Dr. Cooper is a Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, and professor of Bioengineering, Physical Med & Rehab, and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Cooper is Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories a VA Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence in partnership with Pitt. Cooper is an adjunct professor in the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, and PM&R of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and he was awarded Honorary Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Xi’an Jiatong University where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

Cooper is a U.S. Army veteran with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and a Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation. He is a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. He currently serves as a member of the Honorary Board of Advisors Student Veterans of America, Chair Honorary Board of Advisors Disabled Veterans National Foundation, NSF Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources, Command Council, Staff Sergeant Donnie D. Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services, and member of the World Health Organization GATE Committee. Cooper was awarded the International Paralympic Scientific Achievement Award.

In 2014, PN Magazine included Cooper as one of the people who have transformed the lives of people with spinal cord injuries. USO On Point featured Cooper as one of the veterans who have most influenced the lives of veterans through technology. Cooper is the author of two books: "Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation” and “Wheelchair Selection and Configuration”, and co-editor of “An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering”, “Warrior Transition Leader: Medical Rehabilitation Handbook”, “Promoting Successful Integration”, and the award winning book “Care of the Combat Amputee”. Cooper has authored or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed journal publications. He has over 20 patents awarded or pending. In 2019, Cooper was revealed as the latest inventor in the US Patent and Trademark Office “Inventor Collectible Card Series.”