Biography
George Peter Sutphen Marchant Beardsley In Memoriam: G. Peter Beardsley, M.D., Ph.D. Dec. 29, 1940 - Sept. 6, 2017 G. Peter Beardsley, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Pharmacology at Yale Medical School, died Wednesday, September 6, 2017. A member of the Yale faculty since 1986, he was an internationally known pioneer in the study of folate enzymes and a leading figure in the treatment of childhood cancer. From 1986-2000, Dr. Beardsley was the Section Chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Yale University School of Medicine, and from 1986-1999 served as Director of the Pediatric Oncology Program at the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center. To his patients and their families, he was a beloved physician who created lifelong bonds of friendship and caring that extended long after their treatments had ended. To the many graduate students, postdocs, and young physicians he worked with, he was often much more than an instructor, becoming a mentor and champion for each of them. To his friends and family, he was a captivating story teller with an infectious joy for life. Dr. Beardsley contributed to the advancement of both clinical and laboratory research into childhood cancers. In his laboratory, Dr. Beardsley's principal research interests were the structural biology of folate enzymes and the development of novel antifolates as anticancer drugs. He was one of the inventors of the compound DDATHF which was a candidate anticancer drug that was taken to clinical trials. He was a prolific researcher who published over 80 research papers, patents, and book chapters most of which were devoted to the area of antifolates. In addition to his laboratory research and his care for his patients, Dr. Beardsley served on the National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics Study Section, and held leadership roles in the Pediatric Oncology Group, a cooperative research group with the mission of studying childhood cancers. He also maintained prominent positions on numerous NIH Ad Hoc Study Sections. In addition, he was instrumental in expanding the impact of the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer, a non-profit organization that provides emotional, educational, medical and financial support to children with cancer and their families.