Rashid Abdol Massumi (January 21, 1926 – May 29, 2015) was an
Iranian-American
Iranian Americans are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry or who hold Iranian citizenship.
Iranian Americans are among the most highly educated people in the United States. They have historically excelled in busine ...
cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...
, and a clinical and academic professor known for early contributions to the field of cardiology.
General
Rashid Ali Massumi was born in
Nain,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and died in Los Angeles, California, on May 29, 2015. He was a cardiologist and clinical professor, known for his significant and pioneering contributions to the field of
electrophysiology
Electrophysiology (from Greek , ''ēlektron'', "amber" etymology of "electron"">Electron#Etymology">etymology of "electron" , ''physis'', "nature, origin"; and , '' -logia'') is the branch of physiology that studies the electrical properties of b ...
in its early stages in the seventies. In his career he made a multitude of contributions published in peer review journals, and was the cardiologist to the
Shah of Iran
This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of th ...
and his family and later to
Ayatollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
until 1980.
Education
Massumi left Nain for
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, Iran at the age of 20 to study medicine at the
Tehran University School of Medicine.
[http://www.wellness.com/dir/2026190/cardiologist/ca/beverly-hills/rashid-massumi-md] As valedictorian of his 1950 graduation class, he was rewarded with a government-sponsored 5-year period of postgraduate education in the United States. He completed his internship and residency training at the
George Washington University School of Medicine
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (abbreviated as GW Medical School or SMHS) is the professional medical school of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. SMHS is one of the most selective med ...
in Washington, D.C.
[ He then completed a two-year fellowship in cardiology at the Institute for Medical Research, ]Cedars of Lebanon Hospital
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...
, under Myron Prinzmetal
Myron Prinzmetal (February 8, 1908 – January 8, 1987) was an American cardiologist. He studied hypertension and heart arrhythmias among many other topics, and was the first to describe Prinzmetal's angina, Prinzmetal angina.
Early life
Myron P ...
.
Early career in America
After serving as an instructor in cardiology at Yale University Medical Center from 1957 to 1960, he was invited to establish a modern cardiology laboratory at District of Columbia General Hospital, George Washington University section. During Massumi's tenure as associate professor of medicine at George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
and Head of Cardiology at D.C. General Hospital from 1960 to 1970, there were over 50 scientific contributions published in the field of cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart d ...
.
From 1970 to 1974, as Professor of Cardiology at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine
The University of California Davis School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of California, Davis. Although the parent institution is near Davis, California, the medical school is in Sacramento, California.
History
Founded in 19 ...
, Massumi continued research in the new field of electrophysiology, contributing over 40 original papers published in peer-reviewed journals.[
]
Return to Iran
From 1974 to 1980, Massumi returned to Iran by invitation from the Shah's Court to bring modern cardiology to Iran and establish modern techniques in the 350-bed cardiology center being constructed at the time.
Simultaneously, as Professor and Chief of the Department of Cardiology at Tehran University
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
, Massumi laid the groundwork for an up-to-date teaching center which, to this day, continues to produce qualified cardiologists. The pupils that Massumi has trained at the University of Tehran have become among the most respected cardiologists in Iran and have been the driving force in building ultra-modern cardiac centers in several major cities in the nation. Of these, the most recent center was built in the city of Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
in southern Iran in 2008. At the opening ceremonies, Massumi was referred to as the father of modern cardiology in Iran.
The tumult of the 1979 Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
led Massumi to decide to take his family back to the United States, where he has continued his career as a preeminent cardiologist since 1980.
Impact on cardiology
During his career, Massumi authored over 200 papers, 130 of which he was senior author,[ and authoring a chapter in the textbook "Cardiac Arrhythmias" and co-authoring "Complex Electrocardiography". He was a driving force behind the field's understanding of Prinzmetal-Massumi syndrome, a rare form of ]angina pectoris
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of obstru ...
.
Final years
Prior to his death, Massumi was practicing in Beverly Hills, California and was a member of the staffs of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...
, where he lectured regularly, UCLA Medical Center
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United ...
(where he served as a Clinical Professor of Medicine) and Brotman Medical Center
Southern California Hospital at Culver City is an acute care hospital in Culver City, California.
The hospital is located in Culver City's downtown area. The hospital serves West Los Angeles; providing 24 hour medical service. The hospital is ...
. Into his 80s he continued to publish articles, as recently as October 2010 at the age of 84, making him a successful contributor to the academic body of knowledge in the field for seven decades. In June 2009, the cardiology fellows of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...
gave Massumi the Lifetime Teaching Award in recognition of "his enduring devotion to the education of Cedars-Sinai Cardiology Fellows".
Publications
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*
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massumi, Rashid
Iranian cardiologists
Electrophysiology
1926 births
2015 deaths
American people of Iranian descent
Fellows of the American College of Cardiology