Mark A. Smith, PhD: Renegade Scientist and Visionary

I n the recorded history of science, the prominent are often said to have died quietly, long after their important work had been completed, the specific date and circumstances of their death obscured by achievements during life, and the slow decay of time. The same cannot be said for Mark A. Smith, PhD, who died at the young age of 45 on December 19, 2010, 95 years to the day, as it would happen, after the death of Alois Alzheimer, the namesake for the condition that Mark would ultimately redefine.