Dr. Mathur Kannan, a retired College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) professor, passed away on January 4, 2024.

He joined the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences faculty in 1987, bringing an established research program on the physiology and pharmacology of airway smooth muscle supported by foundation and federal grants. Kannan developed enduring collaborations and friendships with investigators at the Mayo Clinic, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Minnesota.

With these collaborations, Kannan developed pivotal work defining the physiological role of cyclic ADP ribose in calcium-based signal transduction in smooth muscle, especially in the airways.  Consequently, cyclic ADP ribose has become a cellular target of great importance in the design of new anti-asthmatic drugs.  He authored more than 100 journal articles and was an invited speaker at more than 60 scientific conferences across the globe, from Italy and India to Canada and Korea. He retired as a professor emeritus in 2018 after working at CVM for nearly 30 years.

Prior to joining CVM in 1987, Kannan was an associate professor at McMaster University for five years. He earned his BVSc from Madras Veterinary College in India and his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Alberta in Canada.

Kannan enjoyed traveling, cooking, talking politics and investing, and spending time with many dear friends and his family. He was a beloved father, grandfather, and “favorite uncle.”

He is survived by his daughter, Monisha Husom, and grandchildren Xavier and Priya Husom, one sister, two brothers, and countless nieces and nephews.

Those who knew him are invited to share memories here.