Alan M. Gewirtz, Penn medical professor

Alan M. Gewirtz, 61, the C. Willard Robinson Professor of Hematology-Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, died of lung cancer Wednesday, Nov. 17, at his home in the Washington Square neighborhood of Philadelphia.

A researcher of cancers of the blood, Dr. Gewirtz "dedicated his career to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of leukemia," Charles Abrams wrote in an e-mail appreciation for their medical school colleagues.

Abrams, associate chief of hematology-oncology at the medical school, wrote that "Alan's scientific contributions were published in the best journals," and that Dr. Gewirtz had been honored by organizations such as the American Society of Hematology "for the excellence of his work."

Noting that Dr. Gewirtz had led the Hematologic Malignancies Program at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, Abrams wrote that he "was a tireless advocate for basic science research and for promoting the careers of young scientists."

Combining his work with his leisure interest, Dr. Gewirtz "was a passionate pilot who was even funded by NASA to study hematopoiesis," the production of blood cells, in outer space.

But he had a whimsical side, Abrams wrote, "the sort of fellow who would bring Sparky his dog to a conference."

Born in New York City, Dr. Gewirtz received a bachelor's degree in marine biology at Colgate University in 1971 and earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1976.

After spending the 1982-83 academic year as an instructor at the Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Gewirtz began his Philadelphia career at the Temple University School of Medicine.

He was an assistant professor there from 1983 to 1989 and an associate professor in 1989-90.

When he moved to Penn, he was an associate professor from 1990 to 1996 and professor from 1998 to 2004, when he became the Robinson Professor of Hematology-Oncology.

Since 1993, he had been a member of Penn's Institute for Human Gene Therapy and, since 1997, a leader in the stem-cell biology and therapeutics program at Penn's cancer center.

Since 2005, his son Jamie said, Dr. Gewirtz's many foreign lectures-by-invitation included ones for the Ramanbhai Foundation International Symposium in Ahmedabad, India; the European Stem Cell Therapeutic Excellence Center in Kracow, Poland; and the European School of Hematology in Mandelieu, France.

A holder of nine patents, Dr. Gewirtz had been on the editorial board of such publications as Cancer Gene Therapy since 1993, Leukemia since 1994, Experimental Hematology since 1998, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation since 2007.

Among his several honors, in 1999 he received the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award and an honorary doctorate from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland.

Besides his son, Jamie, Dr. Gewirtz is survived by his wife, Joanna Opalinska; a daughter, Emily Stiebel; three brothers; a granddaughter; and former wife Elizabeth Bien.

A graveside service was set for 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19, at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 215 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd.