As we are combating the COVID-19 disease, a mournful news has reached the cardiovascular community: Dr. Stephen M. Schwartz, emeritus Professor of Pathology, University of Washington, a long-standing expert and leader in vascular biology, died from COVID-19 on March 17, 2020. His death has been no doubt, a great loss to the field and a stark reminder of the devastation impact of this disease to our society.
Steve was born on January 1, 1942. He received his Bachelor of Arts in biology from Harvard University in 1963, and Doctor of Medicine from Boston University in 1967. Following his residency training at University of Washington, he completed his Ph.D. training in pathology. After a short stint with the United States Navy, he joined the faculty of University of Washington in 1974 and stayed there throughout his entire academic career.
Steve is arguably the father of modern vascular biology, especially in the field of atherosclerosis. His scientific contribution had a huge impact on our current understanding to the pathophysiology of the disease, from formation of fatty streaks, plaque rupture, hemorrhage, myocardial infarction and stroke. In addition to his own substantial research output, he mentored an astounding number of the top scientists in the field and was the driving force behind the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO) and the Vascular Workshops that introduced so many young scientist to the area. He chaired and contributed to many scientific conferences in the field, including Gordon Research Conferences (GRC).
For those who had known him in person, Steve was a figure larger than life, dominating any scientific meeting (or a personal chat) he attended with his personality, strong opinions as well as intellect. When excited by a new idea, he would frequently call colleagues, often out of the blue, to discuss it. One may not agree with all of his arguments, but his power of articulation and his dedication to righteousness and goodness for mankind were ever present.
Steve was passionate not only about science but also about art, politics, boating and many other things. He was also a talented photographer, as we can appreciate from the cover featuring one of his products for the Symposium in honor of his 60th birthday (a personal gift to Jake Lusis). A boat is an instrument for a journey, and we will always remember Dr. Schwartz as a wonderful companion for our journeys in science and life.