Abstract
It is with great pleasure that we present this special issue of the abstracts from all the doctoral and PhD theses from the Danish Headache Centre to Professor Jes Olesen on the occasion of his 75th birthday, 9 September 2016. This catalogue of theses and dissertations produced under the leadership of Professor Olesen may be considered a platform for the present state of the art in headache research and an inspiration for future research projects because many important scientific discoveries should be followed up.
Professor Olesen’s career has been phenomenally successful, starting with his pioneering brain imaging work, providing the first evidence of the neural basis of aura in patients. Professor Olesen has also with significant commitment and indefatigable energy contributed greatly to headache science by creating the International Headache Classification.
Recognizing the significant lack of systematic research and the unmet need for specialized care of headache disorders, Professor Olesen was instrumental in founding the Danish Headache Center in 2001. The Center was the first in Scandinavia offering a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of headache disorders. The Danish Headache Center received a Global Excellence Award in 2010 and again in 2014. The Center has a high research output, producing more than 50 highly ranked scientific publications and two to three PhD theses every year.
Together with a number of national and international partners, Professor Olesen continues to be a key research leader in large-scale population studies to identify genetic factors and the effects of lifestyle on the incidence of headaches. In a world with limited resources, education is the way forward and in order to meet the need for headache specialists, an International Master Program in Headache Disorders has been initiated at the University of Copenhagen, in close collaboration with the Danish Headache Center. Professor Olesen will be one of the key lecturers and will inspire the next generation of future headache scientists, as he has inspired us into the exciting field of headache research. We are deeply grateful for his lifelong contribution to science, for never-ending support and encouragement, and for great friendship.