Elliott Dan Kieff, MD, PhD (1943–2024)
Dr. Elliott Kieff passed away on January 4, 2024, at the age of 80. The world lost a brilliant scientist and a generous, kind soul. Dr. Kieff’s studies unraveled a wealth of complex mechanisms through which the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) usurps cell growth control. Sixty years ago, EBV was the first human tumor virus discovered, identified from samples of the pediatric tumor Burkitt lymphoma, which remains the most common childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. EBV has subsequently been linked to the development of multiple lymphoid and epithelial malignancies, including Hodgkin lymphoma, post-transplant lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal and gastric carcinoma.