Professor Nils Thyresson 1915–2008

The previous Editor-in-Chief of this journal, Professor Emeritus Nils Thyresson, sadly died on the 21st of June 2008, only a few weeks before his 93rd birthday.

Nils Thyresson received his medical training at Uppsala University and later in Stockholm at the Karolinska Institute, where he was appointed specialist in Dermatology and Venereology in 1952. He completed his PhD degree at the Karolinska Institute in 1951 and became Associate Professor of Dermatology and Venereology, after which he moved to Uppsala University to set up its first Dermatology department in 1955. Three years later he was appointed Professor of Dermatology and Venereology in Uppsala and soon established an exemplary university clinic that attracted numerous young doctors, many of whom eventually became Heads and Professors of Dermatology around the country. Nils Thyresson was the Dean of the Medical Faculty of Uppsala University from 1962 to 1966. In 1968 he was appointed Professor of Dermatology and Venereology at the Karolinska Institute, where he served as Head of the Dermatology department until his retirement in 1980. During this period he was Secretary General of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and served on the Boards of many societies and journals around the world, for which he was awarded the Marchionini Gold Medal at the World Congress of Dermatology in Berlin in 1987.

Nils Thyresson became the Editor of Acta Dermato-Venereologica in 1969 after Sven Hellerström and continued to hold this position until 1987, i.e. 7 years after his retirement, when he returned to Uppsala. During his 18 years as Editor of Acta Dermato-Venereologica he developed the journal in an excellent way and Acta Dermato-Venereologica became firmly established as an international journal.

Nils Thyresson will be remembered as an outstanding physician and scientist, and a skilful organizer and administrator with a tremendous working capacity. His personal characteristics were a combination of bright intellect, honesty and reliability. He was also a very friendly person who will be remembered for years to come.

When I met Nils for the last time, only a few days before his death, he was receiving medical treatment for a hip fracture. He was still very much the same pleasant person as always and we had a long discussion, not only about his health but also about mutual friends and old times.

Nils Thyresson closest relatives are his two daughters, Ingrid and AnneMaria, and his son Håkan, who is a practising dermatologist in Boston.

Uppsala, July 2008

Anders Vahlquist

Editor-in-Chief