Lojze Vodovnik (1933-2000)

Professor Lojze Vodovnik was one of the pioneers of biomedical engineering in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia. He was born in 1933 in Maribor, Slovenia. His sudden death on 14 June 2000 came as a shock to all of us who knew him.

In 1957 he completed his studies in electrical engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, where in 1963 he received his DSc and was elected assistant professor. From the very start of his academic career he was attracted towards biomedical phenomena from the engineering point of view and he dedicated his professional career to this field both as an excellent researcher and as an inspiring teacher. In the second half of the sixties he was a research associate and visiting professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He developed his line of research on functional electrical stimulation. His vision, dedication and research excellence made Ljubljana and Cleveland two recognised centres in the field of functional electrical stimulation. From 1967 he was a Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He founded the Laboratory of Biocybernetics, which under his leadership became the leading group in biomedical engineering in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia. In 1975-77 Professor Vodovnik was Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He taught several courses in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, dynamic systems, and digital techniques to undergraduate and graduate students.

The research of Professor Vodovnik was inspired by his permanent and strong wish to help the patient and by his fascination with life. He made important contributions to the field of functional electrical stimulation, wound healing and cancer treatment. Many of his co-workers from the Laboratory of Biocybernetics emerged as excellent scientists who continued their work in their own groups. For his distinguished contribution he and his colleagues were awarded several of the highest national awards in the former Yugoslavia and Slovenia. He had been a regular member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1983. He was a fellow, senior, memer or honorary member of boards of numerous national and international scientific societies.

Professor Vodovnik had a vision that electrical currents would help patients with motor dysfunction, heal wounds and treat cancer. Many of his early ideas are now used in clinical environments and in helping patients. His noble ideas inspired many other researchers of which today's generation may not even know of his pioneering efforts. He has been a devoted scientist and a warm and dear friend to all of us who have been privileged to know him personally. We will all miss him.

Damijan Miklavcic