Bernard Weisblum

MADISON - Professor Bernard “Bernie” Weisblum, renowned scientist and Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology and Genetics who spent his entire distinguished academic career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died at Capitol Lakes Health Center on April 15, 2025, at 91 years.

Bernie’s path into science began in Brooklyn, New York, where as a high school student he was inspired to pursue a life in science by an outstanding teacher, Sophie Wolf, a formative experience he would later learn he shared with Nobel laureate Paul Berg. Inspired early by biology but obtaining his undergraduate degree in physics at Cornell University in 1955, Bernie’s intellectual curiosity was sparked anew when he learned of the epochal discovery of DNA’s double helix, a moment which redirected his life’s trajectory back toward biology, launching a career that would advance the field of molecular genetics and our understanding of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance.

Upon earning his medical degree from SUNY Downstate in 1961, where he worked productively in a pathology basic research lab, Bernie had the great good fortune to acquire a position as a research post-doc in the lab of renowned molecular geneticist Seymour Benzer at Purdue University, an experience he later described as the “most exciting years of my life,” co-authoring five pioneering papers that laid foundational insights into the genetic code, the universality of tRNA function, and the degeneracy of genetic coding, all while working alongside, and often anticipating, some of the greatest basic biologic research minds of his time.

In 1964, Bernie was recruited to join the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology, headed by Professor Jack Strominger, where he remained until his retirement, guiding generations of students and researchers through the frontiers of molecular biology. At UW-Madison he delineated key mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, notably the role of ribosomal methylation, and was among the first to explore recombinant DNA technologies outside the original Stanford-UCSF axis.

A deep thinker with a sharp wit, Bernie was both a scientist and a humanist. He brought joy to scientific discovery and generously mentored those around him, including 24 doctoral graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows, most of whom have gone on to distinguished academic careers. He remained deeply engaged with his field throughout his life, often reflecting with humility and humor on the great scientific debates he helped shape - and sometimes challenged. Bernie was a true Renaissance man - a title affectionately bestowed upon him by David Andes and Marcos - and a polymath, whose wide-ranging interests spanned classical and jazz music, foreign cultures and languages, fine art, and computer technology from the moment such tools became available.

Bernie is survived by his brother-in-law, Gideon LaPushin; nephew, Daniel LaPushin; niece, Orlee Berlove; Israeli cousin, Ariella Oppenheim, also an internationally renowned molecular geneticist; as well as his close friends and surrogate children, Marcos Colón, and Marcos's wife, Maria, and Dennis Maki, MD, his  personal physician for nearly 45 years.

Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ayala Weisblum, sister, Ramah LaPushin, and good friends and distinguished UW-Madison colleagues, Wasclaw Szybalski, Jack Strominger, Julien Davies, James Crow, Ted Goodfriend, Seymour Abrahamson and his wife Shirley, former Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Bernie is remembered not only for the brilliance of his research, but for his passionate mentorship, his integrity, and his fierce commitment to doing science “for the fun of it.” In his own words, science was not merely a career, but “a dazzling world of ideas, conversations, and possibilities.” He leaves behind a lasting scientific legacy and an even more enduring imprint on all who were fortunate enough to learn from, work with, or simply share a conversation with him.

A celebration of life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, April 21, 2025.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420

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Written by nephew Dan

Dr. Bernard Weisblum, aged 91, passed away peacefully this past Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Capitol Lakes Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  He enjoyed a long and highly lauded career as a Professor of Pharmacology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, whose faculty he joined in 1964.  

In addition to pioneering work in the fields of antibiotic research and recombinant DNA study, he was one of four UW-Madison faculty members to receive the university’s Hilldale Award in 1999 for major achievements in teaching, research and service.  Bernie, as his many friends affectionately called him, helped launch the careers of numerous graduate and postdoctoral students who thrived under his tutelage and unwavering enthusiasm.  

In his own words, science was not merely a career, but “a dazzling world of ideas, conversations, and possibilities.” He leaves behind a lasting scientific legacy and an even more enduring imprint on all who were fortunate enough to learn from, work with, or simply share a conversation with him.

Beyond his professional achievements, Bernie was also a true renaissance man and polymath whose wide-ranging interests spanned classical and jazz music, foreign cultures and languages, fine art, and computer technology from the moment such tools became available.  His ability to talk with anyone, at any time, about almost anything was hard to ignore, or resist.  He was loved by many and will be missed by all.

He is survived by his brother-in-law (Gideon LaPushin), nephew (Daniel LaPushin), niece (Orlee Berlove), cousin (Ariella Oppenheim), as well as close friends (Marcos and Maria Colon).  Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ayala Weisblum, and his sister, Ramah LaPushin (Weisblum).