Authored by Marcus J Schultz, Professor, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Ary Serpa Neto, Professor, Department of Intensive Care, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil | Edda Tschernko, Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care and Pain Management, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria | Marcelo Gama de Abreu, Professor of Anaesthesiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, US.
Professor Paolo Pelosi passed away on May 30, 2023 aged just 60 years old. Paolo’s passing is a great loss for his family, his team at the Intensive Care Unit at the San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy, his friends in the Protective Ventilation Network, and the medical community worldwide. Paolo left behind a legacy of extraordinary contributions to education, research, and clinical practice.
Professor Paolo Pelosi graduated magna cum laude in Medicine and Surgery and completed his studies as a Specialist in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and a Research Fellow in Anaesthesiology at the University of Milan, Italy. He served as Associate Professor in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the University of Insubria, Varese, Italy, before he became Chief Professor in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and Director of the Specialty School in Anaesthesiology at the University of Genoa, as well as Head of the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit at the San Martino Hospital. He played a pivotal role in shaping the future of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in Italy as the President of the College of Professors in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.
Paolo’s main research interests have been focused on respiratory physiology during anaesthesia and respiratory failure. He developed numerous collaborations with highly scientifically reputed groups across the globe, focusing on mechanical ventilation and sepsis. One of his major successes was the establishment of the Protective Ventilation Network, a large worldwide network of researchers focused on protective ventilation and its effects on main outcome measures and organising large scale databases, as well as observational and randomised controlled trials worldwide in the field of anaesthesiology.
Besides scientific and clinical activities, he served as President of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) and as Secretary, and then Head of the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly 2 at the European Respiratory Society (ERS). He was a Member of the Council at the World Federation of Societies of Intensive Care and Critical Care Medicine (WFSICCM), and a member of Boards of numerous International Meetings. Paolo was extremely productive, as Editor of several books, original papers, invited papers, book chapters and proceedings. As an accomplished speaker, Paolo provided lectures at more than a thousand national and international meetings.
Paolo made considerable contributions to the field of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Paolo played a pivotal role in developing worldwide randomized controlled trials, creating large-scale databases, and performing observational studies. In this way he revolutionized the field of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Paolo will be remembered for his dedication to education and mentorship, through his participation in resident programmes and fellowships. He shaped the minds and the careers of many anaesthesiologists and intensivists, in Italy and beyond. Importantly, Paolo’s activities were always patient-centred.
He was a passionate and dedicated physician, with deep clinical knowledge. During the COVID–19 pandemic, more precisely when Italy was hit by the first wave, Paolo spent endless hours caring for patients in Genoa, and also spreading knowledge to other countries that were just to face the epidemic themselves. Paolo counselled, participated in forum discussions, and advised state governments on how to deal with that threat, contributing to saving lives worldwide.
It surprises nobody that Paolo received esteemed medals and honorary memberships.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Paolo’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose careers he decisively touched.
We will greatly miss this mentor, colleague, and close friend who was a real mastermind in uniting colleagues all over the world for the sake of improving the care of patients. In the legacy of Paolo, we will continue his mission by bringing people together, working together, and will not forget the joy and fun while doing this all.