Professor Stefan Mortensen has passed away

Stefan was a professor and head of the Cardiovascular and Renal Research Unit at the Department of Molecular Medicine. He was a dedicated researcher who studied the function of the heart and circulatory system in both healthy and diseased individuals, and he played a significant role in teaching on the medicine and clinical biomechanics programmes.

He was trained in human physiology and worked for several years at the Centre for Muscle Research as well as the Inflammation and Metabolism Research Section at Rigshospitalet. In 2011, he defended his doctoral dissertation in medicine at the University of Copenhagen, and in 2014, he joined SDU, where he took over responsibility for teaching cardiovascular physiology. He renewed and modernised practical exercises in circulatory physiology and the body's glucose metabolism—exercises that many students have completed and carried with them into their careers as medical doctors.

At SDU, he established a laboratory for studying muscle function and blood flow during physical activity. His research was of high quality and characterised by close collaboration with Odense University Hospital and Rigshospitalet. In 2019, he was appointed professor, and in 2021, he became head of the Cardiovascular and Renal Research Unit. Under his leadership, the unit developed positively, marked by good communication, high productivity, and trust. Stefan took on shared academic responsibilities as a member of the Study Board, external examiner, and PhD assessor.

Outside of his work, he was an active sportsman and runner, participating, among other events, in the annual DHL relay. Stefan passed away at the age of 50 and is survived by two children.