In Memoriam: Spitznagel, John K.
(1923-2026)
John K. Spitznagel, M.D., professor emeritus, former professor and Chair of Emory University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology (1979-1992), and School of Medicine Associate Dean of Research (1995-1998), died on Jan. 14, 2026, at the age of 102.
Spitznagel’s training included a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University (1943), an M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1946), an internship in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. In 1951, he joined Professor René Dubos at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York, where he studied tuberculosis as a visiting investigator.
He served in several positions in the U.S. Army, including as an instructor in basic sciences at Walter Reed Hospital, as the Assistant Chief of Medicine in the 114 Field Hospital in Kyushu, Japan and as the Chief of Medicine at the U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Bragg, N.C., rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel.
In 1957, after completing his military service, Spitznagel joined the University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical School, Chapel Hill, N.C. Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the school of medicine with a joint appointment as an attending and consulting physician in the department of medicine division of infectious diseases. During his 22-year tenure at UNC, he rose to the rank of professor. His internationally recognized research focused on mechanisms used by white blood cells (leukocytes) to kill ingested bacteria by oxygen-independent systems, notably by cationic antimicrobial peptides and proteins. His early work was instrumental in helping establish the field of innate immunity. His research group also identified bacterial genes that encoded systems that promoted bacterial survival within host cells.
In 1979, Spitznagel joined Emory University as professor and chair of the department of microbiology, which he later renamed the department of microbiology and immunology, significantly broadening its scientific scope. While chair, he recruited outstanding faculty to the department, effectively doubling its size, and he actively encouraged and facilitated the academic and research development of faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows in the department. He continued to lead an active NIH funded research program in antimicrobial host defense during his tenure as chair.
Throughout his career, Spitznagel was the recipient of numerous honors, served on medical research review committees, published over 275 research reports and served as editor of multiple medical journals. He is honored with Emory University’s Spitznagel Annual Seminar on Host Defense, given by an internationally known investigator.
After retiring and moving to Jasper, Georgia, Spitznagel joined with other local medical professionals and church members to establish the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, a volunteer-run clinic dedicated to treating uninsured and/or economically disadvantaged individuals in the community. The center, founded in 2002, is still in operation (as of 2026) and is designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Spitznagel was pre-deceased by his wife, Anne in 2012, and is survived by his 5 children, John Spitznagel, Jr. (Susie), Jean Hetherington (Seth), Margaret Harkness (Donald), Elizabeth Kopin (Alan) and Paul Spitznagel (Kim), 14 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
Source: Emory University Obituary
Spitznagel’s training included a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University (1943), an M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1946), an internship in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. In 1951, he joined Professor René Dubos at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York, where he studied tuberculosis as a visiting investigator.
He served in several positions in the U.S. Army, including as an instructor in basic sciences at Walter Reed Hospital, as the Assistant Chief of Medicine in the 114 Field Hospital in Kyushu, Japan and as the Chief of Medicine at the U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Bragg, N.C., rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel.
In 1957, after completing his military service, Spitznagel joined the University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical School, Chapel Hill, N.C. Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the school of medicine with a joint appointment as an attending and consulting physician in the department of medicine division of infectious diseases. During his 22-year tenure at UNC, he rose to the rank of professor. His internationally recognized research focused on mechanisms used by white blood cells (leukocytes) to kill ingested bacteria by oxygen-independent systems, notably by cationic antimicrobial peptides and proteins. His early work was instrumental in helping establish the field of innate immunity. His research group also identified bacterial genes that encoded systems that promoted bacterial survival within host cells.
In 1979, Spitznagel joined Emory University as professor and chair of the department of microbiology, which he later renamed the department of microbiology and immunology, significantly broadening its scientific scope. While chair, he recruited outstanding faculty to the department, effectively doubling its size, and he actively encouraged and facilitated the academic and research development of faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows in the department. He continued to lead an active NIH funded research program in antimicrobial host defense during his tenure as chair.
Throughout his career, Spitznagel was the recipient of numerous honors, served on medical research review committees, published over 275 research reports and served as editor of multiple medical journals. He is honored with Emory University’s Spitznagel Annual Seminar on Host Defense, given by an internationally known investigator.
After retiring and moving to Jasper, Georgia, Spitznagel joined with other local medical professionals and church members to establish the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, a volunteer-run clinic dedicated to treating uninsured and/or economically disadvantaged individuals in the community. The center, founded in 2002, is still in operation (as of 2026) and is designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Spitznagel was pre-deceased by his wife, Anne in 2012, and is survived by his 5 children, John Spitznagel, Jr. (Susie), Jean Hetherington (Seth), Margaret Harkness (Donald), Elizabeth Kopin (Alan) and Paul Spitznagel (Kim), 14 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
Source: Emory University Obituary