Professor Dr. Cordula Poulsen Nautrup passed away
We mourn the death of Professor Dr. Cordula Poulsen Nautrup. She passed away at the age of 60 on 20th of July 2017. We lost a well-known anatomist, a pioneer in the field of veterinary ultrasound and echocardiography, an outstanding cardiologist and a respected and popular university lecturer.
Professor Poulsen Nautrup studied at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany. In 1985 she received a doctor’s degree with her doctoral thesis “Macroscopic-anatomical and radiographical findings at the cervical vertebrae of the New Zealand rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domestica) during the postnatal development with special regard to nomenclature”.
She began her career in the field of applied anatomy at the Institute of Veterinary Anatomy of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover and stayed there for 6 years.
Afterwards she worked as a Product-Manager at the company Feinfokus, which produces Micro-x-ray systems.
In 1989 she started working in the field of human medicine at the Center of Anatomy of the University of Medicine in Hannover, with focus on functional and applied anatomy.
She later returned to the Institute of Anatomy of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, where she received her degree as a specialist veterinarian in anatomy in 1993.
Professor Poulsen Nautrup was one of the first veterinarians to do research in the field of veterinary ultrasound and to teach ultrasound and echocardiography in animals. She was a veterinary cardiology specialist and member of Collegium cardiologigum.
In 1997 she was appointed to a C3-professorship for applied anatomy at the Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of LMU Munich. For nearly 20 years she had given lectures on anatomy – her favourite field always had been the anatomy of the heart and the cardiovascular system – however as well the clinically relevant fields radiographic anatomy, sonography and echocardiography. Over the years many students as well as practising veterinarians were able to attend one of her numerous lectures or practical training lessons.
Additionally, for many years Professor Poulsen Nautrup was the women’s representative of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the LMU Munich as well as a mentor at LMU’s mentoring program.
Professor Poulsen Nautrup successfully founded the first ultrasound laboratory for students in Europe in 2008, where students can effectively learn and practice abdominal sonography and echocardiography under the supervision of specially-qualified teaching staff. For almost 10 years this ultrasound laboratory has been and still is one of her most successful projects, it is unique in German-speaking countries and very popular among the students.
Furthermore, she developed - often in cooperation with her doctoral candidates - a variety of teaching and learning tools and applications for example Sonobasics and Phonobasics, wrote popular books and publications and significantly supported the development of an ultrasound and echocardiography simulation system.
Her latest project in August 2016 was the purchase of a 3D printer to be able to print various anatomically correct specimens for the students.
Professor Cordula Poulsen Nautrup was a role model for many students and colleagues, her work and achievement are admired, she was a fair-minded and warm-hearted person, who is sadly missed by family, friends, colleagues and students.
It is our concern, that her multiple projects live on and will be continued in her spirit. Her tireless pursuit and her unique ideas will be incentive and role model.
Johann Maierl, Elisabeth Zandt, Stefanie Weber, Inga Wölfel und Sven Reese in the name of the staff of the Chair of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology