Thomas Christopher Mast

1962 - 2024

Thomas Christopher Mast, age 62 of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, passed away on December 17, 2024 after a seven-year battle with glioblastoma.
Chris was born to Benjamin V. Mast and Ingrid A. Mast, in Washington, DC. After graduating from Georgetown University in 1987, Chris received his MSc in Health Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health, and his PhD in the Vaccine Sciences Division from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. During his graduate studies, he worked on field projects in Uganda, Vietnam, and Thailand. After graduating from Johns Hopkins in 2000, Chris joined Merck's Department of Epidemiology, where he pursued his dual passion for vaccine development and international work with underserved populations. While at Merck, he participated in the development of vaccines for rotavirus, HPV, and HIV. In 2021, Chris joined Novavax as Vice President of Epidemiology and Benefit Risk.
One of Chris's greatest gifts was his humor. He could infuse laughter into any situation with his sharp wit, and he was known for his clever and amusing turns of phrase. In 1995, Chris met Vivian Go at Johns Hopkins, where their love blossomed in the unlikely setting of a biostatistics classroom. After marrying in 2001, they went on to have three daughters, Ingrid, Clara, and Sylvia. Chris loved adventure, finding great joy in traveling, hiking, and, most of all, spending time with his family. He had a passion for life, and his greatest love was being a husband and father.
Chris was an avid runner. He ran nine marathons after his cancer diagnosis in 2017. In April 2024, Chris ran his last Boston marathon, this time for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, while facing a recurrence of his cancer. Chris greatly inspired everyone around him as he fought brain cancer with grace, humor, and unrelenting determination.
He is survived by his wife, Vivian Go; his daughters, Ingrid, Clara, and Sylvia; his parents, Ingrid and Ben Mast; and his sister, Dorothea Mast.
A Memorial will be held at the Rigmor House in Chapel Hill on January 25 at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University.