Dr. Robert W. Atchison

Dr. Robert Wayne Atchison (Bob), Age 95; of Bethel Park,  Pennsylvania, passed after a brief illness on January 17, 2026, at St. Clair Hospital, surrounded by the love of his family.  He was an Emeritus Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.  He was a graduate student teacher and researcher in cancer, virology, and immunology.  He was a well-known and skilled electron microscopist.  His powerful microscope (EM) was frequently used in his work, as well as in his collaborative research with colleagues in his department, and in biochemistry and pediatric pathology.  He ran laboratories in virus and cell culture, histology, and electron microscopy in the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatric Pathology, where he was also an electron microscopist.

            Bob was born on September 19, 1930, in Pratt, Kansas, the youngest son of Vera E. and Roy C. Atchison.  Brought to Kingman in 1937, he had lived in six cities in Kansas and Oklahoma.  His parents established and operated the Kingman Ice Cream Company (later Atchison’s Ice Cream).  He held a variety of jobs there, which included making ice cream.  During his last two years of high school, he also worked full time as film projectionist at the Meade Theater and often rotated to the Parma Theater.

            He married his long-time best friend, Alice M. Thissen, on July 8, 1952 at St. Patrick Church in Kingman.  Bob is survived by the love of his life, Alice, with whom he enjoyed 73-1/2 years of marriage, and his daughters, Cynthia J. Atchison, of Bethel Park, and Cheryl L. Westine (Sven) of South Park, PA, and son, Brian W. Atchison (Elaina) of Bethel Park.  He was also survived by his five adored grandchildren, Tim Westine, Nick Westine, Allison Atchison, Tyler Atchison and Emily Atchison.   Also many nieces and nephews.   He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Vera Atchison, and his elder brother, Donald Lee Atchison and sister-in-law, Phyllis.

            Bob studied one year of architectural engineering at Kansas State University, then transferred to the University of Kansas, in Lawrence, where he obtained his BA and MA degrees in bacteriology.  After taking first-year classes in medical school, he found his passion to pursue a career in medical research as a virologist and immunologist.  He was proud to receive his Ph.D. degree in 1960 from the University of Kansas and was and remained a devoted Jayhawk fan.

            He obtained his first military experience in the Army R.O.T.C. at Kingman High School, prior to his graduation in 1948, and then enlisted in the Kingman Army National Guard in 1949.  In 1952, while attending KU, he joined the Lawrence Guard’s Heavy Weapons Company H, and later their Combat Support Company.  He was commissioned directly from a Pfc to an infantry 2nd Lieutenant, then became an armor 1st Lieutenant.  After earning his Ph.D., he left Kansas as a Captain to transfer into the active U.S. Army Reserve’s Medical Service Corp. of the Pennsylvania XXI U.S. Army Corps, 339th General Hospital Unit.  His active guard and army reserve duties included required annual two to three week-long summer active army assignments in several Eastern and Mid-western states during the Korean Conflict, and part of the Vietnam War.  He was proud to receive his veteran status with his U.S. Army Honorable Discharge in 1969, as a Major.

            In 1960, Dr. Atchison joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health as a virologist working in a large cancer research program.  This enabled him to set up his own research laboratories, teach students, and train after hours in the Department of Anatomy, to become an electron microscopist.  He gained international recognition in 1965 for publication in the prestigious journal “Science” for his discovery, initial biochemical and biological characterization of a unique new 24 nanometer diameter infectious virus.  The virus was uniquely defective, and incapable of replicating alone in the usual cell cultures, unless accompanied by infection of the same cells with a different virus, an adenovirus. He thus named his discovered virus “adenovirus-associated virus, or “AAV.”    Subsequent publications showed the herpesviruses could help AAV replicate, but only AAV’s nucleic acid – no infectious AAV produced.   This turned out to be the first member of a group of eight such viruses to be found later.  He first isolated this viruses, and showed by antibody studies that a significant percentage of humans had already had previous “unknown” infections with it and two other serotypes of AAV.  He was able to purify his new virus, concentrate and eventually crystallize it.   He had conclusively shown that it was incapable of replication in tissues without simultaneous infection of a cell by another virus, typically an adenovirus or herpesvirus.  He and his associates showed AAV could inhibit certain cancer-causing adenoviruses in animals.  He and many others tried to find a disease linked to AAV, without success, and thus it was considered a “helper” virus.    His prototype AAV type-1 virus, as well as other serotypes subsequently found by others, could be genetically altered to carry human genes into a variety of human tissues for treatment of several human diseases including current treatments for blindness and sickle cell anemia.  He authored and co-authored over 71 publications on cancer, and his research with many other kinds of human viruses, as well as book chapter and an atlas of virus particles.

            For 33 years, he taught graduate school virology, immunology and laboratory classes.   He was the primary thesis advisor and mentor, or co-advisor-mentor, for dozens of graduate students obtaining their master or doctoral degrees and remained in contact with some of them through the years until his passing.  His doctoral students worked out their laboratory research requirements in one of his several laboratories.   Dr. Atchison’s research efforts were in the nature of studying viral induced cancers.   He belonged to the American Society for Microbiology (a Vice-President and President of its Allegheny Branch), the American Society of Immunology, and the British Societies of General Virology and Microbiology.  He served as a Chairman of his School’s Budget Policy and Library Committees, a Pro-Tem member of the University’s Budget Policy Committee, and as a Chairman of the Senate Elections Committee.  He was a tenured faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh’s “GSPH” and received Emeritus status from the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology when he retired from classroom teaching, mentored his final Ph.D. student and closed his laboratories.  He was then invited to do research at MaGee Women’s Hospital Research Institute for two years, and then got an offer to set up and run a molecular research and development laboratory and serve as a consultant at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Pathology Department, which he left in 2002.

            Bob and Alice enjoyed their marriage.  They enjoyed working together, many home improvement projects, and reading, adding many books, including over 300 cook books, to their library.  He was an epicurean, enjoyed gardening and all activities related thereto, and enjoyed Alice’s constant help in her kitchen.  He taught himself film photography and darkroom techniques in 1946, and went on to become a freelance professional portrait and wedding photographer (film and digital) throughout his science career.  He used his photography to support his oil painting efforts which yielded several paintings he produced with great pride and joy.   Bob enjoyed his long retirement from the world of academia and medicine and with Alice was happy to spend a great deal of time with their grandchildren.  

            The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, aides and staff at St. Clair Hospital and Gallagher Hospice, who helped care for him with immense compassion.  Catholic services and interment are private for the family.   In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org to help support and continue Dr. Atchison’s passion for cancer research.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Robert W. Atchison, please visit our floral store.