Mette Deleuran , Klaus Ejner Andersen and Anders Vahlquist – Obituary : Professor , DMSc Kristian Thestup-Pedersen
Kristian was a great friend of Nordic collaboration . Among many things he took the initiative to jointly propose the Nordic countries as hosts for a World Congress of Dermatology in 2002 with Bella Center in Copenhagen as congress site ; the so called “ Nordic Bid for WCD ”. Kristian , with his great experience in networking all over the world , worked very hard on this project and came up with the wonderful idea that at least 1 / 3 of the expected profit from a WCD in Copenhagen would be donated to the International Dermatology Foundation in support of the ILDS-sponsored teaching unit in Tanzania . This “ forced ” the organisers of the Paris bid to add a similar promise into their bid when presented in Sydney 1997 before the election of the next congress site was made . In the end , however , Paris was a too strong competitor and they organized a wonderful WCD in 2002 .
As a most distinguished researcher in the field of dermato-venereology with a great knowledge also in basic immunology , Kristian was already in the 1980ies appointed as a board member of the ESDR and eventually elected as the President of the society . For this and his continued engagement in ESDR and other international collaborations , he was later awarded Honorary Membership of the society .
He was a very generous man , and everyone who met him , remember this .
Kristian is survived by his beloved wife Grethe , children Thomas and Louise and their families .
All of us who knew him will always feel we have lost a very special friend and motivator , and our thoughts are with Grethe and the family .
Mette Deleuran , Chair Department of Dermatology and Venereology , Aarhus University Hospital .
Klaus Ejner Andersen , Professor Department of Dermatology and Allergy Centre , and Centre for Innovative Medical Technology , Institute of Clinical Research , University of Southern Denmark
Anders Vahlquist , Emeritus Professor Dermatology and Venereology , Uppsala University , and Editor-in-Chief , Acta Dermato-Venereologica
116 Obituary Forum for Nord Derm Ven 2016 , Vol . 21 , No . 4