38-Year-Old Stanford Oncologist Dies Of Hemophilia Complications

STANFORD - A 38-year-old Stanford Medicine oncologist died last week of complications from hemophilia after falling ill while vacationing in the Bahamas, university officials said today.

Dr. Holbrook Kohrt, who sought new ways to arm the immune system to fight cancer, died Wednesday in Miami, Stanford officials said.

Kohrt, an assistant professor of oncology at the university's School of Medicine, had a life-long struggle with hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly, Stanford officials said.

"Holbrook knew that his time here on Earth would be short, and he worked tirelessly to accomplish as much as possible," Dr. George Sledge Jr., a professor and chief of oncology, said in a statement.

"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," Sledge said.

Kohrt arrived at Stanford as a medical student in 2000 and completed his residency, fellowship and a PhD program at the university, Stanford officials said.

His research focused on the idea that the immune system could be trained to recognize and fight cancer and he devised clinical trials to learn whether vaccinating a patient with small pieces of cancer-specific proteins could help prevent the recurrence of solid tumors, according to the university.

A celebration of Kohrt's life will be held March 11 in Hawley, Pennsylvania.

A memorial at Stanford will be held at a later date.

-Bay City News, image via Stanford School of Medicine