John Curd, a brilliant biotech leader, died peacefully April 20, 2011, in his home in Hillsborough, Calif.
John came to us from Wheat Ridge, Colo. A premed chemistry major, he was a member of Quad and roomed in Murray-Dodge with Peter Colt. After Harvard Medical School (and marriage to Karen Wendel) in 1971 and internship and residency at Mass General, John served at NIH and began a distinguished medical career.
John started in clinical practice and research at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, and later became hospital president. In 1991, he transitioned to biotechnology as vice president of clinical development at Genentech, where he discovered new cancer treatments and led the clinical development of Rituxan and the groundbreaking breast-cancer treatment Herceptin. He later served as executive vice president of VaxGen, president and chief medical officer of Novacea, and most recently president and chief medical officer of Threshold Pharmaceuticals. He was known for his brilliance as well as his kindness.
In addition to his passion for advancing science, John enjoyed spending time outdoors with his family, sharing a glass of wine with friends, and working on his cars.
John was a loving husband, inspiring father, and wonderful grandfather. He is survived by Karen, four children, and three grandchildren, to all of whom the class extends its condolences.