Words for Luis A. Bagatolli, ”un gran investigador”
Our former Professor Luis A. Bagatolli passed away, 55 years old on Friday, June 3rd, 2022. Luis died after fighting with pancreatic cancer in months. As I understand, Luis stayed positive and had hope until the end during his sickness.
Luis was a part of BMB/Memphys from the middle of 2002 until February 2017.
Before he joined us at SDU, his career started when he graduated in Chemistry in 1991 and later as a doctor in Chemical Sciences in 1995 at the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the National University of Córdoba (UNC) in Argentina. After that he was postdoc with Enrico Gratton at Urbana, University of Illinois, 1997-2000, which marked him in the field of biophysics in which he specialized in.
Back in Argentina he continued working at IIBB in Bahía Blanca (2000-2001) and thereafter at CIQUIBIC-DQBRC from 2001-May 2002. In the year of 2000, he received the honorable mention of "Best Young Latin American Biophysicist Award" from Latin American Society of Biophysicists (SOBLA) and in 2001, he was selected in Córdoba as one of the "10 Outstanding Young People of the Year" by the Córdoba Stock Exchange.
Luis joined the BMB/MEMPHYS (SDU) in 2002. During the period from 2002-2017, he constituted and lead the research group "Membrane Biophysics and Biophotonics" and obtained positions of adjunct professor, associate professor, mso professor and Full Professor at BMB/SDU. During this period, he was teaching classes in Biophysics and Biophotonics and during the period 2010-2016 he also worked as director of the DaMBIC microscopy center (Danish Molecular Biomedical Imaging Center).
In 2014 he had a sabbatical stay in Ecuador, where he prepared the 1st edition in Spanish of the book Life, a matter of fats? A perspective from membrane biophysics (2014) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ole G. Mouritsen, which lead to the second edition in English of the book Life-as a matter of fat: Lipids in a membrane biophysics perspective (2016). The printed edition in Spanish was entirely financed by the government of the Citizen Revolution in Ecuador, led by President Correa through the state company Yachay E, an edition that is distributed free of charge among different universities in Latin American countries and Spain.
After concluding his scientific/academic activities in Denmark, he settled in Ecuador for a while, working as a scientist and visiting professor under funding from the Prometheus Program, teaching biophysics at Yachav Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador.
In October 2017, Bagatolli rejoined the Argentine scientific system as Principal Investigator of CONICET, establishing his own research group at the Mercedes and Martin Ferreyra Medical Research Institute, Córdoba. In the year of 2019, he obtained a position of Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, the position that he had until his dead. In addition to leading his research group, Luis served (from September 2020 to December 2021) as director at the Mercedes and Martin Ferreyra Medical Research Institute.
Luis’ name is included in the list of the 100,000 most cited scientists in the world in various fields of science. He has written numerous of scientific articles, including review articles and book chapters.
We remember Luis as much more than the above. He was also a son, a dad, grandfather, friend, and a great colleague. He was the “down-to-earth person in jeans and t-shirt. He was an Argentine full of passion, and a perfectionist that insisted speaking English as he meant he was not good enough in Danish, he was a musician, he was blues and rock n’roll.
After he left BMB/Memphys he stayed in contact with friends and colleagues, and he still visited Odense from time to time.
Luis’ close friends from BMB are remembering
Torben Christensen (workshop):
Even though I knew he was sick, it came as a shock that he was leaving now.
Luis was an amazingly talented and inspiring scientist, he was highly recognized throughout the world, within his field. We had a fantastic collaboration over the years, and I enjoyed working for and with him.
He was, in relation to many others in the research world, totally unsnobbish and informal in his manner, he was entirely his own.
He was not afraid to say his opinion, even if it costed him.
We quickly found out that in the music we had something together, Luis persuaded me to jam together at a Christmas lunch at BMB, of course it took place in the smoking room, as he should have his cigarette.
Luis started as a bassist, but after he came to Denmark, he started playing guitar seriously, and became good at it.
We joined the other musicians at BMB, where we had many good times and experiences in the company of Luis.
There is going to be something important missing in my life in the future. Rock on, Luis.aa
Lars Folke Olsen (emeritus):
Luis came to BMB in the beginning of the zeros as an associate professor of biochemistry and in the fall of 2006, we started a joint course in basic biochemistry (Enzymes and membranes). We really hit it off well with each other and from the beginning we had some exciting conversations about science and later also about music. This resulted in us developing a close friendship, where we scientifically found together about the exploration of the structure of water in cells and privately around blues music. As a result of this, we started touring as the band "Folke Blues Project" at smaller festivals and at private parties around Denmark until Luis stopped at SDU in 2017. However, we kept in touch in the years that followed and managed to get some scientific published articles together, like we also met for a jam session when Luis visited Denmark. Luis was a great friend and partner in science, as well as in music and with his death, it is as if I have lost something of myself.
Jonathan R. Brewer (Associate Professor):
It was with great sadness we received the news of Luis Bagatolli’s too early death.
Luis Bagatolli was a key member of the MEMPHYS center of excellence at SDU for many years. He was principle in forming a research environment of the highest international level within bioimaging and membrane physics at the university of southern Denmark. Luis was if any a person filled with life and drive and was greatly appreciated as a colleague and friend. He was known for and followed his strong principles within research and education and was always ready to stand up and fight for improving the quality of university education, both in Denmark and abroad. His scientific merits are well known and speak for themselves.
As a person we will remember Luis for his good discussions, playing his guitar at parties, sharing a whisky with us at whisky tasting evenings, or having invited us to his home and standing in front of his home-made grill praising the Argentinian cuisine.
Luis will be greatly missed by many, both as a colleague and friend. Our thoughts go to his children and family.
Luis leaves his mother, three sisters, four children, one grandchild and a girlfriend.
R.I.P. Luis and thank you for the research, friendship, and music. For being who you were.