John J. DiGiovanna, M.D.
1950 to 2023

The CCR community is profoundly saddened by the passing of John J. DiGiovanna, M.D., Senior Research Physician in the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics. Dr. DiGiovanna was an eminent Board-certified dermatologist and former Professor of Dermatology at Brown University School of Medicine.

John was a dedicated researcher at the NCI for over 40 years. He played an active role in clinical and laboratory studies of patients with rare genetic disorders of DNA repair: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) with a high frequency of skin cancer, and trichothiodystrophy (TTD) with multisystem developmental abnormalities, and also patients with disorders of keratin. He performed detailed studies of their phenotype, underlying molecular causes and clinical management.

John earned his B.S. magna cum laude at SUNY Stony Brook in Long Island, NY, and received his M.D. from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Long Island Jewish Hospital and a residency in dermatology at the University of Miami. John came to the Dermatology Branch NCI in 1980 to work with Dr. Gary Peck on the development of treatments for dermatologic disorders and skin cancer chemoprevention. He was involved in pioneering studies of use of oral retinoids (Accutane) for treatment of acne and for prevention of skin cancer.

John was a passionate researcher and clinician, taking on many concurrent roles throughout his career to pursue his variety of aspirations. In 1994, John became the Head of the Dermatology Clinical Research Unit in the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

During this time, he also became a professor in the Department of Dermatology at Brown University and Director of the Division of Dermatopharmacology which evaluated new medications for use in patients with skin diseases. Additionally, he was a staff physician at the Rhode Island Hospital.

In 2000, John joined Dr. Kenneth Kraemer in the NCI, CCR Basic Research Laboratory as a Research Investigator, and from 2010 on, served as part of the DNA Repair Section in the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics. He provided exceptional Clinical Center consultation for patients in protocols in the Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) and in many institutes. These patients have diverse diagnoses including autoinflammatory diseases, inherited cancer predisposition syndromes, and exotic infectious diseases. He helped to characterize UDP patients who have eluded diagnoses in tertiary centers throughout the US. He also served as a long-term consultant to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the divisions overseeing Dermatologic drugs and the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee.

Dr. DiGiovanna had an exceptional ability to synthesize diverse clinical and laboratory information to further the understanding of these complicated patients and provide a true “bench to bedside” approach. While XP is defined by a high skin cancer risk, he characterized a new predisposition to hematologic malignancies, and to thyroid nodules and cancer. In addition to the known risk of skin aging and malignancy due to UV radiation in XP, a novel and unsuspected risk to female reproductive health, manifested by premature menopause was discovered, expanding the concept of XP as a disease of premature aging beyond skin. Dr. John DiGiovanna found a high frequency of bone abnormalities in the children with TTD. In particular, there was an early onset of avascular necrosis of the hips leading to inabilty to walk. He worked with specialists to develop a protocol to permit successful surgery with minimal complications.

Dr. John DiGiovanna has widely collaborated with others in his studies of disorders of keratinization and use of retinoids for therapy. He even traveled to Egypt in search of patients with unusual forms of these diseases. He published papers on use of systemic retinoids for therapy of ichthyoses. He has worked with an international group of experts to revise the nomenclature and classification of inherited ichthyoses.

Dr. DiGiovanna has been extremely productive. He is author of more than 175 papers, 33 book chapters, and 1 book edited. Throughout his career, John was a well-respected member of several prestigious dermatology societies, including the American Dermatological Association, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the Washington D.C. Dermatology Society. He was also on the editorial boards of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Dermatology Review. In 1998 he received a Masters of Arts ad eundum from Brown University. Both in the US and worldwide he gave numerous invited lectures.

John was extensively involved in teaching and mentoring. He organized widely attended Dermatology Grand Rounds during the weeks he provided Clinical Center consultations. He played a central role in mentoring post-bac and Medical Research Scholar fellows early in their careers as well as more senior researchers who are now Dermatology professors.
Many people remarked on his “kind, careful and helping attitude.” “His supportive nature was dedicated to helping people improve their lives.” “He was a great motivator”.

John was an outstanding clinician who always sought precise details. In addition, researchers add that “When attending basic science seminars, he frequently provided clinical insights that enriched the relevance of whatever was being presented.”
John was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer more than 2 years ago. He was determined to live his life to the fullest despite his cancer diagnosis. He never lost his sense of humor and bravely continued the research, mentoring and teaching that he loved.

In memory of John and in lieu of food or flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the organizations that he most cared about. They are The Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (https://www.firstskinfoundation.org) and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (https://www.gmcw.org). Both organizations rely on donated funds to further their mission of meaningfully supporting their communities, and to bring a wider awareness of their causes.

A private funeral for the family will be held in New York. There will be a memorial service held for John at a date not yet determined. Condolence messages can be sent to his husband, Julian Trail, at johndigiovanna@yahoo.com

Kenneth H. Kraemer, M.D.
Chief, DNA Repair Section
Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 37 Room 4002 MSC 4258
Bethesda, MD 20892 -4258
Phone numbers 240-760-6139 FAX: 240-541-4476
e-mail: kraemerk@nih.gov