Dr. Knox Van Dyke

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Knox Van Dyke, retired Professor Emeritus at West Virginia University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, on Friday, August 15, 2025. Dr. Van Dyke was 86 years old.
Dr. Van Dyke was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1939, a son of the late Peter Alexander Van Dyke, and the late Margory E. Horter Van Dyke.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Cynthia Rogers Van Dyke; his children, Christopher Van Dyke, Richard Van Dyke, Teri Dalton, Mark Van Dyke and Kristen Davis; nine grandchildren, Grace, Tobias, Jamie, Julian, Paige, Wyatt, Sophia, Kylie, and Lacey; and his sister, Joyce Van Dyke.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Anita Van Dyke; a daughter, Cynthia Van Dyke; and a brother, Peter Van Dyke.
Dr. Van Dyke retired from West Virginia University in 2022, where he taught Pharmacology for more than 50 years. His life was centered around his lab and the library. He loved baseball, and was the world's biggest Chicago Cubs fan.
He obtained his A.B. in chemistry from Knox College Galesburg IL in 1961 and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Saint Louis University in 1966 under Dr. Philip Katzman in the Nobel Prize Department of Biochemistry of Dr. Edward A Doisy, the discoverer of vitamin K and the estrogens.
When he completed his graduate studies, Dr. Van Dyke joined Dr. Leroy Saxe and Dr. Richard Cenedella in the developing drug screening methods for malaria under a US Army contract in 1966. His work was the first effective screening method to study the effects of antimalarial candidate drugs on growth of the malaria parasite via measurement of DNA and RNA synthesis. More than 10,000 possible anti-malarial drugs were screened and mefloquine and halofantrine eventually made it to the market for antimalarial treatment of humans. It was found that the building blocks for DNA and RNA of the parasite were utilized differently from each other. Purines of malarial parasites were salvaged from host purines while pyrimidines were synthesized de novo from simpler precursors by the parasite. These seminal observations are still be used almost 50 years later in automated drug screening with Plasmodium falciparum the deadliest of all the different strains of malaria.
He began early studies in chemi-and bioluminescence by developing the first automated method for measurement of adenosine triphosphate for the measurement of drug toxicity to erythrocytes. In 1975, luminol dependent chemiluminescent assay for human phagocytic cells was developed. His students Dr. Paul Stevens, Drs. Mark Wilson and Michael Trush studied neutopenic states of human whit cells using the cellular production of light. Chronic granulomatous disease was measured in human cells and neonatal sepsis was studied by Dr. David Peden in the laboratory of Dr. Van Dyke.
In the 1980s numerous studies on applying cellular luminescence to various disease states such as cancer, arthritis, black lung disease and silicosis with Dr. Vincent Castranova of ALOSH/NIOSH USA government laboratory.
Dr. Van Dyke has many USA and worldwide patents on malaria, cancer, HIV chemotherapy, vascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and other chronic diseases. He has written 6 books for CRC press on a variety of subjects dealing with luminescence and pharmacology. He is a member or past member of American chemical society, National Association for Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (lifetime member), American society of Photobiology, Whos Who in The USA, Whos Who in the Frontiers of Science, Kentucky Colonels etc.
Friends may join the family to honor Dr. Van Dyke's life and legacy at Smith Funeral & Cremation Care, 108 Holland Avenue, Westover (304-292-9494) on Monday, August 18th, from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Following the visitation and at the request of the family, Dr. Van Dyke will be cremated.
We encourage you to share your condolences and most cherished memories of Dr. Van Dyke on his memorial page at www.smithfcc.com.
Visitation with the Family
Monday, August 18, 2025
01:00 PM - 03:00 PM (EST)
Smith Funeral & Cremation Care
108 Holland Avenue
Morgantown, West Virginia 26501
United States To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Dr. Knox Van Dyke, please visit our Tree Store.