Abstract
Professor Jean-René Maisin, aged 89, passed away on 19 January, 2018, in Uccle, Belgium.
He was a specialist in pathology and radiobiology and an important influence in the development of laboratory animal science in Belgium and in the early years of the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS).
Married and a father of three children, Jean-René Maisin obtained his medical degree in 1954, becoming a specialist in pathology in 1959 and in radiobiology in 1961. He worked at the Center for Nuclear Energy Studies in Mol (CEN-SCK), where he was the Head of the Department of Radiobiology.
In 1981, he became Professeur Extraordinaire at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) and Professor Emeritus in 1993.
After his period as emeritus professor, he was Vice-Chair of the Belgian Deontological Committee on the use of Laboratory Animals at the Ministry of Public Health, and chairman of the working group “Science and Technology” of the same Committee.
Jean-René Maisin was also a founding member and President of the Belgian Council for Laboratory Animal Science (BCLAS), the Belgian Society of Radiobiology, a member of the Board of Directors of the Belgian Radiation Protection Society and of the Belgian Society of Radiological Protection. He was also Vice-President of FELASA (Federation of European Associations of Laboratory Animal Sciences).
In 1991 Professor Maisin was elected a member of the Governing Board of ICLAS, and, in 1993, became ICLAS Acting President and then President from 1995 to 1999. During this period, he organized Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) courses, especially in Hungary and former Eastern European countries and also in Tunisia, which, since 1997, has served as a platform for the training of researchers in French-speaking Africa.
In addition to his prestigious scientific career, with the help of his wife Claudine, Jean-René Maisin committed himself with great dedication to social activities, especially helping children with cancer and their families.
Professor Jean-René Maisin will be fondly missed by the laboratory animal community.