It is with great sadness that we announce Prof Malcolm von Schantz’s passing. Malcolm died unexpectedly in Brazil last Friday (24 October), suffering a massive heart attack. He was attending the XVIII Latin American Symposium on Chronobiology in Maceió, Brazil.
Following two post-doctoral appointments in the US and the UK, Malcolm joined the research group of Prof Josephine Arendt at the University of Surrey as a Lecturer in 1997. He brought his molecular biology knowledge to the Chronobiology group at an exciting time when clock genes were being identified. Early pioneering work (MRC- and BBSRC-funded) with his postdoc Simon Archer (now Professor at Surrey) investigating clock gene polymorphisms in humans added another important dimension to Surrey’s circadian and sleep research and had lasting international impact.
Malcolm received his Professorship in 2017 for his significant contribution to chronobiology research and his Faculty administration duties (Associate Dean International). He was passionate about building international collaborations and received funds to successfully establish multidisciplinary projects in Brazil and South Africa. He took a year’s sabbatical in São Paulo to cement these connections.
Malcolm left Surrey in 2021 to take up a Professorship at Northumbria University in Newcastle, where he was Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange). He was actively involved in several clock/sleep initiatives, the Wellcome-funded Circadian Mental Health Network, and work with the British Sleep Society on daylight saving. Malcolm was Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) and a Fellow of the Linnean Society.
Malcolm loved Brazil and had many friends and colleagues across its cities. It’s fitting that he enjoyed his last days in a place he loved—at a Chronobiology conference that was suspended following his death.
On a personal note, Malcolm was one of a kind — always enthusiastic, positive, and happy to share knowledge with colleagues and support his undergraduate and postgraduate students. He was kind and generous and had many friends from all periods of his life. He loved classical music and opera and loved to cook, eat, and drink. Readers of his Twitter feed can vouch for this. He was a world traveller (gold Lufthansa card), and my lasting memory will be drinking champagne with him in the first-class airport lounges he invited me to!
Malcolm was a well-loved character in chronobiology and sleep research and will be missed by his many colleagues and friends.
Debra J. Skene and Simon Archer
University of Surrey
- Malcolm was an important part of my journey into chronobiology. He taught energetically and prolifically during my undergraduate Biology degree at the University of Surrey from 2014 -2018. I was fortunate to be visited by Malcolm during my Erasmus traineeship in Munich in 2017. Our conversation about politics, science across borders and languages (as well as sleep, of course) had a lasting impact on me. During my PhD, it was always a pleasure to see Malcolm at conferences in the UK and witness his contributions to both research and teaching.
Ameena Khan Sullivan
PhD Candidate
Section of Chronobiology School of Biosciences and Medicine - I was devastated to hear of the passing of Malcolm, my PhD supervisor. I owe my whole career to him. He was my lecturer during my undergraduate degree and the reason I ever became interested in sleep research. He encouraged me to apply for a placement at Washington State University, and later to pursue a PhD with him. I didn’t get the funding the first time I applied, but he told me not to give up and encouraged me to apply again.
We were an unlikely pair, a cultured Swedish man who loved good food and wine, and me, a loud Mancunian whose wine is usually just called white wine, but somehow it worked. His dry humour, calm logic, and constant encouragement helped me through the difficult moments during my PhD, and with his support, I was able to travel to so many new places, something I never would have been able to do otherwise. The last time I saw him was at my viva in August, when everything he had helped me work towards for years finally came together. I didn’t know then it would be the last time I saw him, but I’m so glad he was there.
I will miss his humour, his wisdom, and the belief he had in me long before I had it in myself. He helped shape the fields of chronobiology and sleep, and to me, one of his greatest legacies will always be his commitment to collaboration and equity in science, ensuring that great research and researchers across regions had a voice on the global stage.
Katie O'Brien
University of Surrey - School of Biosciences and Medicine
Section of Chronobiology - Malcolm was the first friend I made when I arrived at the University of Surrey. I had just joined in 2009 when he sent me the kindest, most welcoming email. When we met in person, I discovered we not only shared a love of photoreceptors, but that we were also neighbours in Dorking. From that very first encounter, I felt truly seen and supported. Malcolm was endlessly friendly, yet at the same time sharp, witty, and full of life. He embraced Brazil with a passion that sometimes made him feel almost more Brazilian than I was, and we shared that love for this wonderful yet imperfect country. Every email he sent, always signed “Beijinhos, Malcolm,” felt like a little ray of southern hemisphere sunshine. He made my life here so much better and I will miss him deeply."
Dr. Lisiane B. Meira University of Surrey - I had the pleasure of knowing Malcolm when we were both members of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Surrey. I never actually did research with him, but met him on various occasions regarding school/university matters. He struck me as always being happy and positive. His passing at such a young age is a significant loss to science.
Neil Stanley PhD - In October 2014, I received an email out of the blue from someone named Malcolm von Schantz at the University of Surrey. He reached out to me because he had read my research on sleep in Haiti and he wanted to establish a new collaboration. In particular, he wanted to apply to a Global Innovation Initiative scheme, which required a trilateral collaboration between someone in the UK, someone in the US and someone from Brazil. To quote Humphrey Bogart, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship (and collaboration). This also highlights Malcolm’s superpower, which was to bring people together and build relationships and networks. He never hesitated to make new friends and establish new collaborations, and it is thanks to Malcolm, I have new friends and collaborators from all over the world.
Malcolm also encouraged me to apply for a University of Surrey Institute of Advanced Studies Santander Fellow, which I was lucky enough to receive. It allowed me lengthy visits to Surrey where Malcolm and I worked on analysis of the UK Biobank data, which led to our paper on the association between chronotype and mortality. With this paper, I reached the pinnacle of my career – the paper was mentioned on Saturday Night Live’s weekend update.
A friendship with Malcolm was not just about work, however. Malcolm enjoyed the finer things in life and was willing to share his wisdom. I still use the app he recommended whenever I am shopping for wine. He also provided many helpful travel tips, which is not surprising given his extensive and enviable global travel. Traveling with him ensured at least one exceptional dining experience, and we have eaten together at restaurants around the world. I will forever miss working, dining and travelling with him. Descanse em paz, meu amigo.
Kristen L. Knutson, PhD
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
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