Robert K. Yu, PhD, Med ScD

To the memory of our friend and colleague Robert Yu - a humble giant in the scientific community

 

I had the privilege of working with Bob for almost five years as a colleague, and also followed his footsteps and became the chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, formerly as the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (IMMAG), directed by Bob from 2000 to 2009. Bob took this leadership position from Howard Rasmussen, who was the original founder of IMMAG in 1993.  Howard knew Bob from Yale. I learned this from Carlos Isales, a professor in our department and a section chief in the Department of Medicine, who was then a trainee in the Howard’s lab at Yale. Bob and Howard worked closely together and shared a common interest in lipids as second messengers. Bob frequently attended Howard’s lab meetings.

 

Bob left Yale in 1988 and moved to the Medical College of Virginia, now Virginia Commonwealth University, to become the chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Five years later, Howard and a group of 13 investigators from Yale were recruited to the Medical College of Georgia to establish IMMAG. As Howard’s health deteriorated, a search was began for his replacement. Howard contacted Bob and convinced him to assume the Directorship of IMMAG in 2000; Bob also joined the Georgia Research Alliance Academy as the Eminent Scholar in Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology. At that time, IMMAG consisted of four divisions: Cancer and Genetics, Neuroscience, Immunology, and Cell Signaling. Bob actively recruited many faculty, including Lin Mei, who became his successor in 2009 and is now the department chair of Neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. With Bob’s early efforts, Neuroscience blossomed and ultimately became a department in 2015.

 

I joined the Department in 2017 and became the chair in 2019. As a former department chair, Bob supported and inspired me to be a leader. Due to the departure of key faculty over the preceding years, I was tasked to rebuild the department, which was challenging on many levels. Bob’s encouragement and support meant a lot to me and to the Department. He said, “It is a challenging job, but it also offers many opportunities to return it to its old glory.  I look forward to providing any help when you need it.” We had a lot recruitment activities during the pandemic. Bob attended almost all recruitment seminars and chalk talks, despite his declining health. His support for the Department and his colleagues never wavered.

 

What stood out most to me about Bob is his passion for science. Not only did Bob maintained his research productivity and NIH funding, he was constantly excited about new research directions. Bob never settled back and relaxed. He attended national meetings, gave invited talks, participated in NIH study sections, provided advice and mentoring, generated new data and worked to advance his discoveries into clinical care. Bob continued to do what he loved until his last days. 

 

He never let his illness slow him down, and he was always looking forward with an optimistic view of the future.  Anyone who knew Bob couldn’t help but be inspired by his passion for science, his nurturing of trainees and colleagues, and his endless support for the department and institution. 

 

I would like to share with everyone an email from Bob during the pandemic, sent on Sunday, July 26, 2020, when he was 82.

 

“Dear Xinyun,

My current teleworking period ends July 31, 2020.  In the absence of any instructions, I would like to request an extension of it from August 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, if it's allowable.   I feel that this arrangement is extremely beneficial to my performance as a productive faculty; during the current period, I have submitted two federal grant applications and a major manuscript accepted by  the  Journal of Neurochemistry.  I plan to continue to perform at this pace by submitting  2-3  grant applications aimed at NIH, and participate in departmental affairs in a manner that would not jeopardize the health of my colleagues and myself.” 

 

Another email from him last year when he was 83.

 

“Dear Xinyun,

We are also making progress in developing novel ganglioside-based treatment strategies for PD,  AD and other neurodegenerative disorder.  Yutaka and I will present our work on May 8. A patent application has been filed by patent lawyers retained by AU Biotech Development Office.  In the meantime, we are collaborating with Dr. John Morgan for a grant from NIH for pre-clinical trials.”

 

Just last month, I visited him in the hospital ICU. He talked about the book he was editing and his NIH grant that received 19 percentile.

 

These are examples of Bob’s extraordinary drive. He was a remarkably productive scientist. He published over 450 research papers, 600 scientific abstracts, 4 books, and 4 patents. He discovered and patented treatments for cholera and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nervous system. He was continuously funded by the NIH for over 45 years, with active NIH R01 funding at the time of his passing.

 

Bob was a humble giant in the scientific community. He was a true gentleman in every sense. Bob considered everyone to be his colleague and treated all with equal respect and dignity.

 

Bob was internationally recognized for his pioneering research in glycosphingolipids. The outer extensions of this group of lipids contain sugars. During an interview about his work, Bob said, “We are all sugar-coated, really”. “There is an abundance of sugar on the cell surface, not only that defines the cell’s properties but also help cells recognize each other and stick together”.   Bob, too, was a sweet person, and he was a force in the department that bonded us together for science.

 

Bob’s legacy will live on through his trainees. He trained and mentored many researchers who have emerged as leaders in the field of neuroscience.  Perhaps this will be his greatest legacy, as Bob’s influence will be felt through generations of researchers to follow.  Bob was extremely proud of his trainees and offered them continuous support and guidance throughout their careers.

 

Bob’s passion, commitment, knowledge, mentorship inspired us each day.  I will miss running into him in our coffee room and hallway and at happy hours, chatting with him about his R01, U01 NIH grants, papers, patents and books. Bob served as a role model for aspiring trainees and faculty. 

 

On the day of Bob’s passing, I walked into our department conference room to look at Bob’s portrait, which beautifully captures his spirit, and is next to his friend Howard’s portrait. I sat quietly and reflected on his work and influence on the department; I felt Bob’s presence and knew that he will be always with us and keep inspiring us, watching over the Department.

 

Thank you Bob!

 

Xin-Yun Lu, MD, PhD