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In memory of Hans Christian Godal

Harald Arnesen

Ulleval University Hospital, Norway

Received 11 January 2006; received in revised form 11 January 2006; accepted 17 January 2006Available online 9 March 2006

Our dear colleague and friend, Professor HansChristian Godal, died on March 24th 2005 at the

doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2006.01.007

E-mail address: herald.arnesen@ulleval.no.

age of 82, after about a year’s history with cancer.Hans Christian started his medical education at theUniversity of Copenhagen in 1945 as one of severalNorwegian students who were granted free educa-tion as a reward for participation in the resistancemovement during the Second World War. Hegraduated from Medical School in 1952 with dis-tinction (bcum preceterisQ).

After having finished his internship in Norway, hejoined the research group of Paul Owren atRikshospitalet, Oslo, in 1957, where he was intro-duced to the field of coagulation and haemostasis.Professor Owren created a flourishing milieu forcoagulation research which attracted several out-standing young scientists, in addition to HansChristian Godal among others Knut Aas, Sverre Blix,Christian Borchgrevink, Olav Egeberg, Arvid Hel-lem, Peter Hjort, Arne NordØy, Hans Prydz, HelgeStormorken, and Bjarne Waaler. Obviously, livelydiscussion would frequently take place in thisbOwren School of CoagulationQ where also severaloutstanding scientists from other countries visitedas research fellows or lecturers.

Hans Christian’s first delegated task was lip-oproteins and atherosclerosis, but very soon hepointed out his own field, i.e., purification andcharacterization of fibrinogen. He spent 6 monthsat the Theodor Kocher Institute in Bern, Switzer-land, under the guidance of Professor Ernst Luscherbefore he in 1962 defended his thesis entitledbPrecipitation and Coagulation of Fibrinogen. With

Thrombosis Research (2006) 118, 297—299

H. Arnesen298

Special Reference to the Influence of Heparin andHeparin-Neutralizing SubstancesQ for the PhD de-gree from the Institute for Thrombosis Research atRikshospitalet, University of Oslo.

During these early years of research HansChristian made several important discoveriesconcerning fibrinogen. He showed that heparinprecipitates fibrinogen and that protamine andpolybrene both inhibit this precipitating effectand that polybrene was superior since this sub-stance had very little fibrinogen precipitatingeffect itself.

During these years Hans Christian also studiedthe bheparin tolerance testQ frequently used as apredictor for thrombotic tendency. Hans Christianshowed that this test was rather unspecific in thatseveral factors would influence the result, amongothers a1-acid glycoprotein.

Finally, being amongst the first in the world — afrequently neglected discovery — he showed theprofound influence of Ca++ on fibrinogen stabilityand structure. These initial basic observations laterprovided valuable platforms for further investiga-tions for several of his research fellows.

In 1962 Hans Christian was asked by professorKnut Aas, who at that time had moved to Ullev3lUniversity Hospital in Oslo, to establish a special-ized laboratory in haematology and coagulation inhis Department of Internal Medicine. However,financial support was scant. This appeared to havea particular appeal to Hans Christian. Having hisroots among Norwegian mountain farmers andfishermen, Hans Christian at an early day of lifewas trained to maximise with a minimum. Thus,although equipment was limited, Hans Christian ina surprisingly short time established the bGodalLaboratoryQ which became the centre of a newbSchool of Haemostasis Research in OsloQ, whereyoung medical doctors with interest in biology andresearch were attracted by the bmodest geniusQ ofHans Christian.

As Hans Christian’s interest focused on furtheraspects of fibrinogen, and even on platelets, aseries of theses emerged from his laboratoryover the years, and more than 250 scientificpapers in international journals appeared fromhis hands.

His original ideas were mainly linked to hisfascination for the fibrinogen molecule, its hetero-geneity and physical properties under variousconditions, its activation or cleavage by thrombinand the inhibition of this reaction by antithrombinand heparin, its cleavage by plasmin, the inhibitionof this reaction by coagulation, and the influence ofthe fibrinogenolytic degradation products on fibrinpolymerization.

His close contact with clinical medicine arousedhis scientific curiosity concerning diffuse intravas-cular coagulation (DIC), and the role of solublefibrin in various clinical thromboembolic condi-tions, both venous and arterial, as well as intovalidation of the laboratory tests for haemostaticdisorders.

Hans Christian often started out with the motto:bDo it simple, with modest equipment, but with adevoted mindQ, and the internationally frequentlyused bethanol gelation testQ or simply bthe GodaltestQ for the presence of soluble fibrin in thecirculation was an example of his brilliant simplic-ity.

From the bGodal laboratoryQ the readers ofrelevant literature will easily recognise the con-tributions of his research fellows over the time, likeIvar Helle on coagulation dependent inhibition offibrinolysis (1968), Arne Foss Abrahamsen on plate-let survival (1969), Ulrich Abildgaard on antithrom-bin (1969) and as a co-author on the originaldescription of the ethanol gelation test (1966),Clas Eika on heparin and platelet aggregation(1973), Peter Kierulf on the fibrinogen—fibrinconversion and soluble fibrin (1974), Harald Arne-sen on fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products andthrombolytic therapy (1974), Bernt Ly on complexformation by various fibrinogen derivatives (1975),Rolf Slaastad on low-graded DIC (1976), Leif JanBjørnson on thrombus formation in the artificialkidney (1978), Frank Brosstad on fibrin monomersand their interaction with other components of thehaemostatic system in humans (1980), Per Ander-sen on heparin and a1-acid glucoprotein (1981),Dennis WT Nilsen on fibrinogen, fibrin, antithrom-bin and the risk of DVT (1986), Bjbrn Holm on thebheparin precipitable fractionQ in relation to fibrin-ogen heterogeneity (1986), Ole Henning Skjbnsbergon coagulation factor activity during production ofblood concentrates (1988), and Sigrun Halvorsen onthe stimulatory effect of soluble fibrin on plasmin-ogen activation by tPA (1994).

Up until his last months of life, Hans Christiandaily visited his laboratory, and took active respon-sibility for new research fellows.

Several of his research fellows were highly andlife-long influenced by his scientific personality andintellectual enthusiasm, and have contributed tospread some brings in the waterQ after him.

In addition to an end-less list of review work fora broad range of international journals, HansChristian also took more active part in the editorialwork of Haemostasis, Scandinavian Journal ofHaematology, and Thrombosis Research. With hisspecial analytical and kind personality he was alsooften appointed as an opponent to doctoral dis-

In memory of Hans Christian Godal 299

sertations in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. HansChristian Godal was one of the very few honorarymembers of the Norwegian Society of Hematology.

In line with the latter qualities, Hans Christianwas also an outstanding teacher. Again, he madeeven complicated matters simple and understand-able, and he conducted an endless series ofhaematology and coagulation courses, always withexcellent evaluations of his great expertise mixedwith a superior didactic ability. His teachingextended from advanced postgraduate courses tomedical students and medical technologists, alwaysconducted with the same enthusiasm.

In his daily leadership of the HaematologyLaboratory at Ullev3l University Hospital he alsomanaged to take excellent care of his often rathersick patients with leukemia, multiple myeloma,anemia and complicated cases of thromboembo-

lism. Numerous patients have been thankful for hisrealistic and human approach during difficult years.

As an example of Hans Christians’s broad talenthe was an excellent amateur boxer in his youth,and a gifted player of the violin as an adult, arather special combination.

Hans Christian Godal was a modest man, whopossibly had deserved even more internationalattention for his scientific skills. He was in additiona very kind man who showed an endless care for hisco-workers and scientific pupils, who really lovedhim.

We miss him as an outstanding and inspiringscientist and as a dear friend.

Harald ArnesenPeter KierulfPer Morten SandsetFinn Wisløff