Dr. Angelo Scanu, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Director of the Lipoprotein Study Unit at the University of Chicago, passed away last Friday, Jan. 12, at the age of 93.

Dr. Scanu began his distinguished career at the University of Chicago in 1961 and became a world authority on lipoprotein biology and metabolism until his retirement in 2010. Born in Sardinia, Italy, Dr. Scanu’s research was mainly devoted to the study of the structure and function of the plasma lipoproteins. He pioneered delipidation techniques for the preparation of lipoprotein proteins essentially in a lipid free form, and, in doing so, opened up the field of apolipoprotein research--a field to which he was the main contributor for more than three decades. His many seminal contributions included the elucidation of the structure and biology of Lp(a), a genetic factor associated with the risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In particular, he characterized the molecular properties of the microdomains of apolipoproteins (a) and their respective role in cardiovascular pathogenicity, an area where he has made many seminal contributions.

Dr. Scanu has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Samuel Natelson Award from the American Heart Association. He is a member of many prestigious societies including the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation and has authored over 350 original publications. Further announcements of his passing will be forthcoming from DOM and BSD.

-James K. Liao, M.D., Professor and Chief of the Section of Cardiology, University of Chicago Medicine