Bernard Roizman
April 17, 1929
-
April 13, 2026
Funeral
Funeral Date and Time:
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 11:00 am
Funeral Service Information:
Bernard Roizman, ScD, a pioneering virologist and the world’s leading expert on herpes simplex virus (HSV), died on April 13, 2026, at the age of 96. As the Joseph Regenstein Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at The University of Chicago with a career spanning five decades, Dr. Roizman reshaped modern virology. He received many honors and was notably awarded membership in the National Academy of Sciences (1979) early in his career.
Over a career spanning seven decades, Dr. Roizman transformed our understanding of HSV biology. He mapped the virus’s genome, defined steps in the virus life cycle in host cells, and developed novel approaches revealing the function of viral genes. In all, he authored more than 650 scientific publications. His work led to the identification of viral “genetic fingerprints,” giving rise to the field of molecular epidemiology that enabled specific tracing of infection from from person to person, a method that first revealed nurses inadvertently transmitted HSV between infants in hospital maternity practice. His pioneering efforts also initiated the field of oncolytic virus therapy through the use of modified HSV.
Born in Romania, Dr. Roizman’s early life was shaped by World War II. His family fled across Eastern Europe as refugees before immigrating to the United States in 1947. He studied at Temple University, earned his Doctor of Science from Johns Hopkins, and joined The University of Chicago in 1965.
A devoted mentor, he mentored and inspired generations of scientists that distributed worldwide. Beginning with his 60th birthday and continuing every five years thereafter, his trainees and colleagues returned to Chicago to celebrate his dedication as well as his continuing contributions to science. He believed his trainees were his greatest legacy. In 2021, he and his wife, Betty, endowed the Bernard and Betty Roizman Professorship at The University of Chicago.
In his later years, he found particular joy in visits from former trainees and colleagues and engaged in conversations about science that continued without interruption to the most recent years.
While his scientific contributions were profound, those who knew him remember just as vividly his integrity, humility, and generosity of spirit with a broad influence extending far beyond the laboratory.
Over a career spanning seven decades, Dr. Roizman transformed our understanding of HSV biology. He mapped the virus’s genome, defined steps in the virus life cycle in host cells, and developed novel approaches revealing the function of viral genes. In all, he authored more than 650 scientific publications. His work led to the identification of viral “genetic fingerprints,” giving rise to the field of molecular epidemiology that enabled specific tracing of infection from from person to person, a method that first revealed nurses inadvertently transmitted HSV between infants in hospital maternity practice. His pioneering efforts also initiated the field of oncolytic virus therapy through the use of modified HSV.
Born in Romania, Dr. Roizman’s early life was shaped by World War II. His family fled across Eastern Europe as refugees before immigrating to the United States in 1947. He studied at Temple University, earned his Doctor of Science from Johns Hopkins, and joined The University of Chicago in 1965.
A devoted mentor, he mentored and inspired generations of scientists that distributed worldwide. Beginning with his 60th birthday and continuing every five years thereafter, his trainees and colleagues returned to Chicago to celebrate his dedication as well as his continuing contributions to science. He believed his trainees were his greatest legacy. In 2021, he and his wife, Betty, endowed the Bernard and Betty Roizman Professorship at The University of Chicago.
In his later years, he found particular joy in visits from former trainees and colleagues and engaged in conversations about science that continued without interruption to the most recent years.
While his scientific contributions were profound, those who knew him remember just as vividly his integrity, humility, and generosity of spirit with a broad influence extending far beyond the laboratory.
Funeral Provider:
Lakeshore Jewish Funerals
Clergy:
Rabbi Michael Tillman
Interment:
Memorial Section
Shiva:
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Beginning 2:00PM
5555 S Everett Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Beginning 2:00PM
5555 S Everett Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60637