Susan Faruqee

Susan Courtney Faruqee was a world-renowned scientist, fierce naturalist, and bird lover. Nothing grabbed her attention quicker than seeing a hummingbird at the feeder. Nature was her cathedral and she loved exploring it. Susan's deep curiosity for the world around her led to a life-long journey of travel and exploration, scientific discovery, and continuing revelation. Her strong faith was enduring and came from her scientific beliefs in the powers of the universe.

On June 10, 2024, Susan, our beloved wife, mother, sister and friend, passed away at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. She was 57. A memorial was held for family and friends on June 15 in Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Born in Ann Arbor in 1966, Susan grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan raised by her parents Warn and Jean Courtney, along with her sisters Catherine and Karen. She graduated from Portage Northern High School in 1984 as valedictorian. Susan attended Williams College and received her B.A. with honors in physics in 1988. After Williams, she attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received her Ph.D in bioengineering and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

As faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Susan dedicated her career to teaching and research for twenty-five years. Initially, she was jointly appointed to the School of Medicine's Department of Neuroscience and the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Functional Brain Imaging. As a committed, caring mentor and visionary researcher, Susan was later tenured as a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences–where she served as chair. Susan also served as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Johns Hopkins University for two years. Beyond her incredible abilities to teach and research the mind and brain, Susan was known for her patience and kindness in guiding her students–cherishing intellectual and professional pursuits while fully embracing the emotional and spiritual richness of life and relationships.

In life, nothing was more important to Susan than her family. She was a caring and protective mother to her two children, Serena and Siraj, and a devoted and loving partner to Hamid, her husband of over 30 years. Susan is survived by her immediate family, her sisters Catherine and Karen, Hamid's parents Rashid and Selima and his sisters Mishi and Ani, as well as her nieces and nephews and other family. Susan was, and will always be, adored by her many friends and family for her beautiful smile, her gentle kindness, her calming and patient nature, and her supportive guidance for others.

Forever our guiding light.