In Memoriam
Alan Sartorelli: A Personal Remembrance JOSEPH R. BERTINO Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Dr. Alan Sartorelli, the Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology For his research accomplishments, he received the Mike at the Yale University School of Medicine and a major figure in Hogg Award from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer cancer pharmacology and cancer drug development, died on Center in 1989, the Bruce Cain Award from the American April 30 at the age of 84. Even a month before his death, Alan Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in 2001, the Otto had an active and productive laboratory with his continued Krayer Award in Pharmacology in 2002, and the Experifocus on exploring mechanisms of action of drugs and finding mental Therapeutics Award from the American Society of new drugs to treat cancer patients. Pharmacology and Therapeutics, also in 2002. In 1987, he was After graduating from the New England College of elected to the Institute of Medicine. In 2011, he was awarded Pharmacy in 1953, he received a master’s degree from the Yale Cancer Center Lifetime Achievement Award, which I Middlebury College in 1954 and studied at the McArdle was privileged to present to him. Institute at the University of Wisconsin, receiving his Dr. Sartorelli was on the Board of Directors of the AACR from doctorate in 1958. He was recruited to Yale from the Noble 1975 to 1978 and from 1984 to 1987 and served as president in Foundation by the late Arnold Welch in 1961 to join a 1986–1987. In 2013, he was elected to the AACR Academy of pharmacology department that included the Medicine. He published more than 700 papers and foremost scientists engaged in cancer pharwas the coinventor on 16 patents. His interests macology. His close colleagues there were included finding compounds that were activated myself, Van Canellakis, Robert Handschumacher, by hypoxia, developing inhibitors of ribonucleotide and Tommy Cheng. Walking the corridors of the reductase, and novel nitrosourea alkylating agents. third floor in the Yale Pharmacology DepartTwo of his compounds, Triapine and cloretazine, ment, fellows and faculty found experts in every entered clinical trials. aspect of cancer and antiviral drug development Dr. Sartorelli also had a lifelong interest in (antifolates, nucleosides, alkylators, topoisomerase scientific communication. He served on the AACR inhibitors). During the period of rapid expansion of publications committee from 1981 to 1988; was cancer chemotherapy, Yale and the National Cancer the editor for Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute Laboratories were truly the centers of Biochemical Pharmacology, and Oncology Reexcellence, and Sartorelli’s laboratory was the search; and was an associate editor for Cancer epicenter of this research. The editor of this Research for many years. Alan Sartorelli journal, Bruce Chabner, was privileged to receive Alan had many talents. He was an accomtraining next to Sartorelli’s laboratory. plished fencer, played guitar, and loved to sing, although he Dr. Sartorelli’s entire 50-year academic career was at Yale. refused to perform in gatherings. He enjoyed listening to opera In 1967, at age 36, he was appointed professor, and in 1987, he and classical music, and he was chairman of the opera was named the first Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology. committee for the Shubert Performing Arts Center in New He served as Chairman of the Pharmacology Department from Haven from 1993 to 2001. 1977 to 1984 and Director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Before he married his wife, Alice, who died in 2011, it was Center from 1984 to 1993. He served as a prominent advisor difficult to get Alan away from the laboratory, even on a to several directors of the National Cancer Institute and was Saturday night. The trick was to ask Alice to come to a party or recognized as an authority on many aspects of cancer drug dinner; then Alan would agree. discovery, particularly those related to reductive alkylation of The cancer community has lost a giant in his field. He was DNA. truly a gentleman and a scholar.
Correspondence: Joseph R. Bertino, M.D., 195 Albany Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA. Telephone: 732-235-8510; E-Mail: [email protected] Received September 21, 2015; accepted for publication October 1, 2015; published Online First on November 20, 2015. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2015/$20.00/0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0379
The Oncologist 2015;20:1457 www.TheOncologist.com
©AlphaMed Press 2015
Alan Sartorelli: A Personal Remembrance JOSEPH R. BERTINO Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Dr. Alan Sartorelli, the Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology For his research accomplishments, he received the Mike at the Yale University School of Medicine and a major figure in Hogg Award from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer cancer pharmacology and cancer drug development, died on Center in 1989, the Bruce Cain Award from the American April 30 at the age of 84. Even a month before his death, Alan Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in 2001, the Otto had an active and productive laboratory with his continued Krayer Award in Pharmacology in 2002, and the Experifocus on exploring mechanisms of action of drugs and finding mental Therapeutics Award from the American Society of new drugs to treat cancer patients. Pharmacology and Therapeutics, also in 2002. In 1987, he was After graduating from the New England College of elected to the Institute of Medicine. In 2011, he was awarded Pharmacy in 1953, he received a master’s degree from the Yale Cancer Center Lifetime Achievement Award, which I Middlebury College in 1954 and studied at the McArdle was privileged to present to him. Institute at the University of Wisconsin, receiving his Dr. Sartorelli was on the Board of Directors of the AACR from doctorate in 1958. He was recruited to Yale from the Noble 1975 to 1978 and from 1984 to 1987 and served as president in Foundation by the late Arnold Welch in 1961 to join a 1986–1987. In 2013, he was elected to the AACR Academy of pharmacology department that included the Medicine. He published more than 700 papers and foremost scientists engaged in cancer pharwas the coinventor on 16 patents. His interests macology. His close colleagues there were included finding compounds that were activated myself, Van Canellakis, Robert Handschumacher, by hypoxia, developing inhibitors of ribonucleotide and Tommy Cheng. Walking the corridors of the reductase, and novel nitrosourea alkylating agents. third floor in the Yale Pharmacology DepartTwo of his compounds, Triapine and cloretazine, ment, fellows and faculty found experts in every entered clinical trials. aspect of cancer and antiviral drug development Dr. Sartorelli also had a lifelong interest in (antifolates, nucleosides, alkylators, topoisomerase scientific communication. He served on the AACR inhibitors). During the period of rapid expansion of publications committee from 1981 to 1988; was cancer chemotherapy, Yale and the National Cancer the editor for Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute Laboratories were truly the centers of Biochemical Pharmacology, and Oncology Reexcellence, and Sartorelli’s laboratory was the search; and was an associate editor for Cancer epicenter of this research. The editor of this Research for many years. Alan Sartorelli journal, Bruce Chabner, was privileged to receive Alan had many talents. He was an accomtraining next to Sartorelli’s laboratory. plished fencer, played guitar, and loved to sing, although he Dr. Sartorelli’s entire 50-year academic career was at Yale. refused to perform in gatherings. He enjoyed listening to opera In 1967, at age 36, he was appointed professor, and in 1987, he and classical music, and he was chairman of the opera was named the first Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology. committee for the Shubert Performing Arts Center in New He served as Chairman of the Pharmacology Department from Haven from 1993 to 2001. 1977 to 1984 and Director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Before he married his wife, Alice, who died in 2011, it was Center from 1984 to 1993. He served as a prominent advisor difficult to get Alan away from the laboratory, even on a to several directors of the National Cancer Institute and was Saturday night. The trick was to ask Alice to come to a party or recognized as an authority on many aspects of cancer drug dinner; then Alan would agree. discovery, particularly those related to reductive alkylation of The cancer community has lost a giant in his field. He was DNA. truly a gentleman and a scholar.
Correspondence: Joseph R. Bertino, M.D., 195 Albany Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA. Telephone: 732-235-8510; E-Mail: [email protected] Received September 21, 2015; accepted for publication October 1, 2015; published Online First on November 20, 2015. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2015/$20.00/0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0379
The Oncologist 2015;20:1457 www.TheOncologist.com
©AlphaMed Press 2015
