Robert Edward Gross

Robert Edward Gross (July 2, 1905 – October 11, 1988) was an American surgeon and a medical researcher. He performed early work in pediatric heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. Gross was president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Biography The National Academies Press called him "one of America's great pioneers of surgery". The New York Times said that he did "pioneering work in the field of cardiac surgery". Ten years later he performed the first surgery to graft artery tissue from one person into another, thus making a leap in methods of repairing of damaged arteries. He also developed a method of cutting into a heart with a use of a plastic well that allowed to avoid a catastrophic loss of blood. Gross was a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Gross was elected to the American Pediatric Hall of Fame. 1956 - Roswell Park Gold Medal, Buffalo Surgical Society 1959 - Billroth Medal, New York Academy of Medicine 1961 - Gold Medal Award, Golden Slipper Square Club of Philadelphia 1962 - Award of the Brotherhood Temple Ohabei Shalom, Brookline 1965 - William E. Ladd Medal Award, Surgical Section, American Academy of Pediatrics 1965 - Gold Cross, Royal Order of the Phoenix of the Greek Government 1968 - Denis Browne Gold Medal, British Association of Pediatric Surgeons 1969 - Dr. Rodman E. Sheen and Thomas G. Sheen Award, American Medical Association 1970 - Alfred Jurzykowski Medalist, New York Academy of Medicine citation with Farber and Neuhauser and the Children's Hospital Medical Center 1970 - Henry Jacob Bigelow Memorial Medal 1971 - Tina Award 1973 - Distinguished Service Medal, American Surgical Association

Education and career 1927 - B.A., Carleton College 1931 - M.D., Harvard University, Medical School 1934-36, Instructor in pathology, Harvard Medical School 1937-39, Instructor in surgery, Harvard Medical School 1939-40, Junior associate in surgery, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital 1939-42, Associate in surgery, Harvard Medical School 1939-46, Associate visiting surgeon, Children's Hospital, Boston 1940-46, Senior associate in surgery, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital 1942-47, Assistant professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School 1947-88, Ladd Professor of Children's Surgery, Harvard Medical School 1947-67, Surgeon-in-chief, Children's Hospital, Boston 1952, Surgeon-in-chief, pro-tempore, Ohio State University 1967-72, Surgeon-in-chief, cardiovascular surgery, Children's Hospital, Boston