In Memoriam
Esben Thade Petersen, Ph.D.
10 October 1973 – August 2023
Dear ISMRM Community,
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Esben Thade Petersen has passed away after a seven-year battle with cancer. Esben was the 7 Tesla Group Leader at DRCMR at Hvidovre Hospital and Associate Professor at DTU Health Technology.
Esben has made numerous contributions to the MRI research field, spanning from perfusion methodology to sequence developments at ultra-high field MRI. An example of his extraordinary talent is that already as a Ph.D. student, he pioneered the so-called QUASAR arterial spin labeling technique, which allows for the simultaneous acquisition of cerebral blood flow, arterial transit time, and arterial blood volume. For this, he was awarded the I.I. Rabi Young Investigator Award by the ISMRM in 2005. This award is an impressive accomplishment, and in Esben’s case, it holds even more significance as he competed with applicants who could be five years post-completion of their Ph.D.
Esben was active in several Danish, Nordic and international MR societies, as well as MR community initiatives. At both DTU and DRCMR, Esben was a highly regarded lecturer, mentor and supervisor.
Esben was a great colleague and friend, full of warmth and care for those around him. He leaves us with many fond memories, and it is with sorrow that we bid him farewell. He will be very dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Esben’s family in these heart-breaking times.
His friends and colleagues have taken the initiative to organize an online donation for the Danish Cancer Society. To make a contribution, visit https://www.cancer.dk/mindegave/opret-mindeindsamling/vis/6866/, or make a bank transfer (Danske Bank, Holmens Kanal Afdeling, Holmens Kanal 2, 1090 Kobenhavn K, Denmark, SWIFT-BIC: DABADKKK, Iban: 1630000000001155, mark the transfer “Esben Thade Petersen”).
Linda Knutsson, Karin Markenroth Bloch, Karam Sidaros on behalf of the ISMRM Nordic Chapter Committee