that the immunosuppressant drug prednisone was interfering with the healing process. Dr. Cooper then chose to use omentum and cyclosporin in place of prednisone and with that, he was not only able to achieve a successful lung transplant, but he created a procedure that was reproducible and beneficial to lung patients worldwide for years to come.
Additionally, Dr. Cooper is responsible for directing the first successful double-lung transplants in 1986 and 1987. Throughout his career, he has completed extensive research and numerous studies in the areas of lung volume reduction surgery, lung transplantation and lung ventilation.
02. Fast Facts
Doctor Fast Facts
Main Specialty: Thoracic Surgery
Other Interests & Specialties: Thoracic surgery, lung transplantation, lung volume reduction surgery and lung ventilation.
Certifications, Awards & Accolades: Credited with completing the first successful single-lung transplant in 1983 and double lung transplant in 1986 and 1987, Member of American Association for Thoracic Surgery (President 2003 – 2004), Member of Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Member of American Surgical Association, Member of the Society of University Surgeons
Education & Experience:
- Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School
- Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Pennsylvania Hospital
- Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital
- Fellowship at the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol and Hammersmith Hospital
03. Publications
Publications
Long-range diffusion of hyperpolarized 3He in explanted normal and emphysematous human lungs via magnetization tagging. Journal of Applied Physiology. November 2005;99(5):1992-7. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00185.2005
Historical perspectives of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. The Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery. June 2016;151(6):1440-1443. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.03.058
