John G Gerber

1946 - 2021

John G. Gerber MD, internationally-known physician, scientist, and educator died February 6,2021 in Palm Springs CA. John was born in Budapest, Hungary on May 30, 1946; his father was a concentration camp survivor and his mother spent the war confined to the Budapest ghetto. When John came with his family to the US in his early teens, he spoke no English. He excelled academically, graduating from Forest Hills High School and Queens College; he also enjoyed athletics, especially track and field. He completed his MD degree and internal medicine residency at the Medical College of VA (now Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) followed by fellowships in clinical pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and the University of Colorado (CU). He was on faculty at the CU School of Medicine (SOM) for his entire career, rising quickly to full professor in the Depts. of Medicine and Pharmacology.

The first two-thirds of Dr. Gerber's research career focused on basic and clinical pharmacology regarding heart disease; during the last third, after an infectious disease fellowship at the University of California / Los Angeles SOM, he switched his research and clinical focus to infectious diseases. He published more than 160 scientific papers, spoke at international conferences, cared for patients, and taught medical students, residents, and fellows. He made significant contributions to the care of persons living with HIV/AIDs through his work regarding drug-drug interactions and drug combinations. He participated in the AIDS Clinical Trials Pharmacology Group (including service as Vice Chair and Chair) as well as advising the FDA as a member of its Antiviral Drug Advisory Committee.

John retired to Palm Springs and pursued his passions for tennis, traveling, poker and horse racing. He is survived by friends Duke Kulas (Palm Springs), Carolyn Keene and Elizabeth Cookson (Denver), Michael Darner (Palm Springs) and Robert Grove (Denver). Contributions in his memory may be sent to the Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC.