Remembering Dr. Cancro
InFocus • Winter 2025 Issue • March 24, 2025
It is with great sadness that we share the news that our beloved colleague, Dr. Michael Cancro, passed away on February 7, 2025. This is an immense loss felt by all who knew Dr. Cancro. A few reflections from Department members are below.
“Dr. Cancro was an integral part of the Department’s leadership team and a wealth of knowledge. He was one of the first to welcome me when I joined as Chair, and I valued our conversations greatly. He was also a fantastic scientist who made many valuable contributions to the field. We will miss him greatly.” – Dr. George Netto
“As I walk through the corridors in John Morgan Building, I keep expecting to run into him. I am very sad that Mike is no longer here. Many immunologists, myself included, have had their careers profoundly influenced by Mike. He mentored students and faculty at all levels and was very generous with his time and with his advice. When you talked to Mike about an experiment, he would listen intently and bombard you with questions. If you held up to his questioning, you were probably onto something...” - Dr. Nina Luning Prak
“Many years ago I was invited to lead a discussion of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions with continuing education students who were learning English as a second language. While preparing for this session, I asked Mike for his point of view on Thomas Kuhn. Mike responded with a crystalline summary as he whipped photocopies of Karl Popper's work from his filing cabinet for me. This was Mike down to the ground. No matter what the question, in lab meetings, classes, poster sessions, or just chatting, Mike was a wise and challenging interlocutor. Forever grateful to have been a part of his research program and for his friendship.” - Dr. Jean Labriola Scholz
“Mike Cancro was an irreplaceable pillar of the Penn immunology community. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, I admired his singular commitment to educating and training the next generation of scientists, spanning from undergraduates to junior faculty. I will greatly miss our scientific discussions and his musings on art, history, culture, and daily life.” – Jamie Knox, PhD
After completing his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Maryland, Mike joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 as a postdoctoral fellow in Norman Klinman’s lab. There, he contributed to the development of the influenza hemagglutinin model antigen system. He was soon recruited as a tenure-track faculty member in 1978 and established his lab in the John Morgan Building, where it remained throughout his career.
Over his 49 years at Penn, Mike made an indelible impact. First and foremost, for Mike, was his science. Mike was a scientist’s scientist; he did science because he loved it and because it helped him communicate its power to others. A recognized expert in B cell biology, his lab made several groundbreaking discoveries, including defining the transitional B cell subset, a developmental stage between immature B cell formation in the bone marrow and final maturation in the periphery, elucidating the role of the cytokine BLyS (also known as BAFF) and its receptors in controlling peripheral B cell selection and numbers, and discovering and characterizing Age-Associated B Cells (ABCs), a novel B cell subset that increases with age.
Mike’s research remains highly relevant, as evidenced by his participation in a recent University of Pittsburgh symposium on "ABC B Cells and Autoimmunity." His numerous research accomplishments were honored with multiple awards, including being named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association of Immunologists and receiving the Lady Barbara Colyton Award for Autoimmune Research from PSOM.
Mike was a brilliant teacher. As a result, Mike received numerous distinguished teaching and mentoring awards throughout his career. He had a unique way of inspiring students and other trainees to realize their goals while also teaching them to have fun with their science along the way. Mike was a central force in the Immunology Graduate Group for decades inspiring hundreds of trainees. Indeed, Mike was known for asking the tough questions at prelim exams, and when the students received a pass, they knew that they had hit the mark. He continued to play a similarly impactful role in the I3H. His dedication to mentoring and teaching is also evidenced by his long-standing role as a course director for an evening lecture course taken mainly by post-baccalaureate level students. Mike ran this course for some 25 years and showed no interest in ever letting it go.
Many of the trainees from Mike’s lab have gone on to become leaders in the B cell field, including Mark Shlomchik, who fondly recalls Mike’s comment on his Med School Immunology exam: ‘Great exam. Contact me if you ever want to go into the lab.’ This simple note inspired Mark to pursue a PhD in Immunology, which has since shaped his successful career. Another trainee, our own Dave Allman, not only continues to push the boundaries of B cell biology but also took over the Med School Immunology Course, continuing Mike's legacy by inspiring students.
Most recently, Mike served as the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Academic Affairs in PLM. In this role, he was developing a curriculum for new faculty, helping them navigate the Penn research landscape with ease. His contributions to this curriculum will remain a lasting legacy. To the many faculty and trainees at Penn who had the privilege of knowing Mike, we have lost a cherished colleague, mentor, and friend.
A memorial service will be held in Mike's honor on April 5, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County; all are welcome to attend. For more information about the service, and to share memories and read others, please visit MichaelPCancro.com.
