ARCS Foundation was saddened to learn that one of our Hall of Fame honorees passed away unexpectedly in August 2025. David Mangelsdorf, PhD, will always be honored by ARCS for his research and contributions to science.   

Mangelsdorf was an ARCS Scholar in 1985 while at the University of Arizona. His award was given by the Phoenix Chapter.

He was also Chair and Professor of the Department of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Daniel K. Podolsy, M.D., President of UT Southwestern, said, “His work exemplified the spirit of scientific innovation...”

Mangelsdorf’s groundbreaking research on orphan receptors helped launch an entire field of biology, leading to important breakthroughs in treating conditions such as heart disease, cancer, infectious parasitic disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and gallstone disease. From cloning the cellular receptor for vitamin D, which illuminated the genetic basis of osteoporosis and rickets, to co-founding a biotechnology firm, his successes underpin his goal to develop transformative pharmaceuticals.

Focusing on the pathways that turn genes on and off, Mangelsdorf’s work has led to new drug targets that might be used to battle metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, and obesity, among many other conditions.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Association for Cancer Research, and The Endocrine Society, he won numerous awards, including the Rolf Luft Award in Endocrinology and Diabetes, the John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology, and the Heinrich Wieland Prize.  

.Link to his obituary:

https://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/obituaries/david-mangelsdorf/obituary