Gary Kopf, MD, professor of surgery and pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon at Yale School of Medicine, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Over a career spanning more than 45 years, Dr. Kopf advanced the fields of adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. He graduated from Columbia College, where he studied physics, and Harvard Medical School (cum laude). He completed his training in general and cardiothoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital, and pursued research in perinatal physiology at the National Institutes of Health.
Recruited to Yale in 1980, Dr. Kopf became Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in 1981. He played a foundational role in building Yale’s congenital heart surgery program at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), working alongside colleagues in cardiology and radiology during a formative era for the field. He also helped advance the Adult Congenital Heart Program and remained an active contributor to both congenital and adult cardiac surgery throughout his career, maintaining a strong record of scholarly publications and mentorship.
In 2012, Dr. Kopf was part of the surgical team that implanted the first tissue-engineered blood vessel used in a patient in the United States. Developed from a young patient’s own cells, the vessel was used to correct a potentially fatal congenital heart defect and marked an important advance in the field of regenerative medicine.
Dr. Kopf’s calling was the surgical treatment of newborn infants with complex and often underdeveloped hearts, frequently in lifesaving circumstances. The work required not only technical skill, but also compassion and steadiness in caring for families facing fear and uncertainty. He trained numerous residents and surgical faculty in the specialized craft of congenital heart surgery, extending his influence to generations of surgeons.
Beyond his surgical leadership, Dr. Kopf was widely respected for his commitment to biomedical ethics. A certified healthcare ethics consultant, he served on multiple ethics committees at YNHH and at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics.
Dr. Kopf will be remembered for his dedication to patients, his contributions to the field, his longstanding service to Yale Surgery, and the warmth, compassion, and humanity he brought to those around him.