Matthew Cooper is a Professor of Surgery at Georgetown SOM and the Director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at the Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute (MGTI), Surgical Director for the Pediatric Kidney Transplant program at Children’s National Medical Center and the Medical Director for the MGUH Perioperative Services.
After receiving his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1994, Dr Cooper completed his general surgery training at the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by a fellowship in multi-organ abdominal transplantation in 2002 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He joined the transplant faculty at the Johns Hopkins Hospital upon completion of his training, and was appointed Surgical Director of Kidney Transplantation and Clinical Research in 2003. Dr. Cooper joined the University of Maryland in 2005 directing the kidney transplant and clinical research program until 2012 when he assumed his current role in Washington, DC.
Dr. Cooper trained with the pioneers of the laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, regularly performs these procedures and seeks new opportunities for living donation by removing the disincentives for those considering donation while promoting the safety and long-term care of live organ donors. Dr. Cooper is involved in several ongoing clinical research projects primarily with an interest in immunosuppression minimization and amelioration of delayed graft function in kidney allografts following ischemic reperfusion injury. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 6 book chapters.
Dr. Cooper is involved in transplantation activities both locally in the District and on a national basis. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the NKF and a member of the NKF’s national TransplantTask Force, Public Policy Committee and Living Donor Executive Committee. He was elected to the National Board of Directors for the NKF. He recently served as the chairman of the United Network of Organ Sharing’s (UNOS) Living Donor Committee and currently sits on UNOS’ Board of Directors as well as the Boards for the American Foundation for Donation and Transplantation and the local OPO – Washington Regional Transplant Community. Dr. Cooper is the ASTS representative to the ATC Planning Committee and is a member of the AST Living Donor Community of Practice.