To our School of Medicine community:
I am writing to share the sad news that long time professor and renowned developmental neuroscientist Lynn Landmesser died on Nov. 29. She will be remembered for the generations of neuroscientists she mentored and whose careers she inspired.
A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physiological Society, Lynn served as chair of the Department of Neurosciences and as the Arline H. and Curtis E. Garvin Professor of Medicine from 1999 to 2014.
Her landmark research focused on identifying how genetically encoded molecular signals and the environment interact to form complex neural circuits during embryonic and postnatal development—a process that laid the groundwork for finding ways to restore lost movement.
From the time she arrived at Case Western Resesrve University in 1993, Landmesser made a tremendous impact locally and nationally. Having completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Utah and academic appointments at Yale University and the University of Connecticut, she was recruited to Cleveland by Story C. Landis, the founding chair of the university’s neurosciences department. Landis, who went on to become director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, saw Landmesser’s potential to not only succeed but excel in the field—and she more than exceeded those expectations.
She made countless contributions to prestigious biomedical organizations, including serving on the Scientific Review Board for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for almost 20 years and as president of the Society for Developmental Biology. She also served on various committees for the Society for Neuroscience and the Sloan Research Fellows Selection Committee for Neuroscience.
More information about Lynn’s legacy and impact at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and our broader communities are shared in in The Daily.
Our deepest sympathies are with Lynn’s family during this difficult time. Students who would like support during this time are encouraged to contact University Health and Counseling Services at 216.368.5872. This line is staffed by a counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Faculty and staff can access counseling at any time by calling IMPACT Solutions at 1.800.227.6007.
Lynn’s impact on all of us will long be remembered; I hope we each can find ways to ensure her memory continues on in our work.
Stan Gerson, MD
Dean, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ School of Medicine
Director, National Center for Regenerative Medicine