In memory of Professor Dan Bader

I was first introduced to Dan in 2006 as young faculty at the World Congress of Biomechanics in Munich Germany, and like others, was highly impressed by his vast professional knowledge and his personal charm. A year later, I had the opportunity to get to know Dan on a much closer level when I worked as a Visiting Professor in Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where Dan had a long-term adjunct position. Dan, Cees Oomens, and I worked together intensively in 2007–2008 in Eindhoven, and published what would later be recognized as seminal work, demonstrating the direct effects of cell and tissue deformation on cell viability independently of blood supply, using tissue engineered muscle models that were novel and innovative at the time. Dan was a master of scientific writing and I owe him many of my writing skills. I have memories of sitting for many long hours together with Dan at that time, discussing which words to use in the manuscripts, where he sometimes insisted on words from the Oxford dictionary that were new to me, as his language was so rich. This is how we got to discuss his love for the English language and for reading both scientific and fiction literature. We continued to collaborate closely over the years, e.g., with regards to developing evidence-based risk assessment frameworks and as related to engineering considerations to reduce the occurrence of medical device-related pressure ulcers and co-edited a Special Issue on seating-acquired pressure ulcers in the Journal of Tissue Viability. We often met in boards, panels, conferences, and we also visited each other. Dan visited me and my research group in Tel Aviv and I visited him multiple times in Queen Mary University of London and then at the University of Southampton after he had moved there. Throughout these years, we became much more than collaborators on pressure ulcer science, and often discussed life and the joys and difficulties that it involves. Dan was always very insightful, with his wisdom, life experience, and good advice, which he was always happy to share. I still cannot fully digest the fact that he is not here anymore. I will miss him, he was a great friend and his passing is a huge loss to our community.

Dan joined the Editorial Board in the early days of the journal when it was still trying to establish its identity and position in the world of biomechanics. I remain especially grateful for his involvement and sage advice that helped me and others direct our future journey. Over the years, he served as Associate Editor, Guest Editor, Author and Reviewer, and was always a delight to work with, giving freely his experience and advice to authors as well as to me. More recently, his Special Issue on Cartilage Biomechanics (2020) was published in the journal, which is just one example of his important scientific work and contribution to the field. Amit and I had the privilege of having Dan as a friend and colleague and have always enjoyed his exceptionally broad knowledge on so many aspects in life, along with his delightful sense of humor! We are grateful to have had the opportunity to know him and work with him.

Professor Amit Gefen

Professor Kim Burton