Remembering the Trailblazing Life and Legacy of Dr. Thomas Kensler

BCRF mourns the loss of renowned scientist Thomas Kensler

It is with deep sadness that BCRF shares the passing of Dr. Thomas Kensler, a pioneer in the field of prevention research focused on practical nutrition-based strategies for use in under-resourced areas.

A BCRF investigator since 2013, Dr. Kensler’s research examined the role of diet during adolescence and early adulthood and how it relates to future breast cancer risk. While many researchers focused on associations between breast cancer risk and adult diet, Dr. Kensler went in a different direction, recognizing that adolescence is likely a highly susceptible phase for breast cancer carcinogenesis during a woman’s lifetime. His team worked to identify dietary interventions that could be made in adolescence to reduce the risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

Most recently, Dr. Kensler was a Full Member in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He obtained his doctorate at MIT and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin and at the National Cancer Institute. After 30 years on the faculty of the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, he moved his primary appointment to the University of Pittsburgh in 2010. Ultimately, Dr. Kensler completed his research career as a professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, retiring in 2024.

Throughout his decades long devotion to cancer research, Dr. Kensler sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the induction of cancer by chemicals to serve as a basis for the prevention, interruption, or reversal of these processes. A major mechanism of protection against environmental carcinogenesis is the induction of enzymes involved in their detoxication and elimination. To translate laboratory findings to the clinic, his group conducted a series of “proof-of-principle” randomized clinical trials of broccoli sprout beverages rich in the phytochemical sulforaphane in populations at high risk for exposures to air- and food-borne toxins and carcinogens.

“Tom was not only a great scientist, but a great leader, by force of personality as well as intellect. He had that ineffable quality of eliciting friendship and a desire to collaborate. He brought out the best in everyone around him and thus made major contributions that will grow over time,” stated BCRF’s Founding Scientific Director, Dr. Larry Norton.

Dr. Kensler fostered numerous international collaborations, most notably leading the first westernized clinical trials conducted in China. Specifically, trials in the Qidong region of China investigated whether consumption of a broccoli sprout beverage was associated with increased elimination of benzene, an airborne carcinogen common in the area.

He also served as a mentor to dozens of students and young scientists and earned numerous awards including the AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Society of Toxicology Translational Impact Award and the National Friendship Award, Beijing, China’s highest award for foreign civilians.

He was admired for his scientific brilliance, dedication to saving lives through cancer prevention and global cancer research, and his warm and affable personality. Beyond his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Kensler was an avid mountaineer, hiker, and kayaker who enjoyed exploring the world, visiting all fifty states and seven continents. He shared a joy of exploration with his family and friends and is survived by his wife of 43 years, Dr. Nancy E. Davidson, and their two children.

“Tom’s work transformed our understanding of cancer prevention and his ability to bring science from the laboratory to communities most in need stands as a model for impactful research. Beyond his extraordinary achievements, Tom will be remembered for his generosity, mentorship, and kindness. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scientists and public health leaders,” stated BCRF’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry.

BCRF extends our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Kensler’s family, friends, and colleagues.