Robert Holt Allen passed away peacefully, at home, in his own bed, surrounded by his family, at the age of 82. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and sister.
Bob was an alumnus of Amherst College, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in philosophy. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, taking prerequisite science classes to apply to medical school. He graduated Alpha Omega Alpha from Washington University School of Medicine where he met, fell in love with, and convinced Nancy Carroll to marry him. He also earned his MD.
Bob and Nancy moved to Dallas, Texas, where he served his internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Following his internship, he was a staff associate researcher at the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. It was there that he fell in love again, this time with medical research. After his time at this institute, he and Nancy returned to St. Louis, Missouri, and Barnes Hospital, for his residency in medicine. He became a fellow in hematology/oncology at Washington University and within a few years earned the title of Associate Professor of Medicine and Board Certification in Internal Medicine and Hematology.
Bob and Nancy moved to Colorado where he was appointed director of the Division of Hematology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and served in that position for 40 years. He was a passionate physician-scientist focused on the fundamental aspects of blood cell biology. His lab made major scientific breakthroughs in the biochemistry of cobalamin (vitamin B-12) and folate metabolism and deficiency. During his career, Bob published over 200 major scientific papers and received 16 U.S. patents for a wide range of now standard blood tests and treatments for diseases related to vitamin deficiency. His most significant discovery was the existence of chemical analogs of vitamin B-12 in human blood. These analogs produced false results on the tests in use at the time, causing misdiagnosis of sometimes fatal vitamin deficiencies. He published the seminal work in this area in a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM1978 299:785–792) publication. He also discovered that early formulations of prenatal vitamins were designed in a way that prevented the proper uptake of B-12 and iron. His reformulation, along with the blood tests and treatments discovered in his lab, are still considered the gold standard of diagnosis and treatment for B-12 and folate deficiencies. He was the first ever recipient of one of the most prestigious honors given to research scientists—the National Institutes of Health MERIT Award grant. In addition to being a clinician and researcher, he was also a generous teacher and mentor to fellows, residents, and students. He was extremely proud that the men and women who trained in hematology in his laboratory and clinic were providing state-of-the-art care in hospitals all over the world.
As a young man, Bob was an Eagle Scout and learned a love for the outdoors. His youthful sojourns through Canada by canoe became family fishing trips in remote places and regular family weekends skiing in the Rocky Mountains. He was a world traveler who set foot on all seven continents during his life; he and Nancy met U.S. presidents and a variety of celebrities and people of note while visiting as many sites of world heritage and natural beauty as they could. He was an avid reader, often surrounded by stacks of medical journals and books. His family was at the center of everything he did, and he was most delighted spending time with his grandchildren. Bob and Nancy were generous philanthropic supporters of medical research at the University of Colorado, supporting the creation of four endowed chairs in hematology and the Robert W. Schrier chair held by the Department of Medicine chair. These provide an enduring testament to the Allens’ vision and commitment to the highest principles of academic medicine.
He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 55 years, who, in addition to being his most dedicated advocate and the love of his life, was his research coordinator, his partner in business, and in the end, the greatest caregiver anyone could ever hope for in life and in death. Bob is also survived by his son Mitchell; his daughter Debbie and her husband Vince; and their daughters, Bob and Nancy’s beloved grandchildren, Alyssa and Madeline.
Margaret E. Wierman, MD, and (by invitation) Richard Lange, MD