In Memoriam: Stephen H. White, PhD

Stephen H. White, PhD, co-wrote Cell Boundaries: How Membranes and Their Proteins Work with Donald M. Engelman and Gunnar von Heijne. 

Stephen H. White, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, passed away on May 31, 2026, at his home in San Clemente, California.

Over a distinguished career spanning several decades at UC Irvine, White served as a respected scientist and a scholar who led the field in membrane biophysics. He received continuous NIH funding for over 50 years, underscoring the consistency and impact of his research. White joined the faculty at UC Irvine in 1972 and served as chair of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics during a formative time from 1977 to 1989. He hired and helped launch the careers of several faculty members, and his leadership set the standard for academic excellence that continues in the department to this day.

White studied physics as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado. He later received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington, where he began his research on membrane biophysics, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia.

White’s career illustrates how curiosity-driven biophysical research directed toward seemingly intractable problems can bring clarity and insight. Never one to shy away from tough problems, White’s laboratory research formed a bridge between the world of physical chemistry/biophysics and the world of molecular cell biology. His body of work at the School of Medicine was a driving force for progress. Among his many achievements is a landmark book published in 2022 titled Cell Boundaries: How Membranes and Their Proteins Work. 

Aside from the many honors White has received in his career, he also inspired medical students and received numerous teaching awards from them, including the School of Medicine's Lifetime Research Achievement Award in 2022.

White was not only a scientist and a scholar but also a great leader: a captain in the army, a student president in his graduate program, president of the Biophysical Society, and a beloved chair of the department at the School of Medicine. He will be dearly missed by family, friends and colleagues alike. Those who were close to him are most grateful for his wisdom and sound advice over the years.

He is survived by his wife, six children and five grandchildren.