The Society Pages
Holbrook Kohrt, MD, PhD (1977–2016)
Holbrook Kohrt, MD, PhD, a noted clinician-researcher
at Stanford Medicine dedicated to finding novel ways
to arm the immune system to fight cancer, died February 24, 2016, of complications from hemophilia. He
was 38.
An assistant professor of oncology at the School of
Medicine, Dr. Kohrt struggled all of his life with hemophilia, a disorder that motivated his research and
patient care. In recent years, he had become resistant to
the clotting factor used to treat his hemophilia.
His colleagues say they will remember Dr. Kohrt for
his brilliant mind, his thoughtful and impassioned care
of cancer patients, and his unique ability to forge rapid
and lasting personal connections with people from all
walks of life.
“Holbrook knew that his time here on Earth would
be short, and he worked tirelessly to accomplish as
much as possible,” said George Sledge Jr., MD, professor and chief of oncology at Stanford. “He was an
exceptional human being, unparalleled in his brilliance,
dedication and persistence. He was passionate about
research and making a difference for cancer patients.
This is such a loss for his friends, colleagues, and the
field of medical oncology.”
An involved member of ASH, Dr. Kohrt was serving
NHLBI Announces the
Recipients of 2016 Orloff
Science Awards
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has announced the 2016
Orloff Science Awards, which recognize
outstanding achievements in science
and the development
of novel research
tools in the previous
year by investigators
within NHLBI’s Division of Intramural
Research.
Joel Moss, MD, PhD
Award recipients
include:
• Joel Moss, MD,
PhD, a senior
investigator in the
Cardiovascular and
Pulmonary Branch
• Nihal Altan-Bonnet, PhD, an Earl
Nihal Altan-Bonnet,
Stadtman investiPhD
gator and the head
of the Laboratory
of Host-Pathogen
Dynamics
• Brian Glancy, PhD,
a K22 investigator
in the Laboratory of
Cardiac Energetics
Brian Glancy, PhD
8
ASH Clinical News
on the Committee on Government Affairs
and was a graduate of both the Advocacy
Leadership Institute and the Clinical Research Training Institute. He also received
a number of ASH awards, including the
Trainee Research Award, the Research
Training Award for Fellows, and the ASH
Scholar Award.
Dr. Kohrt was the subject of a profile
in the March issue of ASH Clinical News,
where he shared how living with hemophilia had affected his life as a researcher:
“As a physician and a patient, one
always remembers the power and the
capacity to be trusted. I think that
patients come in the door and trust
us immediately; I came into my own
physician’s room and I trusted him immediately. We
have to respect that because it is a type of trust that
is given to us completely and blindly. It helps me
maintain perspective that what I do has great weight
in patients’ lives. I need to put in 150 percent because
what I do will have a clear impact.”
“The Orloff Science Awards allow us
to take a step back and recognize truly
exemplary science as well as effective
teamwork within the Institute’s intramural program,” said NHLBI Director
Gary H. Gibbons, MD. “The program
helps scientists pursue the best ideas
for the public good. I applaud the
award recipients and all our intramural
investigators, whose continued commitment to excellence makes NHLBI’s
intramural program the preeminent
research entity it is.”
Source: NHLBI press release, January 29, 2016.
Florida Atlantic University
Researchers Awarded
$2.8-Million NIH Grant to
Study Stem Cells
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
has awarded a $2.8-million, multi-institution grant to Marc Kantorow, PhD, and
Sue Menko, PhD, to support a four-year
project to define the mechanisms that
govern how cells decide whether to
become a mature cell or whether to die.
Dr. Kantorow is professor and director
of graduate studies in the Charles E.
Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida
Atlantic University, and Dr. Menko is
professor at Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia. Their research will focus
Dr. Kohrt is survived by his parents, Mary Louise Kidd
and Alan Kohrt; siblings Brandon, Barret, and Brie Kohrt;
stepmother Lois Kohrt; step-siblings Jennifer Baldwin,
Katherine Czapla, and Ryan Baldwin; sisters-in-law
Christina Chan and Angie Kohrt; nephew, Ceiran KohrtChan; and girlfriend Kendra Cannoy.
Source: Stanford University news release, March 1, 2016.
on how healthy cells become cancer cells
and how stem cells become organs.
Source: Florida Atlantic University new release, February 4, 2016.
NHLBI Researcher
Receives Presidential
Early Career Award
Andre Larochelle, MD, PhD, an investigator in the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute’s Division of Intramural
Research, has received the Presidential
Early Career Award for Scientists and
Engineers. Dr. Larochelle is o ne of 106
researchers from across the nation to
receive the award,
which is given to science and engineering professionals in
the early stages of
their independent
research careers.
Awardees are selectAndre Larochelle, MD,
PhD
ed for their pursuit of
innovative research
at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through
scientific leadership, public education,
or community outreach.
At the NHLBI, Dr. Larochelle studies
regenerative therapies for patients with
inherited blood disorders and leads a
team that is seeking to leverage gene
and stem cell-based regenerative therapies for disorders affecting hematopoietic cells.
Source: NHLBI press release, February 22, 2016.
Laurie Glimcher Named
President and CEO of
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, has been
named the next president and chief
executive officer of Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute. Starting in
January 2017, she will
also be a professor of
medicine at Harvard
Medical School. Dr.
Glimcher is currently the Stephen
Laurie H. Glimcher, MD and Suzanne Weiss
Dean of the Medical
College at Weill Cornell Medicine in New
York City, where she is also professor of
medicine and provost for medical affairs
at Cornell University. Prior to joining
Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Glimcher
was the Irene Heinz Given Professor of
Immunology at the Harvard School of
Public Health, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, where
she headed the immunology program.
Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute press release, February 23, 2016.
April 2016