IN MEMORIAM
MATEV@ GOREN[EK (1972–2020)
Dr. Matev` Goren{ek, specialist in orthopaedic sur-
gery with a sub-speciality in diseases of the spine and
feet, dedicated his career to the surgical treatment of de-
generative diseases of the spine.
Matev` Goren{ek was born on 16
th
of May 1972 in
Ljubljana. He successfully completed his veterinary
studies at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Uni-
versity of Ljubljana in 1999 and studies of medicine at
the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana in 2004. He ob-
tained his specialisation in orthopaedic surgery with hon-
ours in 2010 and worked as a spinal surgeon at the De-
partment for Orthopaedics Surgery in the University
Medical Centre, Ljubljana.
In parallel with his professional activities, he carried
out scientific research based on the detection and treat-
ment of degenerative diseases of the spine. For his work
on the cultivation of stem cells for the implementation in
intervertebral discs he received a PhD in Experimental
Methods for the Prevention of Intervertebral disc Degen-
eration In 2008.
In 2016 Dr. Matev` Goren{ek MD, with his father
Miro Goren{ek MD, and partners founded a new clinic,
Sanatorium MD Medicina, to create a working environ-
ment where the relationship between the patient and the
doctor comes first and the doctor is directly accountable
to his patients. In his position as Executive Director of
MD Medicina his main focus was to establish a better
system in which patients can take an informed decision
and make choices between different institutions and dif-
ferent doctors. Dr. Matev` Goren{ek dedicated his life to
better health care so that it would be accessible to all pa-
tients and at the highest possible level.
Together with his daily work, he was extremely inter-
ested in and aware of the importance of academic medi-
cine, such as participation in congresses, presentation of
research achievements, personal contacts with interna-
tionally renowned experts, and the transfer of knowledge
to Slovenia. He was very keen to foster the importance of
transferring knowledge to young doctors and residents
both at home and abroad.
Dr. Matev` Goren{ek was one of the founders of the
MD-RI Institute for Materials Research in Medicine, a
public institute which was established in 2018 and ac-
quired its first research projects in 2019 and 2020, thus
enabling further research work. In particular, it was im-
portant for him to meet a matrix of young doctors, clini-
cians, older colleagues and to have their work presented
at the International Symposium on Biomaterials and to
publish their results in the scientific journal MIT, with its
IF.
Dr Matev` Goren{ek’s joy in research work remained
undiminished, despite all his other professional obliga-
tions in managing MD Medicina and his daily work as a
spine surgeon. Future plans included new breakthrough
stem-cell research, which following eventual clinical and
regulatory approval was designed to be both patient- and
clinician-friendly.
Matev` was extemely active in the organization of all
three International Symposia on Biomaterials. The Sci-
entific and Organizing Committees decided that 4ISB
will be dedicated to Matev`.
We have lost an excellent orthopaedic surgeon, a re-
searcher, a teacher and a good friend. We all miss him.
Drago Dolinar
ISB Organizing Committee
Materiali in tehnologije / Materials and technology 55 (2021) 1, 13 13