Albert Bendelac, MD, PhD, the A.N. Pritzker Distinguished Service Professor of Pathology at the University of Chicago, died at his home on August 23, 2023, surrounded by family. He had just celebrated his 67th birthday.
Known for his passion for immunology, his mentorship of students and young faculty, and his broad scientific thinking, Bendelac joined the faculty in 2002 as an established investigator.
Bendelac’s seminal discovery came in 1995 when he first described NKT cells in the journal Science, and later in 2005, finding that lysosomal glycosphingolipid ceramide is the natural ligand for NKT cells. More largely, he explored the fundamental question of thymic selection of innate lymphocytes, and in 2008 identified the transcription factor PLZF as the master regulator of NKT, MAIT, and ILC development. In his final years of research, he expanded his work to mucosal IgA B cells. He published more than 100 papers, several of which are cited more than 1,000 times.
In addition to his groundbreaking research on lymphocyte biology, Bendelac made immeasurable contributions toward establishing UChicago’s Committee on Immunology (COI) as a home of leading-edge, multi-disciplinary research and a premiere training program for young scientists.
Colleagues cite his Advanced Immunology course, which was widely regarded by many trainees as the most demanding and rewarding course of their graduate tenure, and which set the standard for other COI instructors. His Immunobiology course for undergraduate students, the first step in the Concentration on Immunology, was very popular and uniformly highly rated.
“Albert had a vision of scientific excellence that was deeply infectious – he challenged and inspired others to dig deeper both conceptually and technically,” said Peter Savage, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology. “He had high expectations of his colleagues and trainees and led by example. I never saw him flinch or hesitate to tackle a problem, or to put in the hard work necessary to do so. Ultimately, this made an indelible impression that was inspiring to many of us.”
Outside the lab, he enjoyed morning runs with his border collies along Lake Michigan, movies (particularly European cinema), literature, good food and wine, and he was an excellent cook. In addition to his wife, Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, he is survived by their children, Aude, Raphaëlle, and Julien.