Gus Rosenberg

Gus Rosenberg was born on August 20, 1944 in Chalfont, Pennsylvania. Dr. Rosenberg is an accomplished man with many medical and engineering achievements to his name.

Background and Education

Gus Rosenberg was born to his mother and father in 1944 and raised in the town of Chalfont, Pennsylvania. After his childhood, Rosenberg attended college and joined Army ROTC and served until 1978. Rosenberg studied mechanical engineering at Penn State University and received his Bachelor's of Science, his Master's of Science, and his PhD. at the university. Rosenberg began research on heart-assist pumps in 1970 as a graduate student at Penn State. The research conducted would lead to devices developed by the team that he now leads at Penn State. These devices have been used in many patients throughout the world.

Circulatory support device research.

Dr. Rosenberg found success in the world of biomedical engineering. His research teaching and leadership has resulted in devices such as a Left Ventricular Assist device (LVAD) and elactric total artificial heart. The LVAD created Dr. Rosenberg and his colleagues is powered by electric energy transmissions without wires through the skin and was manufactured by Arrow International, Inc. The LionHeart, as it is known, was the first completely implantable LVAD to be used in a human. The LVAD is designed so that if the unit were to fail, the patient can temporarily use their own heart until the problem is fixed. Also, because the unit is wireless, it reduces the risk of infection from exposed wires in the skin as seen in conventional models. The LVAD is designed for use in patients in which regular therapy has failed and are not eligible for a transplant. His group also developed a completely implantable total artificial heart (TAH). That technology was sold to Abiomed inc and is being developed under the name Abiocor II. His team is also currently working on a Tesla pump and a pediatric LVAD.

Accomplishments and Achievements

Gerson Rosenberg, Ph.D. is the C. McCollister Evarts, MD Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering. He is the Chief of the Division of Artificial Organs, and Co-Director for the Biomedical Engineering Institute at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Dr. Rosenberg has over 30 years’ experience in the design and development of various circulatory support and heart replacement devices. He has been the principal investigator on NIH grants totaling over $25 million dollars. He currently directs efforts on the development of various circulatory support devices to assist or replace the failing heart. Dr. Rosenberg was part of the original team that developed the current clinically available Pierce-Donachy left ventricular assist device marketed by Thoratec. Dr. Rosenberg was the principal investigator on the development on the Penn State Electric Total Artificial Heart. This device is currently under development by Abiomed, Inc. and is referred to as the AbioCor II device. In addition, Dr. Rosenberg led the team that developed the Arrow LionHeart™, the world’s first completely implantable left ventricular assist device that has been utilized in 30 patients. Dr. Rosenberg has 235 publications, and 46 book chapters. He has received funding from the Whitaker Foundation to establish the Biomedical Engineering Institute at Hershey. He has developed a graduate course on the design of artificial organs. He has received numerous awards. In 2002 he was named “Engineer of the Year” by Design News Magazine. He has been a member of various NIH Study Sections. He is the past president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs. Dr. Rosenberg is recognized as a world leader in the design, development and evaluation of total heart and heart assist devices.

Away From the Office

When Gus Rosenberg is not working at the Hershey Medical Center, he is able to exercise his passion for things automotive with his free time. Rosenberg enjoys the world of motorsport, and each year he competes with his Porsche 911 race car at tracks such as Pocono Raceway and Virginia International Raceway, Lime Rock park and others. The 911 he races is a tube frame car he designed and built himself. He is active in engine development and assembles and tests his own motors. Rosenberg is also an excellent driver and demonstrates his skill on the track.

Dr. Rosenberg has a daughter, Kathryn, who currently attends George Washington University and is in the United States Navy ROTC. He is married to his wife, Irene and has another daughter Lisa. He currently resides in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.