Stanley Joel Korsmeyer (June 8, 1950 – March 31, 2005) was an American research scientist known for his work on B cell lymphomas and apoptosis. Born and educated in the US state of Illinois, Korsmeyer spent most of his career as a professor at Washington University School of Medicine and later the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He rose to prominence in the early 1980s as a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute. There he co-discovered the genetic cause of most cases of the cancer follicular lymphoma – the misregulation of the gene Bcl-2. Korsmeyer went on to start his own laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, further studying the role of Bcl-2 in cell biology. His group's work expanded the paradigm of cancer-causing genes, providing the first example of how interfering with programmed cell death could lead to cancer development. Korsmeyer authored over 250 scientific papers over the course of his career. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences at the age of 45. Korsmeyer died of lung cancer in 2005, at the age of 54.
Early life and education
Stanley Joel Korsmeyer was born in Beardstown, Illinois, on June 8, 1950, to Willard and Carnell Korsmeyer. His parents were longtime hog farmers – Willard Korsmeyer inherited the farm started by his great-great grandparents, and Carnell Korsmeyer was a past president of the National Pork Board. At some point an early mentor, local veterinarian Robert Goodin, advised him instead to consider a career in biology. He then moved on to medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. Here Korsmeyer's talent was recognized by the hematology division chief Paul Heller, who encouraged Korsmeyer to pursue a research career. Korsmeyer completed his MD in 1976, Collaborating with Philip Leder's group, Korsmeyer defined the chromosomal translocation that underlay most follicular lymphoma, naming the affected gene Bcl-2. That same year Washington University School of Medicine established the annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Memorial Lecture, which brings a renowned cell biologist to the school to speak each year.
In remembrance of Korsmeyer, colleague Robert Horvitz said, "He was everybody's hero—as a scientist and as a human being. His contributions were truly major and pioneering, and they revolutionized the field." Despite his illness, he continued to work in the laboratory until the end of his life.