Ahead of Print

Gregory Schultz (1948–2024)

The wound care community was saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Dr Gregory Schultz earlier this year. Dr Schultz was Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida, where he served as the Director of the Institute for Wound Research for 32 years. Dr Schultz graduated with BS and PhD degrees in biochemistry from Oklahoma State University and completed post-doctoral research on cell biology at Yale University. His research significantly advanced the understanding of the role of bacterial biofilms and their impact on chronic inflammation and the proteases that impair wound healing. He is known globally for his ability to present the complicated science of biofilms and wound healing into understandable and actionable concepts for wound care clinicians. He was a past president of the Wound Healing Society (1991–2001), a former member of the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (2007–2010), and a board member of the Wound Healing Foundation. He was a co-inventor on 36 patents and a co-founder of two successful biotechnology companies. He published over 420 scientific publications, and was cited over 26,000 times. He was also inducted as a fellow in the National Academy of Inventors in 2021. He was an exceptional researcher and scholar.

As important as his science acumen, he was a kind, considerate, caring, and generous person. He was always willing to share his knowledge with others: from early career researchers and scientists to new wound care clinicians and students. He was funny, engaging, and thoughtful and always up for new experiences. When Greg was presenting at a conference, he participated with everyone. He was a great listener, always looking to learn new ideas and new ways of looking at problems in wound care. His work made a significant positive impact on wound care, advancing the way wound care is delivered and improving outcomes for patients with wounds. The wound care community will miss this gentleman and the extraordinary science he led to advance wound care.

Author(s)

Barbara Bates-Jensen PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Medicine & Nursing, University of Los Angelos California, California, USA

*Corresponding author email batesjen@sonnet.ucla.edu