Robert M. Berne (April 22, 1918 – October 4, 2001) was a heart specialist[1] and a medical educator whose textbooks were used by generations of physicians[2] Berne was recognized widely for his seminal research contributions on the role of adenosine in the blood flow to the heart.[3] He served as the editor of the peer-reviewed journal the Annual Review of Physiology from 1983–1988.[4][5]

Robert M. Berne
Born(1918-04-22)April 22, 1918
DiedOctober 4, 2001(2001-10-04) (aged 83)
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsUniversity of Virginia

Awards and Distinctions

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Berne was the chair and the Founder of cardiovascular research at the University of Virginia as well as the Chair of Department of Physiology there,[2] [6][7] He was also President of the American Physiological Society.[7] Berne was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[2] Berne was the Editor in Chief of Circulation Research, a publication of the American Heart Association from 1970 to 1975.[7] He received the Gold Heart Award of the American Heart Association in 1985.[7] He also received a special citation from the American Heart Association in 1979.[3] The National Academies Press called Berne "an acclaimed authority in the field of cardiovascular physiology".[1]

Career and life

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Berne was born in Yonkers, New York. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1939, and from Harvard Medical School in 1943.[3] In late 1944 he served in the US Army as a medical officer.[7] At the end of the war he took up a residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai with the focus on cardiology.[1] Berne joined the physiology faculty of Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1949, and remained in that position for 17 years.[3] In 1966 he was appointed Chair of the Physiology Department at the University of Virginia and served in that capacity until 1988.[7] He published more than 200 scientific articles and three textbooks authored with Matthew N. Levy.

Notable textbooks

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  • Principles of Physiology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Case Studies in Physiology.

References

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  1. ^ a b c National Academies Press, Robert M. Berne, By Matthew N. Levy
  2. ^ a b c New York Times:Robert M. Berne, 83, Cardiologist, Medical Educator and Author, By WOLFGANG SAXON, Published: October 17, 2001
  3. ^ a b c d TheHeart.Org: Robert M Berne, 83, known for research in role of adenosine in blood flow, dead of lung cancer
  4. ^ "Preface". Annual Review of Physiology. 44. 1982. doi:10.1146/annurev.ph.44.030905.100001.
  5. ^ Berne, Robert M. (1988). "Preface". Annual Review of Physiology. 50. doi:10.1146/annurev.ph.50.030905.100001.
  6. ^ The American Physiological Society, Robert M. Berne
  7. ^ a b c d e f American Heart Association, In Memoriam, Robert M. Berne, MD, Brian Duling
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