In Memoriam

In memoriam: Bernard Agranoff

Christopher Radka
April 17, 2023

Bernard (Bernie) W. Agranoff, a professor of biological chemistry and renowned neuroscientist, died October 21, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was 96, and he had been a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology since 1959.

Bernard Agranoff

Agranoff was born June 26, 1926. He attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, and in 1944, at age 18, he enrolled in the Navy Premedical Officer Training Program. He was assigned to the University of Michigan, where he completed a degree in chemistry in two years and then matriculated to Wayne State University in Detroit where he earned his medical degree in 1950. Agranoff completed his postdoctoral training mentored by Francis Schmitt at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a founder of the field of neuroscience.

In 1952, after completing his Navy tour of duty, Agranoff joined the Section of Lipid Chemistry at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the National Institutes of Health. Nine years later, he transitioned to the University of Michigan Department of Biological Chemistry and Mental Health Research Institute (which he would direct from 1983-1995) to study the biochemistry of learning and memory.

Agranoff published a 1962 paper in the journal Science in which he demonstrated that new protein synthesis is needed for goldfish memory, but not learning, by giving intracranial injections of puromycin and tritium-labeled leucine to goldfish trained to avoid electric shocks. In 1964, he published a PNAS paper using similar methods to show that the formation of long-term but not short-term memory requires protein synthesis.

During his career, Agranoff trained more than 60 graduate students and postdocs, and he received many accolades. He served as president of the American Society for Neurochemistry and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received the University of Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Education.

Agranoff and his wife Raquel (Ricky) shared a passion for food that inspired a 2008 Gastronomica article explaining the brain health benefits of eating unsaturated fatty acids from fish.

Ricky died in 2020. Bernard Agranoff is survived by his two sons, William and Adam Agranoff, and their families.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Christopher Radka

Christopher D. Radka is an assistant professor studying lipid biochemistry in the microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics department at the University of Kentucky. He is also an ASBMB Today volunteer contributor.

Related articles

In memoriam: John W. Brown
ASBMB Today Staff
In memoriam: John Edmond
Laurel Oldach
Daniel N. Hebert (1962–2024)
Ineke Braakman, Maurizio Molinari, Reid Gilmore & Lila Gierasch

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Meet Lan Huang
Interview

Meet Lan Huang

May 19, 2025

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics associate editor uses crosslinking mass spec to study protein–protein interactions to find novel therapeutics.

Meet Shannon Reilly
Profile

Meet Shannon Reilly

May 12, 2025

The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Interview

Meet Donita Brady

May 8, 2025

Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Interview

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease

May 7, 2025

Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter
Student Chapters

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter

May 6, 2025

The Purdue group, led by Orla Hart, developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette, Indiana.

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members
Student Chapters

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members

May 5, 2025

Chi Omega Lambda, which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences, has 16 new inductees in 2025.