Cotzias, George C., 1918-1977

Scope Note: Doctor George Cotzias, born in Crete, Greece in 1918, was a prominent physician who worked at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in the late 70s. He is known for his discovery of levodopa to treat Parkinson’s Disease. He graduated from the Hellenic Institute of Athens and then went on to the National University in Athens for his medical studies. In 1941, he had to cease his studies in order to flee the German occupation. He finished his education in the United States, graduating from Harvard in 1933. Cotzias began working at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1953, where he discovered and demonstrated the effectiveness of L-dopa in reversing the manifestations of Parkinson’s disease. For his contribution to clinical research, he received many honors including the Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award in 1969. He was also elected to the National Academy of Science in 1973. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1973, he expanded his research interests in this field and then joined MSKCC in 1975. He also brought his fellow research associates from Brookhaven to New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center to continue their research on Parkinson’s. Cotzias authored over 150 scientific publications, including papers and book chapters and served as adjunct Professor at the Rockefeller University. He did at Memorial Sloan-Kettering on June 13, 1977.

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