Professor Ondrej Hes (1968–2022)

Ondrej Hes was born in Pilsen (Plzen) in the former Czechoslovakia on 21st July 1968, to an academic and an artistic family. After receiving medi­cal degree in 1993 at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, he continued his postgraduate training in Anatomic Pathology. In 1999 he received Board Certification in Patho­logy. In 2001 he received his PhD followed by promotion to Associated Professor of Patho­logy at Charles University in 2003 and then Professor of Pathology at Charles University in 2009.
He was a dedicated surgical pathologist with a special interest in genitourinary pathology, especially focused in tumours of the kidney – a field in which he became a world-renowned expert. Hardworking and curious, he travelled worldwide reviewing usual and unusual kidney tumours, searching for what he called “orphan renal tumours” – a term he used for neoplasms that did not currently fit existing classification schemes. He collaborated with pathologists from five continents. All of this resulted in the creation of Plzen, probably the largest kidney tumour registry in the world, which was open to all everyone in the subject. It became a base for researchers as well as the European Society of Pathology (ESP) Advanced Training Centre for Genitourinary (GU) Pathology.
He was a great university teacher, who helped some of his students to become pathologists. He was part of the heart and brain of an unusual international GU pathologist network involving pathologists in all levels of their career. Also, he was the author of the unconventional idea to merge science and friendship, which led to the establishment of a series of GU pathologists’ meetings, called “Kidney Tumour Friends (KTF)” also known as the Pilsen Urogenital Pathology Conference, the first edition of which took place in 2006. The aim of this unique conference was to exchange ideas in the GU field not only inside an auditory hall but also al fresco during recreation activities.
He was frequently an invited speaker and lecturer, participating in numerous international societies and organizations such as the European Society of Pathology (ESP) and the Arkadi M. Rywlin (AMR) International Pathology Slide Semi­nar Club. He was an active member of working groups on renal neoplasia: the International Society of Urogenital Patho­logy (ISUP) and the WHO-blue book: Kidney Tumours. He was a co-author on the Genitourinary Pathology Society (GUPS) consensus articles, and he...


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