Obituary: Mogens Hørder

26/5 1940 – 1/3 2025

Mogens Hørder had a clinical career in clinical chemistry, serving for many years as head of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Odense University Hospital, while also being a professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences from 1981.

When the closure of the medical programme in Odense was being considered in the late 1980s, Mogens Hørder became dean of health sciences in 1989. He played a key role in the restructuring that ensured the programme’s survival.

He continued as dean until 2008, making him one of the longest-serving deans in Denmark. He left a significant mark on Danish health policy, for example, through the report The Future of Medical Health Research (MESUF report, 2001) and his participation in various national councils. He was also instrumental in shaping the Faculty of Health Sciences at SDU, ensuring that, with the establishment of the regions, it covered health sciences research at all hospitals in the Region of Southern Denmark.

Mogens Hørder was often a pioneer and was central to the establishment of the clinical biomechanics programme at SDU, which became the first university-based chiropractic degree in the Nordic countries.

After his time as dean, Mogens Hørder continued to make valuable contributions at SDU, including overseeing the implementation of quality assurance in teaching and serving as head of department for the newly established Department of Psychology. He was also a highly active member of the User Perspectives research unit, where his deep interest in patient involvement became a key focus of his work.

May Mogens Hørder’s memory be honoured.