In remembrance: Professor Dan Stein

Dear colleagues and students

It is with profound sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of our colleague, Professor Dan Stein (63) on Saturday, 6 December 2025 after a short illness.

Professor Stein joined the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2005 and served the institution exceptionally in various capacities. At the time of his passing, he served as professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. He also held the roles of director of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders and scientific director of the UCT Neuroscience Institute.

He was internationally recognised as one of the foremost scholars in psychiatry, psychology and cognitive sciences, and neurosciences. He had over 1 600 peer-reviewed publications and more than 25 academic volumes authored or edited, making him among the most cited researchers worldwide.

Professor Stein’s research spanned the psychobiology and management of anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. His work integrated basic neuroscience, clinical trials, epidemiology and public mental health, advocating for a biopsychosocial approach that bridges psychiatry, neuroscience and philosophy. His transdisciplinary work has impacted research directions across multiple fields, and his unwavering commitment to capacity building has helped nurture a new generation of mental health researchers. This legacy of mentorship, collaboration and advocacy will continue to shape mental health research and practice for many years to come.

Professor Stein’s contributions earned him numerous accolades, including Lifetime Achievement Award (World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry), Max Hamilton Memorial Award (International College of Neuropsychopharmacology), John F. Herschel Medal (Royal Society of South Africa) and SAMRC Platinum Award for research excellence.

He was a National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, repeatedly renewed for his sustained impact. He has mentored countless neuroscience fellows and students over the course of his career, many of whom hold leadership positions across the world.

Professor Stein played a pivotal role in advancing neuroscience in Africa. He founded UCT’s Brain-Behaviour Initiative, which laid the groundwork for the continent’s first Neuroscience Institute. His recent book, Problems of Living: Perspectives from Philosophy, Psychiatry and Cognitive-Affective Science, reflected his commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship.  

Professor Stein was a giant of a man, an icon with a gentle heart; brilliant, yet consistently humble and self-effacing. Those who worked with him and knew him will remember his remarkable intellect, as well as his warmth, kindness and quiet humanity.

Professor Stein is survived by his wife, Professor Heather Zar; children Gabriella, Joshua and Sarah; and grandson, Rafa.

His funeral was held on Sunday, 7 December 2025 in Pinelands, Cape Town. The university will share details of memorial services as well as further tributes to Professor Stein over the next few days.

The university has reached out to Professor Stein’s family and offered support during this difficult time of bereavement. UCT extend our heartfelt condolences to Professor Stein’s loved ones, colleagues, students and all who knew and worked with him.

Sincerely

The UCT Executive

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