Gerald “Jerry” Mandell, MD
Gerald Lee “Jerry” Mandell, MD, a professor emeritus in the Department of Medicine and an expert on infectious diseases, passed away on July 13, 2023. Dr. Mandell arrived in Charlottesville from New York/Cornell in 1969 to start the Division of Infectious Diseases. He followed his mentor, Edward W. Hook, MD, who was the chair of the Department of Medicine at that time.
Dr. Mandell’s career and impact on the field of infectious diseases was magnificent. He was a giant in the field and left a giant legacy. He served as chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at UVA his entire career and was the Owen R. Cheatham Professor of the Sciences.
His research involved seminal work on the phagocyte and how it kills bacteria. He held numerous NIH grants, including an NIH Merit award, and started the UVA Infectious Diseases Training Grant, now in its 47th year. He authored 131 scientific publications and 183 book chapters. He was the lead editor of the classic clinical textbook of our field, “Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases,” now in its 9th edition. He was President of IDSA in 1994, a member of the Institute of Medicine, and served on numerous national advisory boards on infectious disease threats.
At the UVA Infectious Diseases Division 50th Year Celebration, Dr. Mandell said, “Our raison d’etre was to train academicians including clinicians, teachers, and researchers with a goal of each fellow having all of the attributes.” In addition to his many accolades, Dr. Mandell will be remembered for his personal qualities – a sharp clinician with a quick wit, high standards, and brutal honesty.
Read the full obituary.
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