Robert Montgomery (physician)

Montgomery was born in January 1960, in Buffalo, New York and spent his early years on Potter Avenue in Orchard Park, New York growing up with his three older brothers and all the kids on the street. The fourth of four male siblings, he decided to pursue a career in medicine after the long illness and death of his father from familial cardiomyopathy at age 52.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cuny.tv/show/buildingny/PR2007015|title=BuildingNY:NYStories - Robert Montgomery, MD: Transplant Surgeon/NYU Langone - CUNY TV|website=CUNY TV|access-date=2018-12-01}} He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1467404137/robert-montgomery|title=Robert Montgomery|website=nyulangone.org|access-date=2018-12-01}} As a Fulbright Scholar,{{Cite web|url=https://fulbrightscholars.org/grantee/robert-montgomery|title=Fulbright Scholar Program: Robert Montgomery|website=Fulbright Scholar Program|access-date=2023-10-14}} he completed a doctorate in molecular immunology from Balliol College in Oxford, England.

Montgomery received his general surgical training at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1987 to 1995.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} He was a co-resident with Peter Attia.{{cite web | url=https://externalmedicinepodcast.com/robert-montgomery/ | title=17. Robert Montgomery, MD: Immunology, Pig Organs, and the Future of Transplantation | date=28 April 2022 }} During his residency, he took time out to complete his D.Phil in Transplantation Biology at the University of Oxford, graduating in 1993. He did a post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins in Human Genetics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/resources/sources/robert-montgomery|title=Robert A. Montgomery|work=Center for Health Journalism|access-date=2018-12-03}} He then finished his clinical training in Multi-Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins from 1997-1999 after which he joined the clinical staff as an Assistant Professor of Surgery.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2009/Transplant/surgeonbios2009.html|title=Surgeon Biographies|last=Simpkins|first=Beth|access-date=2018-12-03}} In 2003 Montgomery became Chief of the Division of Transplantation and Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Johns Hopkins, positions he held until 2016. In the first year at those positions Montgomery was lead physician in what Johns Hopkins called the world's first simultaneous "triple swap" kidney transplant operation.{{cite news |last1=Dakss |first1=Brian |title='Triple Swap' Kidney Transplant |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/triple-swap-kidney-transplant/ |work=CBS News |date=2 August 2003}} Other such surgeries with Montgomery as lead physician occurred at Johns Hopkins during the decade.{{cite news |title=Doctors Perform 3-Way Kidney Swap |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=124899&page=1 |work=ABC News |date=6 January 2006 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Dominguez |first1=Alex |title=5-Way Kidney Swap Performed at Hopkins |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112000363_pf.html?noredirect=on |newspaper=The Washington Post |agency=The Associated Press |date=20 November 2006}} In 2003, Montgomery was the inaugural recipient of the Margery K. and Thomas Pozefsky Professorship in Kidney Transplantation. In 2016, he accepted a position as the inaugural Director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute in New York.{{Cite web|url=https://nyulangone.org/press-releases/pioneering-surgeon-to-lead-new-transplant-institute-at-nyu-langone-medical-center|title=Pioneering Surgeon to Lead New Transplant Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center|website=nyulangone.org|access-date=2018-12-03}}

Montgomery helped develop a laparoscopic method for removing a kidney from a living donor which became common practice.{{Cite web|title=Progress in Xenotransplantation Opens Door to New Supply of Critically Needed Organs|url=https://nyulangone.org/news/progress-xenotransplantation-opens-door-new-supply-critically-needed-organs|access-date=2021-10-30|website=NYU Langone News|language=en}}

On September 25, 2021, Montgomery performed the first genetically engineered pig kidney xenotransplantation to a human. The kidney was engineered by Revivicor, Inc., a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, to remove the alpha-gal sugar, which is associated with hyperacute rejection. It was transplanted to a deceased human body donor, which did not reject the kidney while ventilated for 54 hours.

In summer 2023, Montgomery led the longest study of a genetically engineered kidney xenotransplant in a human body to date.{{Cite web|title=Two-Month Study of Pig Kidney Xenotransplantation Gives New Hope to the Future of the Organ Supply|url=https://nyulangone.org/news/two-month-study-pig-kidney-xenotransplantation-gives-new-hope-future-organ-supply|access-date=2023-10-14|website=NYU Langone News|language=en}} The pig kidney was observed for two months in a neurologically deceased human, and maintained optimal kidney function throughout the study.{{Cite web|title=Pig kidney works a record 2 months in donated body, raising hope for animal-human transplants|url=https://apnews.com/article/pig-kidney-transplant-xenotransplant-83dfb5e6d022ca72039a821cc6bc00ef|access-date=2023-10-14|website=The Associated Press|date=14 September 2023 |language=en}}

He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2023.{{cite news |title=National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members |url=https://nam.edu/national-academy-of-medicine-elects-100-new-members-2023/ |access-date=9 October 2023 |work=National Academy of Medicine |date=9 October 2023}}

Montgomery is married to opera singer Denyce Graves.{{cite magazine |last1=Herndon |first1=Jessica |title=Opera singer Denyce Graves Weds Surgeon Robert Montgomery |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20304126,00.html |website=People |date=13 September 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314231640/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20304126,00.html|archive-date=14 March 2011}} His favorite opera is Carmen.{{cite web | url=https://externalmedicinepodcast.com/robert-montgomery/ | title=17. Robert Montgomery, MD: Immunology, Pig Organs, and the Future of Transplantation| date=28 April 2022 }} He has a transplanted heart.

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Category:Living people

Category:Johns Hopkins University faculty

Category:American transplant surgeons

Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine