In memoriam, Russell Tracy - former KRI SAC member
Russell P. Tracy, 1949-2026
UVM professor’s research changed the clinical approach to prognoses of cardiovascular disease
Russell P. Tracy, an international leader in the study of inflammation, coagulation and adaptive immunity in cardiovascular disease, died at home surrounded by family on April 6, 2026, from complications of a hip fracture. He was a beloved father and a University of Vermont distinguished professor and professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine.
Tracy received his BS in biology from Le Moyne College in 1971. He met his wife, Paula, while both were graduate students in biochemistry at Syracuse University, where they married and began their life together. They continued their training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where they completed postdoctoral work and welcomed their children, Sarah and Patrick.
He spent more than four decades at the University of Vermont, where he was a professor of clinical chemistry and pathology, was an integral member of the Dean’s Office for many years, and helped build a nationally recognized research program and scientific community. His research was central to establishing the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease, particularly through early identification of biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) as predictors of risk. His research changed the clinical approach to prognoses of cardiovascular disease. He founded the Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research (LCBR), which became an internationally respected center for biomarker discovery and population health research, and authored more than 800 peer-reviewed publications.
Russ was known not only for his rigor but also for his exceptional scientific creativity. As one longtime colleague put it, he was “so far out of the box he didn’t even know what a box looked like.” Despite his stature, he carried his accomplishments lightly, once joking, “Out there I’m a respected scientist with an illustrious career. I come home, and what am I? A ding dong.” He laughed after he said that, and he meant it.
He loved being a father and showed up fully for it. He made his children laugh like nobody else could and brought that same energy to every conversation. As friends often said, don’t ask Russ a question unless you have at least 45 minutes to spare — his answers would take you places you didn’t expect to go. He was also an enthusiastic racquetball and pickleball player, part of a close-knit group of regulars who called themselves the Pickled Brains, and he brought humor and camaraderie to the game.
He believed deeply in collaboration and was known as a generous mentor, engaged colleague and thoughtful member of his community, including his contributions to public health and economic development initiatives in Essex, Vt.
