Bonnie L. Cook, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 1:08 AM

David Y. Cooper III, 88, emeritus professor in the department of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and a longtime surgical researcher, died Friday, Aug. 2, of cancer at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne.

A 1948 graduate of Penn's medical school, Dr. Cooper was widely known for his work on the cytochrome P-450, a series of enzymes involved in drug metabolism.

In layman's terms, Dr. Cooper was looking at how the enzymes acquired the ability to perform biological functions in the body, and why. The goal was to better understand how medicines break down once they are taken or administered.

Keenly interested in medical history, he was also coauthor of a history of Penn's medical school.

He entered medical school at Penn that year and earned a medical degree two years later. After graduating, he interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for a year.

Dr. Cooper returned to active duty with the Navy Reserve in 1949 - he had served from 1943 to 1945 - and continued through 1952. Rising to the rank of lieutenant, he received an honorable discharge in 1958.

From 1953 to 1957, he was a resident in surgery at the Penn hospital while also serving as a resident and fellow at Penn's Harrison Department of Surgical Research. He earned board certification in surgery in 1959 and was appointed to the Harrison Department faculty.

Although he taught the graduate students who helped him, he focused on research. His contact with patients was minimal.

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David Cooper, surgery professor