Celebration of Professor Dudenhausen’s milestone birthday
Professor Joachim Dudenhausen, is one of the most prominent German obstetricians, and an ambassador of German medicine and science. He is Emeritus Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Emeritus Professor for Obstetrics at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In addition to his pioneering work in perinatal medicine, he has been instrumental in unifying the fields of obstetrics and gynecology in Germany. He is Editor-in-Chief of two journals, the Journal of Perinatal Medicine and Case Reports in Perinatal Medicine, and Editor of a book series titled Hot Topics in Perinatal Medicine.
Prof. Dudenhausen was born in 1943 in Werdohl, Germany. His father, Mr Ferdinand Dudenhausen, was killed in action during World War II. He lived with his mother, Mrs Annemarie Dudenhausen, and his grandmother in Lüdenscheid until 1961, where he attended the Zeppelin-Gymnasium. Prof. Dudenhausen’s uncle, Dr Willibald Pschyrembel, a gynecologist and Chief Physician of the Gynecological Clinic at the Berlin Hospital in Friedrichshain, was a great influence during his Dnephew’s formative years. When Prof. Dudenhausen was 13, his uncle took him to the hospital where he ran a laboratory for pregnancy testing. Before 1960, the practice was to diagnose pregnancy by using animals for bioassays – specifically, juvenile mice, and later, adult abbits and frogs. By observing the work at the clinic, Prof. Dudenhausen was inspired to commit to a career in medicine, specifically obstetrics and gynecology.
Professor Dudenhausen’s achievements have also been recognized internationally in the form of honorary professorships at Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, China; Medical University of Havana, Cuba; Dubrovnik International University, Croatia; Tashkent Medical Academy, Uzbekistan; and the Medical Institution of Surgut State University, Russia.
Prof. Dudenhausen began his studies in medicine at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, staying for two-and-a-half years, and he continued his education at the “Freie Universität Berlin” for three years where he took his state examination in 1968. In 1965, while still a student, Prof. Dudenhausen joined Professor Erich Saling’s group at Frauenklinik Berlin-Neukölln, then the largest obstetrics department in Germany. Professor Saling, considered by many to be the “father of perinatal medicine,” pioneered the development of the field of maternal-fetal medicine. Working in the department gave Prof. Dudenhausen a cutting-edge view of the field. Fetal well-being was still an enigma in the 1960s: the technology had not yet been developed to study or monitor the status of the fetus accurately. Yet, Professor Saling treated the fetus as a patient, and to understand fetal physiology, he devised a method to take a fetal blood sample during labor with an instrument he invented – the amnioscope. Early models of the amnioscope used incandescent light, which did not support high-quality visualization. Prof. Dudenhausen’s objective was to identify fiberglass lighting devices that did not alter the colors of the amniotic fluid, while being of sufficient luminosity for use in the amnioscope. He completed the project in 1969 and wrote his doctoral dissertation, titled “Untersuchungen über Beleuchtungs-Vorrichtungen für die Amnioskopie” (“Investigations into lighting devices for amnioscopy”).
After passing the state medical examination, completing his work on the amnioscope, and fulfilling his role for the departmental team, Prof. Dudenhausen took the position of Assistant Physician in the Perinatal Medicine Working Group of the “Freie Universität Berlin” led by Prof. Saling and at Frauenklinik Berlin-Neukölln. This appointment marked the start of decades of collaboration with Professor Saling and scientific societies in clinical work and research. In 1975, Prof. Dudenhausen became Senior Physician at Frauenklinik Berlin-Neukölln, where, later in 1977, he advanced to Chief Staff Member in the Department of Obstetrics. In 1982, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Obstetrics, Director of the Midwife School, and Associate Professor at the “Freie Universität Berlin”.
Amnioscopy paved the way for the measurement of fetal blood gases and the development of the study of fetal physiology. Always mindful of the well-being of the fetus, Prof. Dudenhausen’s research in the following years focused on intrapartum surveillance by biochemical testing; tocolytic agents, surfactant and fetal lung maturation; endocrinology to assess the likelihood of fetal growth; MRI, pelvimetry and intrapartum sonography; multiple pregnancies; and fetal death and its rescue by birth.
After two years as Deputy Director of the Department of Obstetrics at University Hospital, Zürich, Prof. Dudenhausen returned to Berlin to take up the position of Director of the Department of Obstetrics at the “Freie Universität Berlin” in 1989. At the same time – after the German reunification – as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Charité, he assumed the prodigious task of merging three large institutions: the Charité, connected to Humboldt University in East Berlin, and Benjamin Franklin Hospital and Rudolf Virchow University Clinic, both connected to the “Freie Universität Berlin” in West Berlin. By 2003, the unification of the three institutions into one medical faculty – the Charité, with three campuses, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Campus Benjamin Franklin, and Campus Mitte – was accomplished.
After his retirement at the Charité in 2010, he spent a sabbatical year in New York at the Weill Cornell Medical College, and four years in Doha, Qatar, where he led the establishment of the Sidra Medical Center in Doha, Qatar, a hospital devoted to the care of mothers and children.
In addition to his scientific work and his work as an editor and author, Prof. Dudenhausen was active in organizing and chairing numerous congresses, and also in founding and chairing national and international societies. From 1970 until 1996, Prof. Dudenhausen managed the biannually organized European Congress of Perinatal Medicine. In 1984, he was one of the founding members of the International Society of the Fetus as a Patient. From 1991 until 1995, he served as chairman of the German Society for Perinatal Medicine. Under his leadership, two societies in the former blocs of West Germany and East Germany merged into a single national society. Prof. Dudenhausen was a founding member of the WAPM and served as Secretary General until 1999. In 2004, he was inducted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine. In 2009, he organized the 9th World Congress of Perinatal Medicine in Berlin and served as its president.
Prof. Dudenhausen has always believed that the discipline of obstetrics and gynecology needs a global outlook. Accordingly, in 1972, he cofounded the Journal of Perinatal Medicine, a publication led by an international group of editors. Prof. Dudenhausen has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal since 1983. In 2012, he launched the Journal Case Reports in Perinatal Medicine and a book series titled Hot Topics in Perinatal Medicine.
When asked to reveal his secret about his capacity for groundbreaking work and leadership, Prof. Dudenhausen replied: “The first thing is that I work hard, and I like to work. The second is that I respect the opinions of other people.”
The Editors of the Journal of Perinatal Medicine and De Gruyter publisher wish you a happy milestone birthday!
(1) Romero R. Giants in Obstetrics and Gynecology Series: a profile of Joachim W. Dudenhausen, MD, PhD, FRCOG ae, FIAPM. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023;228:5–13.
Roberto Romero, JPM Associate Editor
Heike Jahnke, JPM Journal Editor
Certainly, aging per se is not a merit, that is understood as well as the fact that in our customs we are attached to the decimal system and that therefore the 80th birthday has established itself as an important marker in the course of a life. Nevertheless, this is a very special birthday of a very special person, in many ways.
At the beginning of Joachim Dudenhausen’s professional career in the 60s and 70s, this is the time when obstetrics was changing from a purely mechanical surgical activity to a physiological biomechanical science. Scientists, physiologists, obstetricians and neonatologists met in Montevideo 1964 and established the beginning of the age with the motto “Fetus as a Patient” which founded the step into a whole new era of obstetrics. Joachim Dudenhausen’s development was particularly influenced by his mentor Erich Saling from Berlin Neukölln, who was the main driving force behind this new development. For many people today it is hard to imagine working in obstetrics without fetal monitoring, without ultrasound nor without fetal blood analysis.
I got to know Joachim Dudenhausen as a young obstetrician after I had just come back from my postdoc in fetal physiology in Canada. I had the pleasure to work with him intensively at the Charité University Hospital for several years. The clinical guidance of the young employees was always decisive for the continuity of patient care as it was important to him to motivate young staff to maintain the scientific success of the subject in the long term. His actions were always based on the resolution principles: leadership, reliability and trust.
I met his open ear for all sub-areas of obstetrics, both clinically and clinically experimental, his ability to promote but also to demand, to motivate and to support to a large extent. After his retirement there was still a long way to go and finally time to devote to many other very important national and international projects. Joachim Dudenhausen has been always committed to the further development of the reference book Psychrembel and works: committedly as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Perinatal Medicine. With his never-ending interest in innovative projects, his wealth of experience and his critical eye, we always hold enriching dialogues which I am very much looking forward to continuing.
I wish you a very happy 80th birthday.
Thorsten Braun
JPM Associate Editor
It is a pleasure to acknowledge Joachim’s Dudenhausen’s 39th birthday (I have long learned to follow the sage advice of the American comedian Jack Benny that we never count beyond age 39).
For Joachim, Nelson Mandela’s advice is even more relevant: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Since 1965, he is blessed with the love of his life, Ria, and blessed with a devoted family.
He has mentored countless students’ residents, physicians throughout the world.
His scientific contributions have helped innumerable maternal and fetal patients making him a timeless giant in perinatal medicine.
He has enabled the careers of so many others through his many journals, books, and teachings.
His administrative brilliance has enabled harmony in challenging situations whether in postwar Berlin or modern Qatar.
His commitment to hard work and his willingness to respect the opinions of others has earned him the respect and love of colleagues throughout the world.
Joachim has truly in Mandela’s words led a most significant life.
We all pray for continued health and happiness for this citizen of the world who is a paragon that we should all strive for!
Frank
Frank Chervenak
fchervenak@northwell.edu
JPM Associate Editor
Tribute to Prof. Joachim Dudenhausen from Prof. Vincenzo D’Addario
Having the possibility to write a short tribute in honor of Prof. Joachim Dudenhausen is a privilege I hold very dearly.
Great people are not just great; they have gone a long way to become great, and Prof. Dudenhausen really put in some hard work in the last 50 years as Physician, Professor and Scientist. His contribution to the development of Perinatal Medicine is well known to everybody and is proven by hundreds of publications, thousands of citations, countless speeches at international congresses and increasing success of Journal of Perinatal Medicine and Case reports in Perinatal Medicine. He deserves gratitude for the invaluable contribution he has made in this field of science.
However, instead of listing the innumerable steps of his wonderful carrier, I prefer to describe his human qualities: Prof. Dudenhausen is an exceptionally talented and intelligent person and displays a high level of professionalism mixed with exemplary interpersonal skills. I met him decades ago and since then he has been a great motivation and encouragement to me, serving as mentor, friend, confidant and protector. I have learned a lot from him ranging from good character and elegance to great values like honesty, diligence and dedication to work.
I would like to express my deep gratitude for his generous support.
Thank you, Joachim, and congratulations to your success. You are a great example for us all.
Vincenzo
Vincenzo D’Addario
JPM Associate Editor
Dr. Dudenhausen -
Best wishes to you on your 80th birthday! Your contributions to perinatal medicine stand as testament to your commitment to the advancement medical science and the progress of humanity. It has been an honor to serve alongside you this past year.
Marty Ellington
Chairperson
Department of Pediatrics
Lenox Hill Hospital
Northwell Health
JPM Associate Editor
A giant and a gentleman
Dr. Dudenhausen recruited me as an Associate Editor for the Journal 12 years ago when I was a relatively junior physician and academician. My time at the Journal has been very enriching, and I am greatly indebted to Dr. Dudenhausen for such a positive experience. In a recent publication, Dr. Romero wrote a brilliant biography on Dr. Dudenhausen, highlighting his professional and personal achievements.1 Therefore, I will refrain from repeating any of the facts in this biography. Instead, I would like to mention those qualities that made me admire this colleague and friend.
Dr. Romero aptly refers to Dr. Dudenhausen as one of the giants in obstetrics and gynecology, yet a gentle and thoughtful giant as the Editor-in-Chief. His suggestions are very insightful and offer new perspectives. Our discussions are stimulating but never overbearing. He hears you and makes you feel valued. His attention to scientific vigor is superb, yet he is not a medical snob. He truly cherishes diversity and advocates for the less heard. He is a true gentleman and a great host, carrying himself with utmost modesty. As we celebrate his 80th birthday, I would like to thank the Journal for allowing me to express my gratitude to be able to work under his tutelage.
Romero R. Giants in Obstetrics and Gynecology Series: a profile of Joachim W. Dudenhausen, MD, PhD, FRCOG ae, FIAPM. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023;228:5–13.
Mehmet R. Genc, MD, PhD, Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
Gainesville, Florida
JPM Associate Editor
Appreciation of Prof. Dudenhausen
Professor Joachim Dudenhausen is one of the most prominent obstetricians world-wide. He has pioneered many interventions and made important improvements in clinical care. I was fortunate enough to be asked to join the Editorial Board of The Journal of Perinatal Medicine where I was privileged to work with such an inspirational leader. Professor Dudenhausen led the Editorial meetings with fairness, good humour and excellent decisions. A role model to aspire to.
Professor Anne Greenough
Professor of Neonatology and Clinical Respiratory Physiology
JPM Associate Editor
I was always told German Professors are unapproachable, rigid, and just in general “not nice”. That at least applied to the professors I met while in medical school in Germany, and one reason why I left Germany 45 years ago to go to New York.
But then I met Professor Dudenhausen (Jochen to me now). If I would’ve met him earlier, maybe I would have stayed. When I first met Jochen about two decades ago he was a big famous German professor, “Chefarzt” der Charite, to whom I looked up to. But his personality was anything but the picture of the old professor. And I got to find out more about him when he stayed for a year on a sabbatical in New York. We spent a lot of time together during which I was able to show him “my” New York. One of the most memorable things we did, together with his wife, was going to a midnight performance of “Rocky’s Horror Show” in Greenwich Village. Unbelievable. A big famous German Professor doing that. And with me. Since then, I can count Jochen as a good friend. In that time period I became (belatedly) also a full professor and we have been just a little more equals. We even published 11 great papers together and he was always supportive. When you are in the same room with Jochen, you know he is the smartest one of all, but he will never let you know. A real wonderful scientist, ObGyn, and friend. I am looking forward to many more years to work, publish, and explore together until 120 and beyond.
As they say in New York: Mazel Tov Jochen!
Amos Grunebaum
JPM Associate Editor
Joachim Dudenhausen – scientific leader and friend
We live in a very turbulent time and more and more in a thoughtless wasteland from which only those gifted individuals who see farther and deeper than so many average people around us can get us out.
And our future usually depends on a few scientific leaders, researchers who think and act independently and creatively, we would colloquially say “those who pull the car”, who take risks and break their necks, if necessary, attract talent, radiate intellectual charm and broadcast the energy needed for great accelerations, people who are ready to embark on an adventure. Thanks to such people, science is making great strides forward and it seems to me that we need such people more than millions of dollars. In this pursuit we cannot follow greater example than that offered by Joachim Dudenhausen, scientific leader, teacher and friend. Our acquaintance started quite accidentally. His legendary teacher charismatic Erich Saling introduced us in Berlin during the International congress of perinatal medicine. We both have been young assistants of the same age. Next year Saling and Dudenhausen invited me to chair round table discussion on Fetal growth retardation. This invitation was great honor for me and since then I was strongly connected with both of great personalities – late Erich Saling and his best pupil Joachim Dudenhausen. At this rare opportunity to write even short text about Joachim I cannot avoid some pathetic connected with our age. It is well known that scientific creativity is privilege of young age but by no means creativity is restricted only to young generation and I am often quoting example of my favorite philosopher and poet Goethe who wrote Faust 2 at the age of 86, which according to many is the true Faust. Isn’t our Joachim an extraordinary example of how years do not diminish creative abilities, but then we mostly tread on already paved paths.
More than ever in such an explosive accumulation of new knowledge we need scientific leaders, certainly more than million dollars.
A scientific leader must be intelligent, diligent, ambitious, modest, educated and – encouraged, supported. It is no longer just an introverted person who rarely communicates with his environment and who is not interested in what is happening outside the clinic and laboratory. He permanently cultivates intellectual capital, attracts the best, keeps the best and never loses the best. A true scientific leader surrounds himself with individuals better than himself because they make him better too. By no means does he stimulate mediocrity.
They are generally considered to be tolerant people of high creativity scientific or social, not just reproductive qualities, people of broad education and social views, polyvalent individuals endowed with expressiveness and recognized excellence in many areas, but above all spiritual independence and indomitability, upright gait through life and the attribute of “imperishable goods”. Is there a better example of this claim than our celebrant?
Successful scientific leaders possess originality, energy and authorial personality. They think and act independently and creatively and attract talent, radiate intellectual charm and emit the energy needed for great accelerations, they are ready to embark on an adventure. Thanks to such people, science is making great strides forward.
The brilliant career of Joachim Dudenhausen includes position of internationally recognized university professor, head of department at famous Charité hospital, president of Perinatal societies and above all Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Perinatal Medicine (JPM). I think that the perinatal world should be most grateful to the personal role of Joachim in making JPM the best journal in our field. It will soon reach impact factor of 3 and I am proud indeed to be Associate Editor and to help Joachim as much as I can in the most significant success of his rich career.
Joachim was also a great teacher who strongly affirmed the wisdom of our people “it is not knowledge to know knowledge, but knowledge means to pass on knowledge”. I enjoyed listening to his lectures in perinatal medicine, and even in areas that are not the subject of my immediate interest. I learned how to open lectures, achieve close contacts with listeners, address students directly in a packed hall, and direct invitations to ask questions. I remember his sentence “Colleagues, today you have to ask me questions, and you should immediately know that there are no wrong questions, that there are only wrong answers”.
He was the first from whom I heard the thought “real education is global education, and education is a lifelong process”. He often pointed out that controversy is necessary for science and that it is a fundamental generator of new ideas. Science must be based on evidence and not on authority because real science only acknowledges arguments. He was not satisfied with his university education during his working life.
It is very difficult to avoid pathos here because this whole short review carries a kind of emotional charge because I love Joachim as a great humanist, erudite and, above all, a warm person. He has a good and gentle word for everyone, strongly reaffirming Balzac’s thought that great people are small up close. I have a deep respect for his achievements and moral character, and I often pointed out that he is the most intelligent human being.
I could say a lot more because there is never too much of something that should abundant, but about Joachim his grandiose work and biological traces speak more than words.
My dear friend Joachim, for your milestone birthday I will use famous Latin sentence: Vivat, crescat, floreat!
Asim Kurjak
JPM Associate Editor
Professor Dudenhausen is a soft-spoken individual, focused on improving patient care throughout his career, and his accomplishments are many and profound. He has always been a staunch advocate for women’s health. His relentless pursuit of a wider impact for the Journal of Perinatal Medicine has recently borne fruit in markedly increased impact factor, the likes of which I have not seen for any journal at any time in my career. He is truly one of my heroes. It has been my honor to serve the Journal of Perinatal Medicine at his request as a recent addition to the Editorial staff, and, since he never quits, I hope to do this for a number of years to come.
My sincere wishes to Professor Dudenhausen for a Happy Birthday and also a Happy Anniversary for the Journal of Perinatal Medicine with him at the helm!
Daniel W. Skupski, MD
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Weill Cornell Medicine
Chief, Obstetrics and Gynecology
New York-Presbyterian/Queens
dwskupsk@med.cornell.edu
JPM Associate Editor
“Be the change you want to see in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
Dr. Joachim Dudenhausen is that change and more. A physician, teacher, mentor, researcher, leader, gentleman, friend, family man, and truly a citizen of the world. As a pioneering physician, Dr. Dudenhausen is considered one of the giants in obstetrics. He has always taken on the challenge to improve health for women, uncompromising in a quest for science and a better tomorrow. He taught and mentored generations of physicians, many from different corners of the world.
He is an effective and accomplished Editor-in-Chief who has made tremendous improvements and innovations for our Journal. Not only has Dr. Dudenhausen forged an illustrious career in academic medicine, but he also possesses a unique insight into the workings of a variety of healthcare environments based on his diverse life experiences serving on faculty across the world. He is truly poised for greatness and our Journal is blessed to have him at the helm. It is my honor and true privilege working with him as an Associate Editor. And the best is yet to come … Happy Birthday, Joachim! You are our inspiration!
Ivica Zalud, MD, PhD
Journal of Perinatal Medicine
Associate Editor
Professor and Chair
Kosasa Endowed Chair
Department of OB/GYN and Women’s Health
John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI, USA
JPM Associate Editor
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