Sayan Mukherjee. / Duke Chronicle

Flag at Duke University was lowered on Apr.4 in honor of Sayan Mukherjee, a longtime faculty member in Statistical Science, Mathematics, and Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, who died unexpectedly on Mar.31. He was 54.

Born in India and trained in the United States, Mukherjee spent two decades at Duke before moving to Germany in 2022 to accept a prestigious position as the Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Artificial Intelligence, a role jointly held between Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences. Despite relocating, he retained a strong affiliation with Duke, where colleagues describe him as a brilliant scientist, a loyal friend, and a beloved mentor.

“Sayan was a brilliant scientist who cared deeply about science, our human condition and individual people. He was a dedicated mentor who regularly went above and beyond,” said Jonathan Mattingly, the Kimberly J. Jenkins distinguished university professor of new technologies in the Department of Mathematics. “He had many collaborators and, above all, friends at Duke. He will be deeply missed.”

Mukherjee joined Duke in 2004 after completing his Ph.D. at MIT and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Broad Institute. He quickly became known for his interdisciplinary work in computational genomics and statistical modeling. He was instrumental in developing statistical methods such as Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), which helps researchers understand the role of gene groups in diseases like cancer. More recently, he explored topological data analysis to advance disease detection in medical imaging.

His work cut across departments and disciplines. “Sayan was a comet — sparkling with ideas, full of energy and with a fascinating ability to captivate those around him,” said Professor László Székelyhidi, managing director of the Max Planck Institute.

“He was a deeply kind person, often helping others through difficult situations,” said Mary Knox, a research scientist and undergraduate course coordinator in Statistical Science. “He loved telling stories to both adults and children… His vast knowledge—of history, science, music, mythology, and just about everything—meant you never quite knew what the story would be about, but it almost always ended with a ridiculous punchline.”

Amy Herring, chair of the statistical science department, remembered his unconventional wardrobe and his enthusiasm for conversation. “What could definitely be questioned, however, were his sartorial choices,” she said. “I remember Sayan in flip-flops and a T-shirt. Often the tee was grungy, and typically it bore a punchy message… We’ll miss having the opportunity to talk with him about work and about life.”

“What do I love about Math? It’s beautiful,” Mukherjee once said in an interview with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. “You name these amazing abstract ideas, and they become real. Sometimes they even become real in applications. There is a real beauty to that.”

A memorial in Mukherjee’s honor is being planned for Apr.19 at 10:30 a.m. at Duke University.

Leipzig and Max Planck pay tribute 

News of Mukherjee’s death was met with shock and sadness across Germany, where he had moved to take up the Humboldt Professorship—Germany’s highest award for international researchers. At Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, colleagues described him as a transformative figure in the city’s AI research landscape.

“Sayan Mukherjee’s death is a great loss, both personally and for the research community,” said Professor Eva Inés Obergfell, rector of Leipzig University. “He leaves an immense void. He will be sorely missed at our Institute of Computer Science, our Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics, and the national competence centre for artificial intelligence ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig.”

Professor Erhard Rahm, director of ScaDS.AI, said Mukherjee worked to elevate Leipzig into a world-leading centre for AI and mathematics. “He initiated so many new partnerships and research projects and built a strong research team… The full impact of his painful loss remains to be seen, but we will do all we can to continue working on his vision.”

Colleagues also spoke of Mukherjee’s generosity and curiosity. Professor Jens Meiler, who nominated Mukherjee for the Humboldt Professorship, recalled conversations that “linked fundamental developments in AI research with socio-political and philosophical issues. A brilliant mind coupled with a great sense of humour.”

“Everyone remembers the first time they met Sayan — no pretense, only warmth, laughter, and a contagious excitement for ideas,” said Galen Reeves, associate professor of Statistical Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. “He embodied what it means to be both brilliant and deeply human.”