The French Society of Radiology (Société Française de Radiologie, SFR) has announced the death of Dr. Philippe Rouleau, the tropical imaging specialist, respected educator, and emeritus professor at the University of Tours. He died on 23 September.
"All those who have had the good fortune to work with Philippe Rouleau appreciate his agile mind, and his extreme kindness," noted SFR President Dr. Jean-François Meder in 2012, when SFR awarded Rouleau a medal of honor for his services to radiology, particularly for his guidance of young doctors, both in France and abroad, and his efforts to improve radiological practice throughout his career.
Dr. Philippe Rouleau.A resident and senior registrar in Paris and Tours, Rouleau became a university professor in 1978, and then head of radiology in Bretonneau hospital, Paris. In 1981, he became head of adult radiology both in Bretonneau hospital and Trousseau hospital, Tours, where he established the digitalization of imaging data. He was also made a member of France's Order of Academic Palms and an officer of the National Order of Merit, and retired in 2004.
"I was lucky enough to work with Prof. Rouleau quite a long time ago. He was a very fine man, with a warm approach toward his colleagues and people," Dr. Robert Lavayssière, staff radiologist and CEO at Centre d'Imagerie Paris-Nord in Sarcelles, told AuntMinnieEurope.com.
Rouleau's passion for teaching was reflected in his very diverse activities, according to the SFR. Among his key achievements was his work with French-speaking teachers of radiology (Groupe des Radiologistes Enseignants d'Expression Française, GREF), which resulted in a large number of radiologists from sub-Saharan Africa coming to France. He helped them to prepare for the Africa and Madagascar Higher Education Board teaching exam (Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l'Enseignement Supérieur, CAMES). In addition, he organized the session on tropical imaging at France's national radiology congress (Journées Françaises de Radiologie, JFR) for 20 years.
Rouleau held many important positions during his career. For instance, he was president of the College of French Radiology Teachers (Collège des Enseignants de Radiologie de France) and member of France's National Board for the Training of Hospital Staff.
His life will be commemorated in a service at the church of Sainte-Julitte, Saint-Cyr-Sur-Loire on the morning of Friday 2 October at 11:00. He will be buried at Gaudonville, Gers. The SFR has offered sincere sympathy to his wife Annick and their family.
