The Anatomical Society mourns the loss of its long-standing member Professor Dr. Michail S. Davidoff (18.07.1940 - 20.06.2024).
Professor Davidoff studied medicine at the University of Sofia in Bulgaria from 1960 to 1966. From 1976-1974 he was a research assistant at the Regeneration Research Laboratory of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia and an assistant at the Institute of Anatomy and the Institute of Histology and Embryology at the Medical Faculty in Sofia. In 1968 he became a member of the Bulgarian Anatomical Society, in 1969 a member of the Society of Histochemistry in Germany and in 1972 a member of the Anatomical Society. From 1972-1973 he was a visiting scientist at the Institute of Anatomy in Würzburg and habilitated in anatomy in 1974. At the same time, he became Associate Professor for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology at the Regeneration Research Laboratory of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. From 1975-1977 he was Visiting Associate Professor at the Institute of Anatomy in Würzburg and from 1977-1978 Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology of the Higher Medical Institute of Pleven. This was followed in 1977 by a second habilitation as Doctor of Medical Sciences and a further period from 1978-1981 at the Anatomical Institute of the University of Würzburg. In 1982 he became Professor of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology at the Regeneration Research Laboratory of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This was followed by a further period 1982-1983 as Visiting Professor at the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Würzburg. From 1985 to 1989, Michail Davidoff was Visiting Professor at the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Hamburg under Friedrich-Adolf Holstein and then became Full Professor and Vice Director of the Institute of Cell Biology and Morphology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. From 1990-1993 he returned to the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Hamburg as Visiting Professor and was appointed University Professor in 1993. Here he was Acting Director of the Department of Microscopic Anatomy from 2000-2001 and retired in 2005. But even after his retirement, he was actively involved at the University of Hamburg, including on the Board of the Friends and Sponsors of the UKE-Hamburg.
Michael Davidoff has received numerous honors. In 1999, he was made an honorary member of the Bulgarian Anatomical Society and the Romanian Anatomical Society. He was a corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and has been a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina since 1985.
From 1998-2002 he was on the board of the Anatomische Gesellschaft and in 2001 its president. From 1982-1989 he was President of the Histochemical Section of the Bulgarian Society of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, from 1975-1989 a member of the Board and Secretary of the Bulgarian Anatomical Society and from 1971-1975 its Treasurer. His scientific work focused on the morphology of the CNS and PNS, the structure of parenchymal organs and the morphology and function of neuroendocrine cell systems. Michail Davidoff was a great anatomist, afine man and the Anatomische Gesellschaft will keep him in honorable memory.
