Since the beginning of his career at the University of New Mexico, Scott's commitment to environmental health research built the strong support within the College of Pharmacy that is the foundation of the UNM METALS Center today.
For METALS, Scott was the model of how bench science and molecular research can become key components in understanding and addressing community concerns.
I had the pleasure of working with Scott for decades and watching how his deep passion and understanding of basic immunotoxicology led him to conceptualize novel approaches to unravel complex exposure-response relationships. When his initial results were inconsistent with observed population health effects and community concerns, he rethought exposure targets, investigating how modulation in novel pathways could be key to understanding decades-long discrepancies between documented pharmacokinetics and observed toxicity in uranium research.
Scott appreciated the mutual benefits of partnership not only to our communities, but to our science.
In recent years, Scott would frequently talk with me about how important our community partners were in driving our research in new directions, and the importance of making sure our work continued to be informed by their questions. In the 30+ years I worked with Scott, I think he is the scientist I saw move the furthest in developing a true appreciation for our team-science and community-partnered approaches. His work with our Indigenous partners, and with Columbia’s Bangladesh cohorts was critically important in stimulating new approaches in immunotoxicology, while his passion for his science was infectious to our team, partners, and trainees.
Scott’s passion for science also made him an inspirational mentor for our trainees.
His mentorship extended not only to those working in his lab, but to informal support of trainees from other disciplines interested in extending their findings to health, and for him, learning how their work could inform his. Nearly all those who responded to Scott’s sudden passing noted the energy and mentorship he brought to so many on our team, and the help he provided to them in developing their careers. Several of the mentees who entered into metals immunology through Scott’s lab continue their involvement with our Center today from their new faculty positions, and form the nucleus of continuity for the work he contributed to our team.
We will miss his passion, the mentorship, the arguments, his boundless energy, and most of all his essential “Scottness” as it contributed to our team.
We are compiling memories of Scott to share with his family. If you would like to add your thoughts or photos, no matter how brief, send to me at jlewis@cybermesa.com.
Johnnye Lewis, Ph.D.
Director, UNM METALS Center