Olaf Schneewind, the Louis Block Professor and chair of the Department of Biology, passed away on May 26, 2019 at the age of 57 after battling cancer.
Schneewind is known for his work on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and Yersinia pestis (the black plague). He spent 15 years working on a vaccine to minimize Staphylococcus aureus, and authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications on these subjects.
His work is highly respected and he is known for being the world-renowned authority on infectious diseases.
Learn more about his work and contributions at UChicago News.