Journal of Clinical Densitometry, vol. 9, no. 4, 387, 2006� Copyright 2006 by The International Society for Clinical Densitometry1094-6950/06/9:387/$32.00DOI: 10.1016/j.jocd.2006.09.003

In Memoriam

Olof Johnell

Olof Johnell, professor of orthopaedic surgery at Malmoin Sweden, died suddenly at the age of 61 years on 23 April2006. He is survived by his wife, Inga, and his two daugh-ters, Anna and Kristina.

Olof qualified in medicine at the University of Gothen-burg in 1970 and thereafter embarked on an academic careerin orthopaedic surgery. He wrote his Ph.D. in 1980 at theUniversity of Lund and spent his career there at the Depart-ment of Orthopaedics at Malmo University Hospital. He en-joyed wide experience in metabolic bone disease thatspanned basic research in the 1970s, clinical trials in the1980s, epidemiology and health technology assessment inthe 1990s, and health economics and guideline developmentin the later years of his life. His breadth of experience meantthat he was sought out as a colleague or consultant at homeand abroad. He contributed very significantly to the scientificpolicies of the European Union, the International Osteoporo-sis Foundation, and the World Health Organization.

In addition to his academic achievements, Olof will be re-membered for being a special person. He was a kind, gentle,private, and modest man whom all held in affection. Henever sought the trappings of success that are so covetedby many of distinction. His modesty and shyness cloakeda fierce intellect. It was said that he reasoned twice as fast

as he could talk, with the result that his speech lacked every second word, lending to a pace of deductionthat left others behind. We will miss Olofdthe exemplar of a true academic.

John A. KanisUniversity of Sheffield Medical School

Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Beech Hill RoadSheffield S10 2RX, UK

E-mail address: w.j.pontefract@shef.ac.uk22 May 2006

Reprinted with permission from Kanis JA.2006 In memoriam: Olof Johnell. Bone 39:677.

387