HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State College of Medicine lost a dedicated researcher and beloved faculty member and mentor to cancer on Feb. 22. John P. Richie Jr., a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and professor of public health sciences and pharmacology, died after battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that targets the brain and spinal cord. He was 66.
Richie was an accomplished researcher and mentor with more than 35 years of experience and more than 175 publications. He was a part of Penn State Cancer Institute’s Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis research program, which investigates how cancers form. His research focused on elucidating the links between the aging process and the development of aging-related diseases, most notably cancer. In his lab, he worked to enhance cellular protective mechanisms in both preclinical models and clinical trials with the goal of improving lives by developing effective disease prevention strategies. His areas of expertise included food science, dietary interventions, tobacco products, smoking and the role of oxidative stress. Throughout his career, Richie was member of the American Association for Cancer Research. He served on various editorial boards and held leadership positions on multiple research committees.
Richie joined Penn State in 2004. Prior to that, he was an associate research professor at New York Medical College. Earlier in his career, Richie developed and led a program on cancer susceptibility and aging at the Institute for Cancer Prevention, formerly known as the American Health Foundation, in Valhalla, New York. He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Louisville in 1986.
Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society (Pennsylvania Division). Read Richie's full obituary here.