In memoriam: Emeritus Professor Dan Bader

November 14, 2022
Emeritus Professor Dan Bader | Photo Rob Stork

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of our former staff member, esteemed colleague, mentor, and dear friend professor Dan Bader who unexpectedly passed away due to medical complications while fighting cancer.

Dan was a physicist by training (BSc, MSc) with a PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Southampton. His postdoc position at Oxford University focused on engineering aspects of pressure ulcer prevention. He later moved to Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) as a lecturer in Biomaterials, leading Soft Tissue Research in the Interdisciplinary Research Center in Biomedical Materials at Queen Mary (1991-2002). In 1999, he became the first Professor of Medical Engineering, establishing a world-renowned research group at QMUL. In 2006, he was elected to the World Council of Biomechanics and in 2011, he joined Health Sciences at University of Southampton as Professor of Bioengineering and Tissue Health, to establish a multidisciplinary team focusing on Skin Health. 

From 2000-2020, he has been a part-time Professor in Soft Tissue Remodelling in Biomedical Engineering in our BME Department, collaborating with prof. Cees Oomens, dr. René van Donkelaar, dr. Sandra Loerakker, dr. Sandra Hoffmann, prof. Carlijn Bouten, and many others on skin damage and pressure ulcer research. Appointed initially for a period of three years, his employment was extended 5 times, demonstrating his enormous value for the department. He brought with him an enormous international network and experience in cell and tissue engineering in a time that the group in Eindhoven was starting and building a Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. During the two decades at TU/e he was involved in the (co) supervision of 15 PhD students and supervised many Master’s and exchange students. In addition, he coordinated courses and trainings at the BSc and MSc level in our Biomedical Engineering curriculum. He was very approachable for students and always willing to mentor them on all aspects of life.

In 2020 Dan Bader retired as a part-time professor and celebrated this hugely successful collaboration with a special symposium, closed by his valedictory lecture entitled 'Biomechanics of soft tissue damage - a collaboration in 7 courses'.

He will be remembered not only for his academic work, but also for his friendship and giving nature, his enthusiasm for sport, music, politics, and his beautiful English phrasing with an ever-present sense of humour. A meeting with Dan would always meander into all aspects of life, with laughs shared and advice given freely. He will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues.

Our thoughts are with his wife Julia, his children Laetitia and Sam, and other family members.

Cees Oomens, Carlijn Bouten, Maarten Merkx, Wim Koppers

Please feel free to leave a message for his family at the register of condolence, which can be found here: condolence register.