David S. Lindsay, Professor of Parasitology at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, passed away on November 17, 2021.
Lindsay taught parasitology to graduate and undergraduate students for 24 years before retiring earlier this year. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he was a Senior Research Fellow at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Lindsay began his career as a parasitologist, working as a laboratory technician at the Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in Tifton, Georgia.
As Professor Steve Upton of Kansas State University put it when he introduced Lindsay as the recipient of the American Society of Parasitologists’ Henry Baldwin Ward Medal in 2000: “When David entered the Zoology Ph.D. In 1980 at Auburn University, he had acquired an unusually extensive clinical knowledge in pet and pet parasitology. During his years at the graduate school, David was consulted frequently about parasitological findings by both faculty and students. “
In 1987 he became a postdoc at the Zoonotic Diseases Laboratory of the Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the US Department of Agriculture.
In 1997 he began his tenure as an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Here he worked with Anne Zajac, Professor Emeritus of Parasitology, on research into parasitic diseases.
“David was my valued colleague and collaborator during his 24 years at Virginia Tech. He was an internationally recognized expert on protozoal parasites and clinical animal parasitology in general, and his research on apic-complex protozoa has contributed greatly to our knowledge of this important group of parasites Zajac said.
In 2002 he was appointed professor. His research focused on apicomplexan parasites that cause coccidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, and toxoplasmosis in humans and pets. He also studied zoonotic flagellates that cause leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
During his career, Lindsay has written 450 articles and 40 book chapters. He has been cited more than 15,900 times and given over 500 conference presentations. His publication performance was exceptional and resulted in worldwide recognition for his expertise.
“Despite chronic medical problems, his publications and editorial output remained astonishing, reflecting his great love for parasites and research. He built collaborative relationships with parasitologists and other scientists around the world and, with his time and extensive knowledge, was always generously missed by students and colleagues, “said Zajac.
Lindsay was a distinguished animal parasitologist with the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists and a member of the American Society of Parasitologists. He was Associate Editor of the Journal of Parasitology, the International Journal for Parasitology, and the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.
“His work is internationally recognized and will shape parasitology for many years to come,” said Margie Lee, professor and head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology.
Instead of flowers, donations can also be made to the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, the American Society of Parasitologists, or the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
Lindsay’s full obituary is available here.