Dr. Anthony E. Karpas Memorial Lecture Award

Dr. Anthony Erroll Karpas was the founder and first president of the Georgia chapter of AACE. Dr. Karpas, or Tony as he was affectionately known, was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He received his medical education at University of Witwaterstrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. He also served in the South African military as a medical officer.

After relocating to the United States, Dr. Karpas studied reproductive endocrinology under the guidance of Dr. Robert B. Greenblatt at the Medical College of Georgia. He was then appointed Senior Fellow at the University of Washington Health Science Center in Seattle where he did further training in andrology. Dr. Karpas then served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas, Houston where he had a focus in reproductive medicine. In 1993, Dr. Karpas started his own private practice in Atlanta, The Institute for Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine.

Dr. Karpas practiced both traditional and nontraditional endocrinology. He treated both men and women with traditional adult endocrine problems like diabetes, PCOS, thyroid disease, osteoporosis and pituitary disease. Tony also had a passion for treating growth disorders in children, sexual dysfunction and transgender issues. He was known as an expert in menopause and pioneered the use of testosterone replacement in menopausal women. Not only did he practice endocrinology but for many of his patients he served in the role of primary care physician, gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist and psychiatrist. Dr. Karpas was known for listening to his patients and was a well-loved and respected physician. Dr. Karpas published many articles in both peer reviewed journals as well as in the popular press and on the internet. He was a frequent guest on television news programs including CNN’s House Calls with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He was deeply involved in a number of foundations and societies, including AACE. He won the “Volunteer of the Year” award for the American Diabetes Association several times. He also had a very active clinical research program in his office.

His other interests included golf, boating, art, wine and the finer things in life. He had two children, Lee and Stephanie. Tony enjoyed traveling all over the world and was a frequent attendee at advisory board and speaker training meetings across the country.

In 2008, one year after his untimely death, the Georgia Chapter of AACE established the Dr. Anthony E. Karpas Memorial Lecture in his memory.