Rudolf Höfer, MD, 1923–2023

Rudolf Höfer, MD, professor emeritus at the University of Vienna (Austria) and a lead figure in nuclear medicine in Europe, died on November 9, 2023, after a long, fulfilling, and impactful life. He was born on March 18, 1923, into a family of physicians in Vienna. His early education included attendance at the Theresian Academy. His studies at the Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna were interrupted by military service and a 5-y postwar imprisonment in Africa. He ultimately received his doctorate in general medicine on July 3, 1953, before joining the second Medical University Clinic in Vienna, led by Karl Fellinger, who had been a student of the 1927 Nobel Laureate in Physiology, Julius Wagner-Jauregg.

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Höfer was fascinated by the then new field of nuclear medicine. In an interview on the occasion of his 95th birthday, he said, “I was born into nuclear medicine, for the year of my birth was when George de Hevesy published his first results from the applications of radioactive isotopes in biology and medicine.” Shortly after joining the Medical University Clinic, Höfer received a Fulbright scholarship that took him to the Donner Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. After his return, he took over management of the Medical University isotope ward in 1958. Later he said, “I was a nobody to arrive in Berkeley and return 3 mo later as a so-called specialist, which was considered enough to engage in the introduction of radioisotope methods” in Vienna.

The Vienna activities of Höfer and colleagues, such as Herbert Vetter and Fritz Hawliczek, were initially focused on research, diagnosis, and therapy of thyroid diseases, which ultimately led to Höfer’s formal qualification (habilitation) in internal medicine in 1966. In the 1960s, nuclear medicine at the University of Vienna was housed in a 3-story barrack built with funds recovered from donations received by Fellinger as University Rektor at the school’s 600th anniversary. Nuclear medicine was on the ground floor, squeezed between a computer hub in the basement and gastroenterology on the first floor.

Höfer was one of the leading forces in establishing the subject of nuclear medicine as its own distinct subject area. In 1973, nuclear medicine was launched as an independent department before it became an integral part of the Vienna General Hospital, where it relocated physically in 1992. The nuclear medicine clinic hosted an extraordinary array of 12 γ-cameras, 2 total-body counters (not to be confused with total-body PET), radiochemistry labs, a small cyclotron, and a therapy ward.

On October 1, 1983, Höfer was appointed the first full professor of nuclear medicine at the University of Vienna, a position he held until 1993. The early foundations of nuclear medicine in Austria were further supported by the close engagement of his mentor Herbert Vetter with the International Atomic Energy Agency and their Atoms for Peace program, as well as the activities of Georg Riccabona in Innsbruck, Otto Eber in Graz, and Gerhard Mostbeck in Vienna in advancing the clinical use of radioisotopes.

In addition to his many clinical and national activities, Höfer was entrusted in January 1972 with the founding of the European Nuclear Medicine Society, which took place on June 8, 1974, in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and for which he became first secretary. This society was merged in the 1980s with the European Society of Nuclear Medicine into the European Association of Nuclear Medicine. In addition, he was secretary and president of the Austrian Nuclear Medicine Society (ÖGNMB) from 1972 to 1978.

One of Höfer’s most notable accomplishments in broadening the nuclear medicine landscape was the foundation of the Radioactive Isotopes in Clinics and Research symposium in 1954. This meeting was held on a biannual basis in Bad Gastein, Austria, and brought together a growing number of international advocates for clinical and biologic applications of radioisotopes. Dr. Höfer organized this symposium from 1954 to 1993 and helped it to develop quickly into a leading international congress in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. It is noteworthy that, despite the restrictions of the Cold War, each of the Gastein meetings was attended by scientists from Eastern Europe, most likely because of the neutrality of Austria. At their peak, these symposia brought together 400 attendees from almost 40 countries, encouraging lively exchanges and lifelong friendships. Without a doubt these meetings made an important contribution to East–West rapprochement and serve as an example of the power and obligation of scientists to remain in touch in times of global turmoil. Höfer was later awarded honorary membership in the ÖGNMB for his service to the professional society.

Höfer was spokesperson for the Curia of Professors and vice dean of the Medical Faculty at the University of Vienna from 1992 to 1993. As a member of the “New Vienna General” building commission, he played a key role in designing the nuclear medicine facility as one of the largest and best equipped in European university hospitals.

Höfer was one of the founding fathers of Austrian and European nuclear medicine. His commitment to nuclear medicine in Vienna and beyond came at a time when this field of medicine was in its infancy. Without Höfer, nuclear medicine development in Austria and Europe would likely have been delayed. What made him a truly inspiring and commendable person was his wit, modesty, and pride. A few years ago, when asked about his retirement, he responded, “I am very happy that people remember me after I left my professional career.” We visited him occasionally after accepting our respective positions as professors of nuclear medicine and physics of medical imaging. He would serve platters of food, much of which he prepared himself, followed by lively and humorous conversations. He was a pioneer of nuclear medicine and a welcoming host to many.

Commenting on the place of our field in the larger medical landscape, Höfer said, “The use of radioactive isotopes in the clinic and research grew on the grounds of theoretical and clinical subjects. In recent years, the combination of radiological and nuclear medicine techniques has gained a permanent place in imaging diagnostics. Given this success, cooperation at eye level is both required and a guarantee for continued success. However, to conclude from this that nuclear medicine is a part of radiology is just as absurd as it would be to declare radiology a branch of nuclear medicine in the future.” We are honored to have known this special person, friend, and mentor and extend our condolences to his family at this difficult time.

• © 2024 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

• Revision received December 5, 2023.
• Accepted for publication December 6, 2023.