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BCRF Mourns Loss of Pioneering Cancer Researcher

By BCRF | October 20, 2021

Dr. David M. Livingston is remembered for elucidating many of the functions of BRCA1 and the role of DNA repair in breast cancer

It is with deep regret that BCRF shares the news of the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Dr. David M. Livingston. Dr. Livingston was a medical oncologist and internationally recognized basic researcher, and he was supported by BCRF since 2007.

BCRF investigator Dr. Maria Jasin—a longtime colleague of Dr. Livingston’s in BRCA research—reflected on how his contributions informed the work of other investigators.

“The work from Dr. Livingston’s lab in the mid- to late-1990s brought clarity to the BRCA field—finally solving the puzzle of BRCA1 protein localization and then finding connections with DNA repair,” she said. “He made it easy for me to build hypotheses and make my own contributions to the field.”

Another colleague and friend, BCRF Scientific Director Dr. Judy Garber, remembered Dr. Livingston as a mentor to others.

“He was passionately committed to nurturing the very best science accelerating discoveries that would eliminate breast cancer and its very human costs and to training the next generation of scientists to carry on the fight,” she said. “His vision helped to develop translational research, as he recognized the need to improve communication between basic and clinical researchers. His energy, loyalty, and amazing intellect made him a remarkable mentor, collaborator, and friend. He was very proud of his membership in the BCRF family of investigators.”

Dr. Livingston was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including elected membership in the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

BCRF offers its condolences to Dr. Livingston’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.