Rolf Christian Gaillard (1944–2011): A builder of modern European endocrinology and neuroendocrinology

Abstract

Rolf Christian Gaillard was a Swiss physician, scientist, and academic leader whose career contributed significantly to the development of modern European endocrinology and neuroendocrinology. Among his most remarkable qualities was an exceptional talent for organisation and institution‐building. Together with his collaborators, Gaillard became internationally recognised for his work on regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. His research demonstrated how immune mediators influence endocrine regulation during infection, inflammation, trauma, and chronic stress. His scientific interests extended beyond neuroendocrinology and included leptin physiology, obesity, appetite regulation, adrenal disorders, adult growth hormone deficiency, metabolic diseases, reproductive endocrinology, and neuroendocrine adaptation. A founding member of European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA), he subsequently served as its Treasurer and then as its President and largely contributed the success of the ENEA Congresses and Workshops.