In Memoriam Donald J Krogstad, MD (1943 -2020)

The Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is sorry to announce the passing of Dr. Donald Krogstad, a long-time professor of tropical medicine and a renowned malaria researcher. Don was a major contributor to the school and was known as an excellent colleague to the many faculty and researchers with whom he worked.

Donald J Krogstad M.D. passed away at home in Palm Coast, Florida on August 14th at age 77. He retired from Tulane University in October of 2019.    

Dr. Krogstad was a physician and researcher who devoted his life to the treatment of infectious diseases, with an emphasis on malaria. That interest was first triggered when doing a two-month elective in Haiti at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer during his final year of medical school. It was furthered by two years at CDC as an EIS officer followed by a two-year stint as a physician in the Peace Corps in Malawi (1973-75). During his Malawi service he was proud to have treated a significant cholera outbreak in which he believed he was able to save many lives.

He became an internationally respected malaria researcher while at Washington University in Saint Louis. While on sabbatical at the NIH he was recruited to be chair of the Department of Tropical Medicine in the SPHTM of Tulane University in New Orleans. Don was a major contributor to the school and was known as an excellent colleague and mentor to the many faculty, researchers, and students with whom he worked in different leadership positions. Following his time as Department Chair Dr. Krogstad was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to advance infectious disease research and training in Mali, West Africa. This allowed him to lead a team of investigators from the US and West Africa to establish an NIH-funded International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research in 2010.  

Dr. Krogstad was known for his gentle nature, diligence, collegial partnerships, and the students in whom he invested so much of his energy. He was always grateful for the opportunities and educational advancement that his undergraduate (Bowdoin 1965) and medical degree (Harvard 1969) programs afforded him. He is survived by his wife Fran, sons, Aric and Kirk, as well as three grandchildren. Donations can be made in memory of Don Krogstad, Past-President of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, at www.astmh.org on the donation page or to Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, www.hashaiti.org.