Penn professor John Trojanowski dies at 75

Penn professor and neuroscience pioneer John Trojanowski died at the age of 75.

A researcher in the fields of neuroscience and neuropathology, Trojanowski was widely known for his groundbreaking discoveries on the major disease proteins in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, Penn Medicine News reported.

At Penn, Trojanowski was a professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine. In addition to having served as the director of the Institute on Aging, Trojanowski also founded and co-directed the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research with his wife Virginia Lee, a professor in Alzheimer's research.

Trojanowski and Lee were research partners, making historic discoveries together in the fields of neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease.

“One of the things that we have done that some couples may not be able to do is to be able to work together and be honest with each other and still live together,” Lee said. “We were able to accomplish things that neither of us would have been able to accomplish independently,” she added.

Trojanowksi’s leadership at the Institute on Aging was also recognized for its impact on the field of aging and aging related-diseases. 

In addition, Trojanowski contributed to the formation of new programs, such as the Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Program, the Penn Alzheimer Disease Center, the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, and the U19 Center on Alpha Synuclein Strains in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine reported.

Trojanowski was the recipient of multiple accolades throughout his career. In 2018, Trojanowski received the Lifetime Achievement award in Alzheimer’s Research from the Alzheimer’s Association, Penn Medicine News reported.

“He was able to inspire me to focus my attention on neurodegenerative disease research and we were able to work together and accomplish a lot,” Lee said. “I think if he wasn’t so passionate about many of these things it may not have happened the way it did.”

Lee added that Trojanowski was an inspiring mentor to his students — mostly graduate students and postdoctorates — who he mentored in developing experimental paradigms and models to study human disease.

“In the fall, we will have a symposium honoring his legacy and most of the people speaking will be his prior trainees, some of whom are very well known now,” Lee said.

Trojanowski completed his MD and PhD at Tufts University in 1976 before training in pathology and neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He joined the Penn faculty in 1981, the Almanac reported.

Trojanowski worked until the end of his life, continuing to author grants and papers as well as managing millions of dollars in research, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. He is survived by his wife, siblings, colleagues, and students.