Richard W. Hanson, PhD, professor of biochemistry and nutrition and chair of Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU’s) Department of Biochemistry, passed away in February at age 78. Dr. Hanson was a revered professor and world-renowned scientist known for his pioneering work on pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C).

Dr. Hanson joined CWRU in 1978 after serving at Temple University’s School of Medicine. While at Temple, he was awarded the Student American Medical Association Award for Excellence in Teaching, and he served as the advisor for his first doctoral student, Shirley Tilghman, who went on to serve as president of Princeton University. He also began his work with pyruvate carboxylase and PEPCK-C during his tenure at Temple.

He continued to explore PEPCK-C throughout his career, making …