In memoriam: Karl A. Schellenberg
Karl A. Schellenberg, a professor and the founding chair of biochemistry at Eastern Virginia Medical School, died April 10 at home in Virginia Beach. He was 92 and had been a member of the 精品国产一区二区桃色 for 56 years.
Born in Hillsboro, Kansas, on July 13, 1931, the son of Alma and T.R. Schellenberg, he grew up in Arlington, Virginia, and received his B.S. degree from the College of William & Mary in 1953. He went on to earn an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1957 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1963. After 10 years as an associate professor of chemistry at Johns Hopkins, he was recruited to the biochemistry department at the newly formed Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, and he served as the department’s chair from then until he retired in 1997.
Schellenberg’s research focused on a variety of biochemical reactions, including radiation damage to DNA molecules and tryptophan’s role in yeast metabolism. Over the course of his career, he received six patents for inventions that included medications, solid chromatography, and a soda-bottle cap liner. He was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society in 1953 and Alpha Omega Alpha in 1993.
In retirement, Schellenberg remained active in his community of Norfolk. After Elizabeth B. Schellenberg, his wife of 57 years, died, he joined the Virginia Beach Widowed Persons Service Group to help others process their own grief. He visited the Virginia Beach Recreational Center daily, remaining both physically and socially active, until his death.
Schellenberg is survived by his four children, Robert, Betty, Richard, and Margi; his eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and his grade-school sweetheart, Virginia Conger, with whom he reconnected later in life.
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we鈥檒l send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in People
People highlights or most popular articles

Understanding the roles of extracellular matrix and vesicles in valvular disease
MOSAIC scholar Cassandra Clift uses mass spectrometry and multiomics to study cardiovascular calcification and collagen dysregulation, bridging her background in bioengineering and biology to investigate extracellular vesicles and heart disease.

Learning, leading and lifting others
Tigist Tamir鈥檚 journey from aspiring astronaut in Ethiopia to cancer researcher at the University of North Carolina highlights the power of mentorship, persistence and curiosity in shaping a scientific career focused on discovery and equity.

Biochemists and molecular biologists sweep major 2025 honors
Recent Nobel, MacArthur and Kimberly Prize honorees highlight the power of biochemistry and molecular biology to drive discovery, including immune tolerance, vaccine design and metabolic disease, and to advance medicine and improve human health.

Subramanian receives electron microscopy honor
He delivered remarks at the International Conference on Electron Microscopy in Bangalore, India.

Bioart for fall: From order to disorder
The cover of the fall issue of ASBMB Today was created by ASBMB member, Soutick Saha, a bioinformatics developer at Wolfram Alpha LLC.

Doudna wins Priestley Medal
She will receive a $20,000 research grant and will formally accept the honor at the ACS Spring 2026 conference.