Dr. George L. Bakris was a distinguished hypertension specialist and internationally recognized authority in the management of high blood pressure and kidney disease. He served as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Medicine for 18 years until his passing in 2024, leading an American Heart Association-approved center of excellence for hypertension treatment. Born in Athens, Greece on June 15, 1952, he immigrated to the United States as an infant and was raised in South Bend, Indiana by Greek immigrant parents. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology and psychology from Indiana University Bloomington in 1974 before graduating with distinction from Rosalind Franklin Chicago Medical School in 1981, followed by residency at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and specialized fellowships in nephrology and clinical pharmacology at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Bakris published more than 1,100 scientific articles with an h-index of 135, making seminal contributions to the contemporary management of hypertension and its relationship to kidney disease. He pioneered lower-dose combination therapy approaches and conducted pivotal clinical trials that established the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, and finerenone for renal protection in hypertensive patients. His work on renal denervation positioned him as an early champion of this technology, serving as national co-principal investigator for the landmark SYMPLICITY HTN-3 trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which ultimately contributed to FDA approval after nearly a decade of refinement. He chaired the first National Kidney Foundation Consensus report on blood pressure and kidney disease progression and served on numerous influential guideline committees including the Joint National Committee (JNC) Writing Groups VI and VII.
As past president of both the American College of Clinical Pharmacology and the American Society of Hypertension, Dr. Bakris shaped national hypertension treatment guidelines and policy development while mentoring numerous fellows who became the next generation of hypertension specialists. His approach emphasized the interconnectedness of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic health, particularly in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Colleagues described him as an 'out-of-the-box individual' who forged paths forward for patients with complex conditions while maintaining a drive to improve chronic disease management. Dr. Bakris passed away on his 72nd birthday, June 15, 2024, leaving an enduring legacy in research, patient care, and professional leadership that continues to guide the hypertension field worldwide.
