John Joseph Kopchick was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1950 to Peter Kopchick and Kathryn Gabster Kopchick. He spent the first four years of his life in a small coal mining town: Ernest, Pennsylvania. He then moved to Indiana, Pennsylvania with his parents and youngest brother, Bill, where he attended Indiana High School. There, he varsity lettered in baseball, was in the national honor society, and played trumpet in the school band and orchestra. John later attended The Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he met his wife, Charlene Kopchick. They were married on June 26, 1976.
Education and career
Dr. Kopchick received his B.S. in biology in 1972 from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While attending IUP, he was a founding brother of a social fraternity Chi Alpha Sigma, which is now a chapter of Delta Tau Delta. In 1975, he received his M.S. in biology and chemistry from IUP. The title of his M.S. thesis was ‘Catabolism of alpha-amino adipate by Pseudomonas putida p2’. He went on to attend the University of Texas, MD Anderson Hospital, Houston, Texas and received his Ph.D. in 1980. His dissertation described the biosynthesis of Rauscher murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. From 1980 to 1982, he continued his research training as a postdoctoral fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology in Nutley, New Jersey. He then accepted a position at the prestigious Merck Institute of Therapeutic Research where he conducted and facilitated research from 1982 to 1986, first as a senior research biochemist and later as a research fellow, and finally as a group leader of Molecular Biology at the Department of Animal Drug Discovery. During that time, he developed a system built around cloning and expression of growth hormone genes. In 1987, Dr. Kopchick started as Director of the Growth, Diabetes and Obesity section at the nascent Edison Biotechnology Institute of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. During his time at EBI, he discovered and characterized the molecular aspects of GH receptor antagonists. This discovery was further developed into the drug, Somavert. It has been approved for use in the USA, Europe, and Japan along with 12 other countries for [acromegaly, a chronic disease caused by excessive GH secretion. Another notable accomplishment of the Kopchick laboratory is the generation and characterization of the world’s longest lived laboratory mouse, the growth hormone receptor knockout mouse.
The John J. Kopchick Awards
In 2014, John and Char Kopchick committed to giving a $2 million donation to support scientific and medical research programs at Ohio University. The donation funds three newly established internal award programs at Ohio University, The John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology /Translational Biomedical Sciences Faculty Support Fund, Research Fellowship Award and Undergraduate Student Support Fund.
In 1980-1982, he received the American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, at Roche Institute of Molecular, Biology, Nutley, New Jersey
In 1987, Dr. Kopchick was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
In 1987, he received the Milton and Lawrence H. Goll Eminent Scholar Endowed Professorship in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
In 2002, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2002 by the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
In 2006, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2006 by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas, Houston, Texas
In 2007, he was awarded the AMVETS Silver Helmet Award, the highest award given by the AMVETS for service to the USA
In 2007, he received the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Riland Award, an award given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to medical science and education, health policy, public policy
In 2008, he received the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
In 2008, he gave the Commencement Address at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
In 2011, he was awarded the British Society for Endocrinology’s Transatlantic Medal
In 2012, he was named the 2012 Distinguished Professor at Ohio University
In 2012, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine announced The John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowed Eminent Research Chair ]
