Virgil Craig Jordan,, (July 25, 1947 – June 9, 2024) was an American and British scientist specializing in drugs for breast cancer treatment and prevention. He was Professor of Breast Medical Oncology, and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Previously, he was Scientific Director and Vice Chairman of Oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown University. Jordan was the first to discover the breast cancer prevention properties of tamoxifen and the scientific principles for adjuvant therapy with antihormones. His later work branched out into the prevention of multiple diseases in women with the discovery of the drug group, selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERMs). He later worked on developing a new Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for post-menopausal women that prevents breast cancer and does not increase the risk of breast cancer. Jordan's paper The Effect of Raloxifene on Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women: Results from the More Randomized Trial was one of the top 20 most cited papers in breast cancer research during 2003 and 2004.

Early life

Born in New Braunfels, Texas, Jordan moved to England with his family as a child. He went to school at Moseley Hall Grammar School in Cheshire before attending the University of Leeds where he received BSc, PhD and DSc degrees in pharmacology.

Research career

Jordan began working on the structure-activity of anti-estrogens as part of his PhD program at Leeds University. During that time, he met Arthur Walpole, the patent holder for the drug that became tamoxifen. In September 1972, Jordan became a visiting scientist at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Massachusetts. While there he began researching the idea that tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), could block estrogen receptors in breast tumors. Estrogen receptors in breast tumors attract estrogen which is then absorbed into the cancerous cell and encourages the cell to divide, causing the cancer to grow. Until this time, the treatment for this type of breast cancer was oophorectomy. Jordan returned to Leeds University as a lecturer in Pharmacology between 1974 and 1979, after which he spent one year at Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Bern, Switzerland. In 1980, Jordan joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he started to look at the effects of tamoxifen and another SERM, raloxifene, on bone density and coronary systems. This was needed because of the concern that long term use of SERMs could lead to osteoporosis and heart disease. Jordan's research showed that post-menopausal women who took these drugs did not suffer from a lowering of bone density or an increase in blood cholesterol. Raloxifene is now used in the prevention of osteoporosis. Jordan gained a full Professorship at Wisconsin in 1985, the same year his alma mater awarded him a DSc. In 1993, Jordan became Professor of Cancer Pharmacology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, IL., and director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. He was the inaugural holder of the Diana Princess of Wales Professor of Cancer Research (1999–2004). He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 Birthday Honours for services to international breast cancer research. In January 2005, Jordan was the inaugural Alfred G. Knudson Chair of Cancer Research at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA. He has recently published work showing that estrogen, given at the right time, causes the destruction of cancer cells rather than feeding their growth. Jordan was the Scientific Director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Professor of Oncology and Pharmacology, Vice Chair of the Department of Oncology, and the Vincent T. Lombardi Chair of Translational Cancer Research, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., prior to moving to Texas. Jordan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to women's health.

Personal life and national service

Jordan was the father of two daughters, Helen and Alexandra. Military Service: Captain Intelligence Corps (V) (On the staff of the Deputy Chief Scientist (Army) UK (1971–75)), Attached NBC Officer Region 1 US Mobilization Designee, DEA Officers' Course and UK Police Narcotics Squad Training (1973–78), 23 Special Air Service (1975–79) (Commanding Officer Rory Walker (1975-1978)),(Commanding Officer Tony Hunter-Choat(1978-1979)), (Director SAS Group, Brigadier Johnny Watts (1975-1979)), RARO SAS (1979–97). SAS Regimental Association (2008–present). Jordan died of kidney cancer at his home in Houston, on June 9, 2024, at the age of 76.

Awards

2020 Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison 2019 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for services to women's healthcare. 2012 Louis S. Goodman and Alfred Gilman Award in Receptor Pharmacology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 2011 St. Gallen Prize for Clinical Breast Cancer Research, Switzerland 2008 David A. Karnofsky Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2006 American Cancer Society Award and Lecture from the American Society for Clinical Oncology. 2003 Kettering Prize 2002 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor for basic research. 2002 made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for services to international breast cancer research. 2001 Umberto Veronesi Award for the Future Fight Against Breast Cancer (2001 ) 2001 Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research. 2001 Doctor of Medicine, honoris causa from the University of Leeds 1993 Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh 1993 ASPET Award from the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1993 The Gaddum Memorial Award from the British Pharmacological Society 1992 Brinker International Breast Cancer Award for Basic Science from Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Books

Top cited publications

Total Citations as of January 11, 2021: 59,204 h-index score as of January 11, 2021: 122