Robert Janco, MD, passed away on March 9 after a short but aggressive illness. He had a wealth of experience in the diagnosis and clinical management of adults and children with congenital bleeding disorders. He most recently served at Disease Area Lead for Hematology at Pfizer and will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to the advancement of science and the improvement of treatment for patients with bleeding disorders.
Janco joined Wyeth in Global Safety Surveillance and Epidemiology in 2004 and moved to Global Medical Affairs in 2005. He assumed responsibilities as the Global Therapeutic Area Head in 2006 and was named the Pfizer Hematology Disease Area Lead in 2009.
Janco obtained his degree in medicine from Yale University School of Medicine in 1970 and then completed a rotating internship at the David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Base (CA). He also trained in pediatrics at the same center from 1971–1973. He was a Fellow in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from 1978–1981, before becoming Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1981 and an Associate Professor there in 1990.
Janco’s academic appointments included Director of Vanderbilt Comprehensive Hemophilia Clinic from 1982–1998, and Director of the Vanderbilt Hemostasis-Thrombosis Clinic from 1998–2004. He was Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. He retired from the United States Air Force and the Tennessee Air National Guard in which he served as a physician, flight surgeon, and hospital commander for 32 years.
Janco served on the editorial board of the Hemophilia Forum, the Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic, the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Tennessee State Hemophilia Program, and was Co-Chair of the National Prevention Program of the National Hemophilia Foundation. He won numerous awards and had papers published in many peer-reviewed journals as well as in various abstract publications and books.
(Tribute Courtesy of Pfizer)
