In Memory of Professor O’Rourke and Professor Safar
Professor Michael O’Rourke
We were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Professor Michael O’Rourke on Monday, February 5th, at the age of 86 years. A native of Australia, Professor O’Rourke made enormous contributions to our field, and was a pioneer in the study of the role of arterial hemodynamics in health and disease. He was a strong supporter of our society, as well as our sister societies in Europe and Asia. Dr. O’Rourke’s scientific and academic accomplishments are too numerous to summarize, but his work has inspired multiple scientists around the world, that continue to build new knowledge based on his contributions. His legacy lives on, and he will be remembered with fondness and admiration.
Professor Michel Safar
Professor Michel Safar passed away on Saturday 27th January, 2024, at the age of 87 years. Professor Safar’s impact on our field is similarly, too large to summarize, but his seminal studies of arterial stiffening and pulse pressure, and their role in cardiovascular risk and hypertensive target organ damage, led to a paradigm shift in our approach to the clinical relevance of pulsatile hemodynamics. Dr. Safar mentored multiple successful investigators, and inspired a new generation of scientists in France and around the world, that continue to make important contributions in the field.
