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In Memoriam: Frank Beier, PhD
Office of the Dean
The Schulich Medicine & Dentistry community mourns the passing of Frank Beier, PhD, peacefully with his family by his side on July 18, 2025, at the age of 59.
Flags will be lowered to half-mast on Friday, July 25 at Western University in his honour.
Frank was an award-winning researcher, educator, mentor, and a remarkable colleague. Recruited to Western University in 2001, he built an internationally celebrated research program in cartilage development and osteoarthritis that helped shape the research landscape at Western and beyond.
Frank’s research and leadership were instrumental in putting Western on the map as a leading international centre for musculoskeletal health research. His contributions also expanded the scope of undergraduate and graduate education at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. These accomplishments were complemented by his visionary leadership and service at the local, national, and international levels including service as Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology for close to a decade.
Frank was also an avid cyclist who loved nature and travelling. He treasured time spent with his family, especially the many camping trips over the years with his children and grandchildren.
Frank leaves behind a remarkable legacy through the impact he made in the field of osteoarthritis, and his contributions to the field of developmental skeletal biology. Frank’s work in cartilage biology and functional genomics has been celebrated by the international scientific community, culminating in his role as co-chair of the Gordon Research Conference in Cartilage Biology and Pathology (2017). His numerous awards and accolades include the Distinguished University Professor (2024), Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2022), Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Basic Science Award (2019), and tenure as the Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Research spanning multiple decades.
Frank’s greatest source of professional pride was his trainees. During his 24 years at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Frank trained over 120 students in his lab and mentored many more.
In honour of Frank’s memory, Schulich Medicine and Dentistry is establishing an award in his name to support the recruitment of students from equity-deserving groups into basic research in his home department. His legacy of openness, achievement, and thoughtful leadership will live on through this award.
Frank is loved and missed dearly by his family and the many others whose lives he touched.