Obituary: Carsten Obel has died

Carsten Obel has been very important to many colleagues - both academically and personally - at Aarhus University in general and at the Department of Public Health and the Research Unit for General Practice in particular. News of his sudden death has come as a great shock that is difficult to understand and put into words.

As both employee and colleague, Carsten Obel was unique. As he also was as a researcher, where he over a quarter of a century saw his most important tasks as contributing to society and improving mental health among children and young people. Carsten Obel was a visionary and an inspiring organiser who was always looking to make a contribution in many different contexts. He was a master of cross-disciplinary collaboration; always with new projects underway, and always ready and happy to invite researchers, patients, ordinary people, business and industry and public organisations to join. This was one of Carsten Obel's greatest fortes.

In the world of research, Carsten Obel was recognised for his academic work, and he enjoyed great respect among his peers. Carsten Obel has a comprehensive authorship of groundbreaking scientific publications behind him, and he has secured many large grants for his innovative and socially-oriented research projects, which include a digital platform that provides Denmark’s municipalities with the opportunity to work systematically with mental health among children and young people.

Creating value for the country’s citizens was one of the fundamental frameworks for all of Carsten Obel's activities - both in his research and teaching. And it encompassed all of the parties involved; from participants in his experiments and development work to how the ordinary person encounters the healthcare system. Carsten Obel was furthermore a tireless advocate for the use and protection of the unique research and development potential that the Danish personal data registers offer.

Carsten Obel was committed and hard-working as few people are. He diligently and conscientiously held many important positions and duties, e.g. as a member of the Danish Health Technology Council, the Danish Life Science Cluster, the Organisation of Danish Medical Societies and the Danish Society for Digital Health. He always prioritised the individual case over the system and was happy to take on an extra stint to make things happen. Also when these things did not appear possible on paper. Carsten Obel was not afraid to challenge frameworks and conditions if needed.

The students were also enthusiastic about Carsten Obel, not least because of his unconventional and innovative approach to teaching. He was warm and caring in the way he interacted with other people, and students, colleagues and collaborative partners all benefited from this. Carsten Obel was humorous and you were never bored in his company. He met everyone with a smile and an open, inquisitive and welcoming mind.

Carsten Obel graduated from the medical degree programme at Aarhus University in 1994 and completed his PhD degree in epidemiology at the same university in 2003. He has been affiliated with Aarhus University's Department of Public Health since 2007, and in 2014 he was appointed professor of general practice and child mental health.

Carsten Obel leaves a large academic void and sense of loss.

Let us pay tribute to his memory.

On behalf of the Department of Public Health and the Research Unit for General Practice in Aarhus, 
Department Head Ole Bækgaard and Research Director Per Kallestrup