A tribute in memory of our colleague and friend Professor Paul Stoodley
Paul held the positions of Professor of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Orthopedics at the Ohio State University, and Professor in Microbial Tribology at University of Southampton, among several other academic and research appointments and responsibilities, in the US, UK and internationally.
Paul was a key international research leader in the field of microbial biofilms, across fundamental science and the numerous profound applications of this scientific field. On the basis of introducing new multidisciplinary research programs, Paul led the way and expanded the scope, capacities, and excellence of research at several microbial biofilm research centres across the globe. Indeed, Paul was an exemplar leader, inventor, mentor and scientific ambassador.
Microbes are everywhere and have the unique capacity to form complex assemblages, which we recognise as microbial biofilms, on all surfaces in all natural as well as engineered systems. Their presence and actions have profound outcomes, and studying, understanding and addressing such systems are complex and require cross disciplinary skills. This is reflected by the establishment of national and international leading research centres with unique research expertise as based on the embedment of emerging disciplines and fostering novel cross-disciplinary research efforts.
Paul had unique multidisciplinary skills across engineering, biophysics, microbiology and numerous other sciences, combined with the capacity to engage and communicate science to any audience. These qualities made Paul one of the most influential thought leaders and drivers of the uptake of biofilm sciences, both nationally and internationally. This development included numerous fields, encouraged excellence in both basic and applied research, and significantly aided the development of biofilm research centers and entities of thematic scientific and educational programs now operational in many countries and organizations, both within university settings and beyond.
Paul not only shaped the biofilm field but was a wonderful and supportive colleague and friend to many. He was a thinker and a leader, and one of strongest pillars, socially and scientifically, of all biofilm conferences organized across the world. Our thoughts also go to his wife Luanne and his family, friends and lab members. Paul was a generous man and will be greatly missed.
– On behalf of Paul’s colleagues and friends at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore; the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), UK; Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Denmark; and the Costerton Biofilm Center (CBC), Denmark.
Alain Filloux & Staffan Kjelleberg (SCELSE); Jeremy Webb & Jo Slater-Jefferies (NBIC); Rikke Meyer and Tom Seviour (WATEC); Michael Givskov & Thomas Bjarnsholt (CBC).