Neuropathologist Dikran Horoupian dies at 91

Dikran Horoupian, MD, chief of diagnostic neuropathology at Stanford Medicine from 1986 to 2002, author of more than 250 scientific publications and mentor to more than 20 neuropathology fellows, died on June 21 in Woodside, California. He was 91.

In addition to studying the developmental, degenerative and neoplastic diseases of the central nervous system, Horoupian was well-versed in diseases of the skeletal muscle, pituitary gland and central auditory pathways, the American Association of Neuropathologists — for which he served as vice president in 1997 — noted.

“Dikran was very erudite,” said professor of pathology Raymond Sobel, MD. “Whenever an unusual case came up in discussion, Dikran had quite frequently already published on it. He was an inspiration.”

“Dr. Horoupian left an indelible mark on neuropathology at Stanford Medicine, and his many trainees have become leaders in their field,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University. “His commitment to learning and teaching is a remarkable legacy.”

Horoupian was born in Egypt in 1933 to survivors of the Armenian genocide. His background was humble, but he was determined to become a physician and earned several scholarships to medical school in his home country’s port city, Alexandria, graduating with high honors. After training as a surgeon in Egypt, he accepted an offer from the World Health Organization to serve as a district health officer in what was then the Republic of the Congo.

After 15 months, he flew directly from Africa to Winnipeg, Canada, in the middle of winter to study pathology at Deer Lodge Hospital and complete a pathology residency at Winnipeg General Hospital, now Winnipeg Health Sciences Center.

“When I landed on the tarmac, I was struck by the ice and snow that blanketed everything. I had never seen snow before, and the scenery left me numb,” Horoupian recalled in a 2017 autobiographical article in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.

A new focus

During his time in Canada, Horoupian became interested in diseases of the nervous system and taught himself neuropathology by reading textbooks and participating in neurology and neurosurgical grand rounds. He applied for and was accepted to a fellowship program in neuropathology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where he used the then-new electron microscope technology to study synaptic function and the degeneration of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.

“The two years I spent at AECOM as a fellow were the most rewarding time in my career,” he recalled in his autobiographical article. After a brief period back in Winnipeg, followed by a year at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Horoupian returned to Albert Einstein as the chief of diagnostic neuropathology. There he streamlined the neuropathology department and focused more intently on neurodegeneration.

An advertisement in the New England Journal of Medicine for a director of neuropathology at Stanford University brought Horoupian to California in early 1986. At Stanford he launched a muscle and nerve biopsy lab and trained multiple future leaders in neuropathology while authoring over 250 scientific publications.

Horoupian was dedicated to performing his job well — an attribute that was occasionally reflected in an impatience with those he considered less devoted — earning the enduring respect of his colleagues during his time at Stanford Medicine.

“We admired him and appreciated the support he gave us in our own work through his knowledge, experience and teaching skills,” Sobel said. Horoupian retired as an emeritus professor in 2005.

“Dikran went from extremely humble beginnings to achieve and create an extraordinary life, and in so doing, became a role model to many, including his sons, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, students, residents, and fellows,” his family noted in a statement.  

“I felt gratified that I had fulfilled my wish to be a successful physician contributing to the advancement of medical sciences and patient care,” Horoupian noted in his autobiographical article. “My peripatetic life and exposure to a variety of languages and customs made me appreciate the various cultures I was exposed to and the fulfillment I have derived.”

In 2002 the American Association of Neuropathologists selected him to receive its Award for Meritorious Contributions to Neuropathology, citing his diverse interests and expertise in neuropathology, and giving him the moniker of a neuropathologic “man for all seasons.”

Horoupian was fluent in four languages: English, French, Armenian and Arabic. He was an active member of the Armenian community and devoted to his family. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Hermine; his sons Rupert, Mark and Garry; and six grandchildren.