SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (University of Utah Department of Internal Medicine) – It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of Dr. Matthew Movsesian’s passing on Sunday, April 12 after his battle with cancer. Dr. Movsesian, or his preferred moniker, Matty, was a beloved member of our Internal Medicine family.
Born and raised in Forest Hills, Queens in New York City to a loving and supportive family, Mark, Dr. Movsesian’s brother, remembers their parents instilling many of the characteristics in Matty that he was known for in his later years: his intelligence, wit, musical talent, honesty, and above all, the belief to treat others fairly and with dignity.
Dr. Movsesian graduated with honors from Columbia University and later Harvard Medical School. He went on to have a successful career as a research cardiologist, with positions at Northwestern University, the National Institutes of Health, the University of California-San Francisco, and ultimately the University of Utah. For three decades, Dr. Movsesian was a valued faculty member in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and at the Salt Lake City VAMC, where he served as Director of Outpatient Cardiology for many years.
“Matty was a caring person with high ethics who was a true delight and privilege to have known,” says colleague, Dr. Miles Housaly of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. “He was also a committed and innovative scientist who made significant contributions to the field and whose impact will continue to be felt through the years.” Dr. Movsesian’s research focused on the role of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the treatment of heart failure, and his interest led to the founding of Sirdus – Armenian for “My Heart” – a company to develop heart-failure drugs. Even during his illness, Dr. Movsesian remained focus on his work.
Judy Krall worked with Dr. Movsesian in his research lab at the University of Utah for nearly thirty years. Over these years, Judy recalls their dynamic relationship, filled with humorous “arguments she could never win,” that eventually blossomed into a true friendship. During the late stages of his illness, Judy graciously took him into her home to care for him.
Unable to be with him due to pandemic travel restrictions, Mark was deeply grateful for Judy’s friendship and supportive care. “She showed him love beyond what anyone could expect,” he says, “and at great personal sacrifice, she made Matty’s life as comfortable as it could be, and allowed him to stay in Salt Lake, his home of more than thirty years, where he had so many friends and memories.”
