UpdatedFri, Feb 5, 2021 at 1:26 pm CT
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A Northwestern neuroscientist accused of anonymously espousing neo-Nazi sentiments on social media died by suicide Tuesday in Evanston, authorities said. (Shutterstock)
EVANSTON, IL —A Northwestern University neuroscientist took his own life Tuesday morning in Evanston after he was accused of posting racist and anti-Semitic comments on an anonymous Twitter account.
Bart Van Alphen, 43, was found dead by a passerby on the jogging path in Elliot Park shortly before noon, authorities said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a suicide the next day.
"It is with a heavy heart that I write to share that a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology, Bart van Alphen, passed away Tuesday. I extend my deepest condolences to Bart's wife, family and friends and offer support to them during this difficult time," Northwestern University Provost Kathleen Hagerty said Tuesday night in a message to the school community.