University of Washington Pathology Professor Dies of COVID-19

Stephen Schwartz, known for his work on the vascular system, is the first person associated with the university to succumb to infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Written byJef Akst

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Longtime University of Washington faculty member Stephen Schwartz died on Tuesday (March 17) from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the Seattle Times reports.

“We are deeply saddened that faculty member Professor Stephen Schwartz passed away due to a COVID-19 infection,” the University of Washington Department of Pathology tweeted yesterday (March 18) afternoon. “He has left a lasting imprint on our department, our university, and the broader scientific community and will be greatly missed.”

Schwartz spent his career at the University of Washington (UW), starting with his residency in the Department of Pathology from 1967 to 1972. He joined the faculty a year later as an assistant professor, and became a full professor in 1984.

Charles Alpers, interim chair of the pathology department, shared the news with the UW faculty yesterday in an email. “Steve had a distinguished career as an investigator in the ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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