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Duke Flags Lowered: Cardiologist Galen Wagner Dies

The following message was sent Wednesday to School of Medicine faculty and staff by school Dean Dr. Nancy Andrews:

I’m sorry to inform you that Galen Wagner, MD, associate professor of medicine (cardiology) and a founding member of the DCRI, passed away today.

Dr. Wagner’s roots with the DCRI and Duke run deep and wide. He first came to Duke in 1957. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a medical degree, and served as a resident under Dr. Eugene Stead. He later served as director of Duke’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and was a key member of the Myocardial Infarction Research Unit. Dr. Wagner was on the frontlines when the first computer was installed in the CCU under Dr. Stead’s direction in 1967. He also helped establish the Duke DataBank for Cardiovascular Disease and was a strong supporter of its use over many decades.

Dr. Wagner also had a very successful research career, with a particular interest in electrocardiography and acute coronary care. He was the author of the Marriott’s Practical Electrocardiography 11th edition and Dynamic Practical Electrocardiography: A Virtual Clinic and Classroom, co-editor of Cardiac Arrhythmias: A Practical Guide for the Clinician, and editor of the Journal of Electrocardiology.

Dr. Wagner may be remembered most for his love of mentoring young people. He was well known for bringing out the best in others, serving as a guide for high school students, undergraduate students, medical students, residents, fellows, and junior and senior faculty.

Please join me in extending our condolences to Dr. Wagner’s family and friends.