Davidson, Trailblazing Surgeon, Remembered for Compassion

UPDATED: January 23, 2015 at 2:41 a.m.

Michael J. Davidson, an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and the director of endovascular cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is remembered by colleagues as a pioneer in his field and as deeply caring for his patients.

Davidson died Tuesday after he was shot at the Brigham. He was 44.

Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Michael J. Davidson died Tuesday after he was shot at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. By Courtesy of Brigham and Women's Hospital

An accomplished surgeon, Davidson graduated from Princeton in 1992 with a degree in philosophy and received his M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine in 1996. He did his residencies at Duke University Medical Center and the Brigham, where he was a staff member until his death.

Davidson was one of the first surgeons to be cross-trained in surgery and catheter interventions, according to Prem Shekar, an assistant professor of surgery at the Medical School. Writing in an email, Shekar recalled Davidson as a “trail-blazing surgeon.”

“He built himself a phenomenal reputation while remaining extremely down-to-earth, pleasant, and hard-working,” Shekar wrote.

Davidson helped pioneer a hybrid surgical and interventional cardiology program at the Brigham. At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Davidson’s colleague, Pinak B. Shah, called Davidson “unique” for his skills as both a cardiac surgeon and an interventional cardiologist.

Shah, the interim director of the Brigham’s cardiac catheterization laboratory and an assistant professor at the Medical School, described Davidson as a “visionary” who foresaw the need for hybrid techniques to aid complex heart patients. He attributed the strength of the program to Davidson’s “innovative mind, his burning desire to push things along, and just an incredible skill set.”

Flowers and cards on the skywalk between Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s main building and Shapiro building commemorate Wednesday the death of Harvard Medical School assistant professor Michael J. Davidson, who died Tuesday after he was shot on the second floor of the Shapiro building. Business appeared to proceed as usual at the Brigham on Wednesday morning, with no visibly increased security presence and no police presence. By Daniel R. Levine

At the press conference Wednesday, several of Davidson’s colleagues also commented on his kindness and care for his patients. Andrew C. Eisenhauer, an interventional cardiologist at the Brigham who was Davidson’s mentor when he entered the hospital’s training program, said Davidson’s “bottom line” was always, “What is best for the people we serve?”

Eisenhauer, who thought of Davidson as “almost always the smartest man in the room,” praised Davidson’s tendency to go above and beyond what was expected of a doctor. “He didn’t treat them just as patients,” Eisenhauer said. “He would treat them as people.”

Davidson was also an enthusiastic guitarist, according to his colleague and bandmate, Daniel C. Wiener, a surgeon at the Brigham. Along with other hospital colleagues, the two formed a band, named “Off Label”in light of medical humor, and mostly played classic rock. Davidson was also a fan of fly fishing, according to Medical School instructor Charles A. Morris, the Brigham’s associate director of primary care and Davidson’s classmate at Princeton.

He was also a loving father and husband, according to Eisenhauer, who recalled seeing “how love much there was between Mike and Terri and their children.”

Wiener said Davidson spoke passionately about his children during all their get-togethers. “I remember going to his house, and he had [son] Graham in his arms, and he was entertaining the girls,” Wiener said.

“I think that Mike was a magician, because I don’t know how he did what he did given the time allotted,” Morris said.

The Brigham flew its flag at half-mast during a ceremony held in Davidson’s honor Wednesday morning. The Brigham also held a vigil for Davidson at noon. More than 400 people came to the vigil, filling the venue over capacity, so the hospital held another vigil later in the afternoon, according to Erin McDonough, a spokesperson for the Brigham.

Davidson is survived by his three children, Kate, 9; Liv, 7, and Graham, 2; and his wife, Terri Halperin '97, who is pregnant with their fourth child.

Funeral services will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Temple Beth Elohim at 10 Bethel Rd. in Wellesley. The Brigham has established a fund at the RTN Federal Credit Union to benefit Davidson’s family.

—Staff writer Melanie Y. Fu contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Carolina I. Portela-Blanco can be reached carolina.portelablanco@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @cportelablanco.