In Memoriam: Michael Matunis, 1964-2026

A memorial to celebrate Mike’s life will be held at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20, in Sommer Hall (E2014) and online, followed by a reception. Visit the event page for more details, including links to share memories of Mike and RSVP to attend in person. 

It is with deep sadness that we share that Michael J. Matunis, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, passed away on January 22, 2026. He was 61.

‌An exceptional scientist and a devoted mentor and leader, Mike was an expert in small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs), which he discovered as a postdoctoral fellow, opening a new avenue of scientific study into a protein modification now known to regulate nearly all cellular processes. Beyond the lab, he served as BMB’s interim chair from 2017 to 2019 and guided the Department’s PhD program for nearly a decade.

Following his discovery of SUMO in the lab of Nobel laureate Günter Blobel, Mike joined the Department in 1998. Here, his lab continued to advance SUMO research. His interests included how SUMO is added or removed from proteins, what conditions control these “SUMOylation” mechanisms, and how SUMO helped regulate other cellular processes.

While studying interactions at the scale of molecules and cells, Mike’s research was building paths to public health and medical solutions. For example, his lab’s study of SUMO’s role in DNA repair revealed a critical connection to the BRCA1 protein; BRCA1 gene mutations are well known for an increased risk of breast and other cancers. His lab’s discoveries also have had implications for diabetes and neurological disorders.

Since Mike discovered SUMO, the field has moved from the bench to the clinic: SUMO pathways are being targeted for potential treatments of multiple diseases. Recently, clinical trials started for a cancer treatment that inhibits SUMOylation in order to activate antitumor immune responses.

“Mike was not only widely respected for his science and brilliance, but he was sincerely loved by students and faculty alike for his dedication to them, and to the Department,” notes Ashani T. Weeraratna, PhD, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and E.V. McCollum Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “I cannot emphasize enough how deeply he will be missed.”

Mike was known as a gifted mentor to students and a dedicated advocate for improving student research opportunities across the University. He trained more than 30 students and postdoctoral fellows in his lab, and influenced more than 70 students as leader of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program. As a 2016 Johns Hopkins Provost’s Fellow, he focused on undergraduate research across the University, helping develop the Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Universitywide Day of Undergraduate Research, now a twice-annual event.

Throughout his career, Mike was dedicated to the Department, its students, staff, and faculty. He strengthened the Department’s community, notably by leading a reunion that connected students and faculty with more than 40 alumni.

Mike’s many honors include election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Cell Biology. More recently, he was awarded the prestigious Shikani/El-Hibri Prize for Discovery and Innovation in 2024.

Mike leaves behind his wife, Erika Matunis, PhD, a professor of Cell Biology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; their sons Milo and Max; Max’s wife, Ginger Burke; his mother, Suzanne; and 12 siblings. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the PhD scholastic award in memory of Michael J. Matunis.

We extend our deep and heartfelt condolences to Mike’s family, colleagues, and students.