Prof. Dr. Stanislav Reberšek

Professor Stanislav Reberšek — electrical engineer, doctor of science, husband, father, grandfather, colleague, friend, and acquaintance — was a man who took on many roles throughout his life. He was a person of great heart: modest, considerate, and compassionate. He left a lasting mark on the development of biomedical engineering in Slovenia and the research group of the Laboratory of Biocybernetics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He will be remembered always.

Ljubljana, April 2022.

In early February 2022, we received the sad news that longtime member of the Laboratory of Biocybernetics, retired professor Stanislav Reberšek, had passed away after a prolonged severe illness.

Professor Stanislav Reberšek was born in 1942 in Celje. He completed his undergraduate studies in 1969 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Ljubljana, where he received his master's degree in 1980 and his doctorate in 1984. He joined biomedical engineering research in 1968, when as a student he became part of the Laboratory of Medical Electronics and Biocybernetics group led by academician professor Lojze Vodovnik. Over decades of research, Professor Reberšek worked in various fields, with the main areas being functional electrical stimulation of upper extremities and introduction of new methods in physical therapy, study of the effects of electrical stimulation on spastic muscles, and the use of electrical pulses for therapeutic purposes. He understood the hardships of patients at the Institute for Rehabilitation, their parents and relatives, as well as the struggles and aspirations of physiotherapists. At the peak of his research career, he therefore strove for advancement and development of physiotherapy methods and objective evaluation of patient rehabilitation.

Professor Reberšek led and participated in domestic and international projects, and for his inventive and research achievements, together with colleagues, twice received the state Boris Kidrič Fund Award. Throughout his career, he remained a dedicated and conscientious educator and mentor to students and younger colleagues. Between 1995 and 1999, he served as Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He retired in 2010 but remained active at the Laboratory of Biocybernetics for many years afterward, until a tragic accident three years prior.

Professor Reberšek was one of the founding members of the Slovenian Society for Medical and Biological Engineering (DMBTS) and a longtime treasurer and honorary member. He collected and curated a collection of functional electrical stimulation devices, first presented as an organized museum collection during the Conference on Functional Electrical Stimulation in Ljubljana, organized by DMBTS from August 22 to 25, 1993. The Museum of Functional Electrical Stimulation was later put on display at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, where it can still be seen in limited form as a permanent collection in the corridor outside the Laboratory of Biocybernetics on the third floor of Building A. The museum was also exhibited as part of the "Technology for Health" exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Technical Museum of Slovenia in Bistra from May 7, 2013 to December 3, 2014.