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October 12, 2006

Obituary: John Lowrie “Bruno” Bryant II

Pitt biostatistician John Lowrie “Bruno” Bryant II, 58, of Allison Park died Sept. 26, 2006, at UPMC Montefiore Hospital.

Bryant earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, then joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 1977 before coming to Pitt’s statistics department in 1990.

He maintained an appointment in statistics as a research associate professor and in 2000 obtained his primary appointment as professor of biostatistics at the Graduate School of Public Health.

Bryant was director of biometry at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute from 1990 to 1994 before becoming associate director of the Biostatistical Center of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) in 1995.

Bryant served as NSABP director from 2000 to 2004 and continued as associate director until his death.

Bryant’s research interests centered on the design and analysis of breast cancer clinical trials and in the development of statistical methodology for that analysis. He edited professional journals and authored numerous articles on statistical methods and clinical trial data analysis.

NSABP Biostatistical Center director Joseph P. Costantino, in eulogizing Bryant, recalled him as a man with passion for his profession, friends and family. “Those who knew him well knew that he loved to engage in a good friendly debate on any topic: sports, politics, science or the headline of the day,” he said.

Bryant’s passion drove him to excel and become an internationally recognized expert in clinical trial research, Costantino said.

“Every investigator with whom he worked recognized John as a rare breed of statistician who not only could do the math and comprehend the science but also could explain these aspects with full clarity to individuals who have little knowledge of the science and a very limited understanding of statistics. This made him an individual who was sought out by many as a research collaborator and as a speaker at professional meetings throughout the world.”

Costantino noted that Bryant’s passion for his wife and daughters was evident as his inspiration. “He loved being married, being a father and interacting with his family,” Costantino said.

“John would always say that he could never really get started working at home until after the children’s bedtime because he just could not resist playing with them,” he recalled.

Survivors include his wife, Diana Delker Bryant; two daughters, Anna Bichai Bryant and Katie Jianwen Bryant; brother Michael Bryant; sister Suzanne Bryant, and four nieces and nephews.

A memorial was held Oct. 9 in Heinz Chapel. The family requests memorial contributions to The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606 or the UPCI Breast Cancer Program, 5150 Center Ave., Pittsburgh 15232.

—Kimberly K. Barlow

Filed under: Feature,Volume 39 Issue 4

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