03/16/2026
Susan A Henry
Dr. Susan Armstrong Henry, a distinguished molecular biologist and visionary academic leader, passed away on March 7, 2026. She was the devoted wife of the late Peter Edward Henry, an artisan whose unwavering support was the cornerstone of her professional journey. A pioneer in yeast genetics and lipid metabolism, Dr. Henry dedicated her life to groundbreaking research and the stewardship of higher education, leaving a lasting mark on several of the nation’s premier research institutions.
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, she grew up in the D.C. area, attending high school in Maryland. Her childhood was defined by international travel due to her father’s career in the Foreign Service. While she lived across the globe, most notably in Russia and Canada, her time in Norway between the ages of 8 and 12 remained her most cherished memory. Her later youth was marked by transitions, including time spent with her grandmother in New Hampshire and with her stepmother’s family in Maryland.
Dr. Henry’s distinguished academic journey began at the University of Maryland, where she earned a B.S. in Zoology (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1968, followed by a Ph.D. in Genetics from UC Berkeley in 1971. After completing postdoctoral research at Brandeis University, she joined the faculty at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1972, rising to the rank of Professor. Her transition into institutional leadership began at Carnegie Mellon University, where she served as Head of Biological Sciences and later as Dean of the Mellon College of Science. In 2000, she was appointed the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. A Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics throughout her tenure, she led the college until 2010 and remained a vital part of the Cornell community as Dean Emerita until her retirement in 2020.
Throughout her career, Dr. Henry contributed to the field of molecular biology. She is most widely recognized for her pioneering research into the genetic regulation of lipid metabolism in yeast, a study that led to the discovery of the “Henry Regulatory Circuit.” This fundamental mechanism dictates whether lipids are used for cellular growth or stored as fat. Her work provided a critical framework for understanding human lipid-based conditions, offering vital insights into the molecular roots of diseases such as obesity and cancer.
Dr. Henry transformed the study of lipids and membranes by placing forward genetic analysis at the center of her work. Her pioneering use of baker’s yeast to define lipid synthesis genes and enzymes provided the essential blueprint for researchers worldwide to map these same pathways in humans. A prolific scholar, her findings were published in the field's most prestigious journals, including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Beyond her primary research, her countless book chapters and review articles remain foundational texts for the next generation of biologists.
Dr. Henry’s immense professional stature was reflected in her decades of continuous research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and her frequent service on prestigious national and international advisory boards. Her leadership extended to the editorial boards of top-tier journals published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and American Society of Microbiology (ASM). Among her most significant honors were the NIH MERIT Award (1991), the ASBMB Avanti Award in Lipids (2013), and Cornell University’s Alice H. Cook Award (2013). Her peers further recognized her contributions by electing her as a Fellow of both the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Perhaps Dr. Henry’s most enduring contribution was her dedicated mentorship of countless Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows. She took immense pride in their independent successes, watching as her mentees achieved their own scientific breakthroughs and carried her influence into new frontiers. Today, her vision lives on through a global generation of researchers who continue to advance the study of lipid metabolism in her honor.
Dr. Henry is survived by her younger brother, David Armstrong; her daughter, Rebecca Alice Henry, and husband Chris Schafer; her son, Joshua Armstrong Henry, and wife Cheryl Deane; and her four grandchildren, Fiona, Liam, Minerva, and Pearl.
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