By: Ellie Kaverman, Bicentennial Graduate Assistant
“The basic reason I’m in academic medicine versus practice is that I want to create new knowledge. If we don’t, we’re doomed to practice the same medicine 20 years from now that we practice today. I know I won’t win the Nobel Prize, but I hope to contribute new information.”[1]— Suzanne Knoebel
Dr. Suzanne Knoebel, an alumna of the IU School of Medicine, was a pioneering researcher at the IU School of Medicine’s Krannert Institute of Cardiology for over 30 years. A visible leader in medicine, she served as the first female president of the American College of Cardiology.
Early Life and Education
Suzanne Buckner Knoebel was born on December 13, 1926 to a family of medical professionals. Knoebel’s father, uncle, and brother were doctors, and her mother was a nurse.[2] She grew up in Fort Wayne, IN.
”In order to carry on a conversation in my family, you had to know something about medicine…I was very fortunate in that my father made no difference between what boys did and what girls did,” said Knoebel in a 1982 New York Times interview.[3]
After graduating high school, Knoebel attended Goucher College in Baltimore, MD. She graduated in 1948 with a degree in International Relations. Shortly after graduating, Knoebel moved to Honolulu, HI to begin working at the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce.[4] She worked there for several years before moving back to Indiana to follow in her family’s medical footsteps.
Knoebel enrolled at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM) and earned her medical degree in 1960 at 33.[5] She stayed at IUSOM for her internship, residency, and her fellowship in cardiology. Shortly after graduating from medical school, Knoebel was a visiting fellow at the National Institutes of Health studying cardiology.[6]
“I came along about the time things started to get easier for women. There is still a disagreement over whether there is a handicap for women in medicine. I think it all depends on how a woman looks at it. I’ve felt no discrimination nor suffered unusual difficulties,” said Knoebel in a 1982 interview.[7]
Career
In 1964, Knoebel accepted an offer to join the faculty at IUSOM. The Krannert Institute of Cardiology was established at the school in 1963 under the leadership of Dr. Charles Fisch.[8] Knoebel became an essential part of the newly established institute, and Fisch became Knoebel’s lifelong mentor. Knoebel was the first female cardiology faculty member at IU School of Medicine.[9]
Knoebel quickly rose through the ranks at the Krannert Institute. In 1974, she was promoted to Associate Director, a position she held until 1990. Knoebel also served as the School of Medicine’s assistant dean for research.[10] In 1977, Knoebel was named the Herman C. and Ellnora D. Krannert Professor of Medicine, a prestigious professorship named in honor of the of the philanthropists whose gift created the Krannert Institute.[11]
Early in her career, in the 1960s, Knoebel and a team of researchers at IU School of Medicine patented a method for obtaining a fetal electrocardiogram.[12] Before their method, it was difficult to record the fetal electrocardiogram during labor without interfering with the recording of the maternal electrocardiogram.[13] Knoebel’s team posited a method that made it possible to do both simultaneously by using a “six-foot electronic gadget,” otherwise known as a fetal heart monitor.[14]
An article at the time described the breakthrough as the following: “Dr. Suzanne B. Knoebel, of the I.U. center, the only woman doctor on the research team, explained that the main thing the monitor does that had not been accomplished previously is to register the heartbeat of the unborn child separate from that of the mother, beginning several hours before birth… ‘We sort of stumbled onto the idea,’ Dr. Knoebel explained. ‘It had never been tried before. We had to make our own electrodes and develop a new technique.’”[15]
Knoebel’s work at the medical school was nothing short of groundbreaking. She was an early pioneer and advocate of utilizing technology to improve medical care. Knoebel began the practice of using telephone lines to transmit electrocardiograms from outlying areas to the medical center.[16]
Long before 3-dimensional imaging became mainstream in medicine, Knoebel helped to pioneer its medical research throughout the 1980s.[17] She recognized early on how computers could be embraced in the medical community.
Knoebel published almost 100 papers throughout her lifetime, ranging from echocardiography, electrophysiology and imaging, and later in her career, she published on cost effectiveness, statistical modeling, and strategies to improve medical decision making.[18] Knoebel’s lifework was in clinical science and she made groundbreaking strides that have positively impacted the medical community today.
“’It’s our feeling that research contributes to keeping physicians and teachers abreast of the newer things. One has to know what has gone on before and what the needs are, and undertaking research is a necessary means of keeping up to date,’” said Knoebel of the importance of research.[19]
When asked in 1983 why she chose cardiology as her specialty, Knoebel said, “Because it is exciting, and because of the quick decisions needed in life and death situations.”[20]
Knoebel’s Long-lasting Legacy
Not only was Knoebel well-known in the medical community due to her pioneering research work, she was also known in popular culture largely because of her term as president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). In 1982, Knoebel was selected as ACC President, a prestigious position, and served from 1982-83. She was the first woman selected for this position. Knoebel’s high profile served as a symbol to female medical students.
Knoebel had a clear vision as ACC President at a time in which the profession and organization were rapidly changing. Knoebel worked on many elements of the medical profession from health care delivery and payment models, to establishing clinical standards, to chairing many ACC committees including government relations and long-range planning.[21]
Shortly after being selected as ACC President, Knoebel said in another interview with the Indianapolis Star, “That’s my life – I’m always the one woman,’ she says with a laugh… ‘Basically, I think doctors are doctors–man or woman. It’s about time we had a woman president.’”[22]
In 1983, in recognition of Knoebel’s contributions, Ladies Home Journal named her as one of the “100 Most Important Women in America.” She was featured in the magazine alongside other prominent women in America at the time, including Nancy Reagan, Barbara Walters, and Julia Child.[23]
A decade earlier in 1973, Knoebel was named one of eight U.S. cardiologists to visit China on a special delegation at the invitation of the Chinese government.[24] She and the other seven cardiologists were in China for two weeks for the purposes of teaching and the exchange of cardiology ideas.[25] The doctors observed the practice of acupuncture anesthesia.
After the trip, Knoebel told journalists that she observed that about half of the medical professionals in China were women, compared to the much lower percentage of female American doctors. “It’s a most competitive process in the sense that they must pass the approval of their peers and leadership in the commune. I suspect that the considerations of whether somebody is a man or a woman does not enter too much,” she said.[26]
Knoebel’s decade-spanning career won her many awards, including the 1983 Matrix Award (Indiana Woman of the Year), the Indiana University School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus in 1984, and the Distinguished Fellowship Award of the American College of Cardiology in 1986.[27] In 1988, she received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Goucher College.
Apart from her research and work as a cardiologist, Knoebel spent her free time writing fiction and children’s books that centered around animals and medicine. Her books included Takes One to Know One and Still Waters Run Deep, Dr. Tootsie: A Young Girl’s Dream and Something to Crow About!: A Bird’s Tale.
In 2000, Knoebel retired from the IU School of Medicine’s Krannert Institute. When she passed away in 2014, she bequeathed $8.5 million to the IU School of Medicine to support student scholarships and cardiovascular research and education.[28]
Dr. Knoebel also endowed the Dr. Charles Fisch Cardiovascular Research Endowment, which supports young investigators working in cardiology and senior researchers shifting their work in a new direction. The gift also established the Buckner Family Scholarship to honor the Buckner family tradition of practicing medicine.[29]
Bibliography
- “From the Labs you Shall Treat Them,” Indianapolis Star, November 14, 1976, page 220.
- “Indiana Intervention Prevents Many Birth Tragedies,” Medford Mail Tribune, July 6, 1961, page 23.
- “Krannert Institute of Cardiology,” Indiana University School of Medicine, https://medicine.iu.edu/internal-medicine/specialties/cardiology#:~:text=The%20Krannert%20Institute%20of%20Cardiology,Charles%20Fisch.
- Associated Press, “U.S. Doctors Observe Acupuncture,” The Daily Capital News, May 24, 1973, page 17.
- David Bird and Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr. , “NOTES ON PEOPLE; New Head for College of Cardiology,” New York Times, May 1, 1982. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/01/nyregion/notes-on-people-new-head-for-college-of-cardiology.html
- Donald Brian Effler, Medicine in Red China: A politically dominated blend of the ancient and contemporary arts, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, February 1974. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022522319405321
- Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,” Legacy.com. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?pid=171708779
- Gift from Dr. Suzanne Knoebel estate to benefit IU cardiology research, education,” IU School of Medicine, October 10, 2014, https://medicine.iu.edu/news/2014/10/knoebel-1
- HUNTER CHARLES A. M.D.; LANSFORD, KENNETH G. M.D.; KNOEBEL, SUZANNE B. M.D.; BRAUNLIN, ROBERT J. M.D., “A TECHNIC FOR RECORDING FETAL ECG DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY,” Obstetrics & Gynecology: November 1960 – Volume 16 – Issue 5 – p 567-570
- Jr Charles A Hunter, Robert J Braunlin, Kenneth G Lansford, Suzanne B Knoebel. 1960. “Method for obtaining a fetal electrocardiogram” U.S. Patent Number US3120227A.
- Kathy Whyde, “Hoosier first woman chief of College of Cardiology,” Indianapolis Star, June 11, 1982, page 11.
- Pamela S. Douglas, MD, “An Innovator Ahead of Her Time,” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, October 7, 2014. https://www.onlinejacc.org/content/accj/64/14/1527.full.pdf
Notes
[1] Kathy Whyde, “Hoosier first woman chief of College of Cardiology,” Indianapolis Star, June 11, 1982, page 11.
[2] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,” Legacy.com. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?pid=171708779
[3] David Bird and Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr. , “NOTES ON PEOPLE; New Head for College of Cardiology,” New York Times, May 1, 1982. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/01/nyregion/notes-on-people-new-head-for-college-of-cardiology.html
[4] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[5] Pamela S. Douglas, MD, “An Innovator Ahead of Her Time,” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, October 7, 2014. https://www.onlinejacc.org/content/accj/64/14/1527.full.pdf
[6] Pamela S. Douglas, MD.
[7] Kathy Whyde, “Hoosier first woman chief of College of Cardiology,” Indianapolis Star, June 11, 1982, page 11.
[8]“ Krannert Institute of Cardiology,” Indiana University School of Medicine, https://medicine.iu.edu/internal-medicine/specialties/cardiology#:~:text=The%20Krannert%20Institute%20of%20Cardiology,Charles%20Fisch.
[9] Pamela S. Douglas, MD
[10] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[11] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[12] Jr Charles A Hunter, Robert J Braunlin, Kenneth G Lansford, Suzanne B Knoebel. 1960. “Method for obtaining a fetal electrocardiogram” U.S. Patent Number US3120227A.
[13] HUNTER CHARLES A. M.D.; LANSFORD, KENNETH G. M.D.; KNOEBEL, SUZANNE B. M.D.; BRAUNLIN, ROBERT J. M.D., “A TECHNIC FOR RECORDING FETAL ECG DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY,” Obstetrics & Gynecology: November 1960 – Volume 16 – Issue 5 – p 567-570
[14] “Indiana Intervention Prevents Many Birth Tragedies,” Medford Mail Tribune, July 6, 1961, page 23.
[15] “Indiana Intervention Prevents Many Birth Tragedies,”
[16] Pamela S. Douglas, MD.
[17] Pamela S. Douglas, MD.
[18] Pamela S. Douglas, MD
[19] “From the Labs you Shall Treat Them,” Indianapolis Star, November 14, 1976, page 220.
[20] David Bird and Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr.
[21] Pamela S. Douglas, MD
[22] Kathy Whyde, “Hoosier first woman chief of College of Cardiology,” Indianapolis Star, June 11, 1982, page 11.
[23] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[24] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[25] Donald Brian Effler, Medicine in Red China: A politically dominated blend of the ancient and contemporary arts, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, February 1974. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022522319405321
[26] Associated Press, “U.S. Doctors Observe Acupuncture,” The Daily Capital News, May 24, 1973, page 17.
[27] “Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel Obituary,”
[28] “Gift from Dr. Suzanne Knoebel estate to benefit IU cardiology research, education,” IU School of Medicine, October 10, 2014, https://medicine.iu.edu/news/2014/10/knoebel-1
[29] “Gift from Dr. Suzanne Knoebel estate to benefit IU cardiology research, education,”