Lebron Cooper, MD, has been named chair for the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

An alumnus of the UTHSC College of Medicine, he will begin his new role on September 28.

Cooper will oversee research, education, and focus on clinical care in Anesthesiology at Regional One Health, one of UTHSC’s core teaching hospital partners. He will also re-establish the Anesthesiology Residency Program.

With some 25 years of hands-on health care expertise, Cooper has been included multiple times on the list of America’s Best Doctors. He has solid academic credentials at several colleges and universities, especially in teaching residents, fellows and students in the operating room.

His work includes more than 80 lectures and mock oral exams, and more than 40 regional, national and international presentations to his credit, along with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and abstracts. His research interests are in reducing risks and errors in anesthesia practice, and improving quality and safe anesthesia patient care. He has served on several quality control boards and committees, and currently leads the Anesthesiology Quality Assurance and Process Improvement initiatives at Henry Ford Hospital.