5th Annual Kenneth V. Leeper Memorial lecture
Thursday, May 8, 2025
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Winship 5th floor North and South Conference
Guest Lecturer:
Marc Moss, MD
Dr. Moss is the Roger S. Mitchell Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Moss has a longstanding interest in critical care-related research and has held continuous NIH funding as a Principal Investigator for over 22 consecutive years. More specifically, Dr. Moss’ research interests include identifying new treatment modalities for patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), exploring the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular dysfunction (including swallowing dysfunction) in critically ill patients who require mechanical ventilation, and studying burnout syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, and wellness in healthcare professionals. Dr. Moss’ research on wellness was initially funded by the NIH and is currently funded by the National Endowment of the Arts. He also served as the President of the American Thoracic Society from 2017–2018.
About Kenneth V. Leeper, Jr., MD
Dr. Kenneth V. Leeper was born in White Pine, Tennessee on January 21, 1952, to the late Kenneth V. Leeper, a Baptist minister, and the late Doris "Dot" Frazier Leeper. He was married to Denise M. Cardo, MD. They were true soulmates and everyone who saw them together knew they shared a love that transcended the ages.
Dr. Leeper was an outstanding scholar-athlete as an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University, where he stayed for post-graduate education in biochemistry and medical school, receiving his Doctorate of Medicine in 1979. After a year of medical internship in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he transferred to the prestigious Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, for his remaining two years of Internal Medicine Residency. He then served two years in the National Health Service Corps as a commissioned officer before returning to Henry Ford for his subspecialty training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine from 1982 to 1985. During this time he began a lifelong career in clinical investigation.
After completing his training, he joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. During his 10 years at that institution, he directed an active clinical research program that focused on novel treatment strategies in critically ill patients and rapidly gained a reputation as a superb clinician, educator, and administrator. In 1998 he was recruited to Emory University and dedicated the past 17 years of his career to patient care, teaching, and clinical research here in Atlanta.
Dr. Leeper was widely admired by his peers and in 2009 received the award for the Outstanding Senior Clinician at Emory University Hospital Midtown (formerly known as Crawford Long Hospital). In 2010 he was promoted to Professor of Medicine. Although he had a national and international reputation for his clinical research activity and contributions to the medical literature, he was most renowned and beloved for his incredible dedication to patient care and his tireless devotion to teaching medical students, nurses, medical residents, and fellows to create the next generation of clinicians. His devotion to teaching and mentoring was widely recognized by medical trainees at the University of Tennessee and Emory University. He was that rare individual who was awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Awards at two institutions.
It would be difficult to overstate the contributions that Dr. Leeper made to the academic missions at Emory University. More importantly, he was as humble as he was inspirational, and his career was marked by selfless service and scholarship. He cared for patients with compassion and inspired others to perform scientific investigations and teach the next generation of scientists and caregivers. He loved time spent with family and close friends. He had a magnetic personality that lit up a room and a heart large enough to encompass all he encountered. His hearty laugh and storytelling ability made him a popular figure wherever he went, and he was instantly recognized and treated as royalty at all his favorite haunts
Dr. Leeper was an avid reader and enjoyed history. During his global travels, he sought out interesting places and could recite the history and culture of each location. Recent trips to Japan, Spain, Portugal, and many trips to Brazil were filled with scenery, museums, religious sites, dancing, and gourmet food. Elaborate practical jokes were also one of his great pleasures and every one of us became a victim at one time or another.