Georgetown University Medical Center
Department of Pharmacology & Physiology
Department of Pharmacology & Physiology

The Stephen and Mary Krop Lectureship in Pharmacology

Photo of Stephen and Mary Krop

The Krop lectureship, founded in 2000, is one of four endowed lectures in our department. Dr. Stephen Krop’s association with Georgetown University began in the 1930s, when he carried out important research on the actions and detection of barbiturates in the brain with Dr. Theodore Koppanyi, the first chair of pharmacology at Georgetown. After completing his Master’s of Science in Biochemistry at Georgetown, Dr. Krop entered the pharmacology graduate program at Cornell University, where he received his Ph.D. working with Dr. Harry Gold, a world-renowned pharmacologist. Dr. Krop taught at Cornell and Yale Medical Schools and then moved to the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Laboratories (now the Army Chemical Defense Branch), where he carried out important studies related to the hydrolysis of acetylcholine by esterase enzymes in the nervous system.

Dr. Krop’s research furthered our understanding of the actions of and treatment for chemical warfare and agricultural agents. He was a pioneer in the chemical detection of drugs in body tissues, among other areas of fundamental importance to modern pharmacology, toxicology and medicine. Dr. Krop later held leadership positions in the FDA, during which time he was also a professorial lecturer at Georgetown Medical School. He authored more than 100 publications.

Krop family

Stephen and Mary Krop were married for 71 years and had four children, all of whom had significant professional achievements: Drs. Paul and Thomas Krop, specialists in orthopedics and dermatology, respectively, Marianne Krop, an RN and MSN, and Dr. Elaine K. Wallenburg, who holds a Ph.D. in childhood education. Stephen Krop died in 2005, and Mary Krop died in 2010. Georgetown University is grateful to The Krop family for their continued grace and generosity in support of this lectureship.

DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS