Career Uffe Ravnskov was born in Copenhagen 1934. He was promoted M.D. at the University of Copenhagen 1961. The next 17 years, he worked in Denmark and Sweden as surgeon, radiologist, neurologist, pediatrician, and internist. He was, for example, trained by Gunnar Sebardt (Rondel 2000; 4:Culture) in Skellefteå and Sandviken 1963-68. Then he joined the department of renal medicine (nephrology) in Lund. He defended his theses 1973. He opened private practice 1979. From 1990, he has published about 40 scientific works on blood lipids. He has also published about 20 scientific works on inflammatory kidney diseases. His scientific contributions were rewarded with the Irish Skrabanek Award 1999.His book "The cholesterol myths" (New Trends Publishing, Washington, DC, 2000, www.newtrendspublishing.com) was published a few months ago.
Congratulations, Uffe, for the publishing of some basic concepts of your research for an international panel of readers!
I gather that you challenge fundamental parts of current paradigm in lipid research – elevated blood lipids cause heart disease, diet causes heart disease, and so forth.
I am not able to define a personal position in the lipid puzzle. The field is too vast and complicated for me.
Once, we worked with contrasting techniques for the urine sediment. We found something that suggested thrombocyte remnants in granulated casts. Your enthusiasm and speed in research was impressing.
Furthermore, you were able to cultivate arctic raspberries in Lund, an impossible task according to the botanists.
Your scientific contributions were also appreciated by Nisse. He was one of the experts on the professorship in renal medicine in Lund about 1977. I remember a casual remark of him that you were the only real researcher among the candidates.
No, I do not think that Nisse criticized your competitors. He only expressed a deep personal appreciation of your research.
Nisse and you resembled each other as researchers, creative and dynamic. However, Nisse had a gift to get return from research.
Blackbirds cropped your arctic raspberries. On a brief visit to Umeå, Nisse cropped 50 litters of wild arctic raspberries in a few hours within the city, under the eyes of the astonished aborigines.
The research strategy of Nisse was simple and straightforward – a gourmet palate, basic botanical knowledge, keen observation, working hypothesis, testing, and 50 litres of wild arctic raspberries.
You are right! The Irish Skrabanek Award compares with 50 liters of wild arctic raspberries. It is a honourable work to challenge present models and paradigms and build alternative ones.
Your list of scientific papers is impressing. Not all scientists are allowed to present their ideas in those journals – personal experience.
My point is that your ideas and contributions have been evaluated by leading scientific editors. Their opinion is important; they see many papers and refuse most.
I do not deem that you are right on every point. Nevertheless, in my opinion you may deserve for example the honour title of "professor" – a pure Swedish construction but a signal of official appreciation.
My chief argument is that it is a remarkable deed of a doctor in private practice to simultaneously play in the elite division of science for two decade.
Your opponents can express their approval of your contributions to a limited extent. You cannot decorate your enemy during the battle. Afterwards, you can bury him in the "cemetery of the fallen heroes".
The only actor who can honour you without loosing face is the owner of health care. Like the market, the owner is always right, as long as he or she is owner.
Published, january 9, 2001