Dr. Kurt W. Kohn, a pioneering researcher whose work at the National Cancer Institute shaped current chemotherapy drugs, died on September 28, 2025, at his home in Potomac, MD. He was 95.

Dr. Kohn was born in Vienna, Austria in 1930. As a child he escaped Nazi persecution with his family, emigrating to the United States and settling in the Bronx, New York. He attended Bronx High School of Science. He was a key member of the Junior Astronomy Club, a group of students who shared a passion for astronomy and who have become lifelong friends. This included his wife, Elaine Kohn, to whom he was married for over 50 years.

A gifted student, he was recognized in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search before attending Harvard University, where he earned his undergraduate degree and PhD. He received his medical degree from Columbia University.

He joined the National Cancer Institute in 1957, beginning a career that spanned more than five decades. In 1968, he founded the Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, which he led for nearly 30 years. His research uncovered how certain chemotherapy agents damage DNA, and he developed laboratory methods that became widely used to study how cancer cells respond to treatment. He also mentored, taught, and inspired many scientists who now lead their own research programs.

Dr. Kohn was the author of Drugs Against Cancer: The Search for the Cure , a book that combined science with personal reflection.

Beyond his professional life, he was known for his wide-ranging curiosity, especially about astronomy, the nature of consciousness, and evolution. He was also an accomplished pianist. He will be remembered for his warmth and generosity with colleagues, friends, and family.

He is predeceased by his wife, Elaine Kohn and his daughter, Julia Robinson. He is survived by his brother Ben Kohn, his son, Philip Kohn, and his granddaughter Melissa Naugle, and his nephews Ken and Russell Kohn.

Services will be held at Judean Memorial Gardens at 1 PM on October 1, 2025. Please contact the family at melissasnaugle@gmail.com for details regarding the livestreamed service and the Shiva. Any donations in his name can be made to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence .