INDIANA UNIVERSITY David Flockhart, a cancer researcher who founded one of the first institutes for personalized medicine in the U.S., died of glioblastoma multiforme—an advanced form of brain cancer—late last month (November 26). He was 63 years old.
Flockhart, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, pioneered the field of pharmacogenomics, elucidating the role of CYP2D6, an enzyme that converts breast cancer drug tamoxifen into endoxifen, a metabolite that helps prevent relapse. His lab found that natural variants in the gene that encodes CYP2D6 can disrupt the pathway, making tamoxifen less effective in women who carry them.
“Dave Flockhart was a unique individual in many ways, combining outstanding scientific skills with integrity and compassion,” William Dalton, board chair at the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC), said in a statement. “He will be remembered as an impactful scientist, clinician and mentor dedicated to the advancement of personalized medicine to improve the lives of patients everywhere. Indeed, Dave was truly inspirational in his ability to learn and ultimately ...
