It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden and untimely passing of our beloved Danica Stanimirović. Danica passed on January, 17 2024 at the Ottawa General Hospital.
Danica’s life was nothing short of exceptional anyway you look at it.
Danica got the very first public acknowledgment of her talent for math and science in her native Serbia in 1977 when selected, after a grueling entrance exam, as one of only 120 freshmen students of the prestigious Belgrade Mathematical Grammar School. Danica very soon realized that the life has way more to offer besides the “core business” of math and science (in both of which she naturally excelled). During her teenage years, Danica developed love for art. Her literary work was awarded on numerous occasions during her high school and university years. Unknown to many, Danica was also part of a very vibrant Belgrade punk scene in the early 1980s as a keyboard player for a local band named “We want no compromises”. Indeed, throughout her life, she was never willing to make any compromise when it came to her professional or personal integrity.
Danica began her very successful studies of Medicine in 1981 followed immediately by her Ph.D. studies that she pursued in parallel with her clinical residency activities. In 1988 she became the youngest Ph.D. holder in former Yugoslavia, a country of some 23 million souls.
Danica began her North American scientific career in 1991 by successfully completing a two-year postdoctoral stunt at NIH in Bethesda, MD. Her work didn’t get unnoticed by the NRC management and, in the summer of 1993, Danica and her husband Dusan moved North to Ottawa where she would spend over 30 years with the NRC until her untimely departure this past Wednesday.
During her 31 year tenure with the National Research Council in Ottawa, she achieved everything that can be reasonably expected of a human being. At the time of her premature death she was the Director of the NRC’s Translational Bioscience Department where she has led strategic NRC Programs and served on Scientific Advisory Boards of many biopharma companies and numerous international R&D initiatives. Danica was also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The Government of Canada recognized her achievements by awarding her the Public Service Award of Excellence in 2023. Danica has authored over 170 manuscripts and holds 22 patents in the field of integrative neuroscience.
While, without a shadow of a doubt, a top notch neuroscientist and a leader, Danica was foremost an exceptional human being. Shy and modest beyond reasonable, Danica would avoid bringing up any of her professional achievements as topics of conversation. It was art, gardening and travels that she enjoyed to chat about. Unconditionally devoted to her husband Dusan, Danica was respected for her intelligence and wisdom and truly loved, by anyone who knew her, for the largesse of her pristine soul.
She was predeceased by her parents Emilija and Branislav. Danica is survived by her husband of 32 years, Dušan Đurić, and her younger brother Dušan Stanimirović (Svjetlana). Danica was the proud aunt of Uroš and Luka.
Visitation will be held at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 2PM. A Memorial Service will follow in the Sacred Space at 3:00PM, followed by a reception. For those not able to attend the Service in person, the Service will be Live Streamed - you may register here.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Danica Stanimirović Memorial Fund.
Digital Guestbook
Jez Huang
Marlena and Arek Lutkiewicz
Dušan,
We are so sorry to hear od Dana’s passing. Please, accept our heartfelt condolences.
Julia Transfiguracion
My heartfelt condolences to the family. I worked with Dana on a huge, very important project at NRC-HHT of which she was the lead. I admired her so much, such a nice person, very professional and so passionate about her work. I will definitely miss her and no doubt NRC-HHT will miss her so dearly.
Umberto Banderali
I will always be grateful to Danica for how she warmly welcomed me at the NRC and for all her support and encouragements during all these years.
Will Costain
I am greatly saddened by the unexpected loss of a tremendous mentor and leader, Dr. Danica Stanimirovic. Dana had a truly exceptional mind and was an unwaveringly positive and supportive person and supervisor. Her accomplishments as a scientist and inventor were truly remarkable. She was a person who created an environment of success and compassion that made working with her a joy. Her passionate approach to life and work inspired all around her. She will be remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Danica was an exceptional…
Danica was an exceptional member of the NRC executive team, an inspiring research leader, and a talented and creative high impact researcher in her own right - it was a pleasure and honour to be with her when she received the public service award from the Clerk of the Privy Council and so was recognized for her exemplary service by the federal community. I am so sad and sorry to learn of her passing, and my deepest condolences to her family and friends. Iain
Leslie Brown
Offering my thoughts and well-wishes to Dana's family. I loved to read that she was in a punk band. I never realized she was an artist as well until she offered some of her work for the United Way raffles at M-54. A woman of obvious and hidden talents.
Girish Patel
Apart from her significant career achievements, Dana will be remembered for her gentle, soft spoken nature and for her fairness in interactions with others.
Wandong Zhang
It is a shock that Danica suddenly passed away. It is a great loss to us. Danica was a great scientist at NRC and an adjunct professor at uOttawa. She was instrumental leading the Neurobiology program at IBS-NRC, TBBB program and Mab-T program at HHT-NRC during the past 20 years and made great contributions to science, particularly about her leading role in development of three generations of blood-brain barrier carriers for brain drug delivery. I greatly appreciate and thank her for her supports to my research work at NRC during the past years. Deeply condolences for her passed away. Wish her rest in peace in the Heaven!
Ahmed A Zafer
A very sad day for all of us who knew Dana. Some knew her very well, while others not so much. I interacted with her on occasion, such as taking photos for some of her sessions or demonstrating instruments and techniques to visitors and news media and most importantly when I went to her for financial approvals to renovate several Labs from scratch. She did not know me that well at that time, yet when I submitted financial approvals for large amount of funds, she used to look at me and understand the whole picture. It made our lives so easy, cordial and efficient, when a Director had a sixth sense in their trust and confidence over their operational staff. My condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in eternal peace.
Dana has always taken care of everyone ,always positive and inspired all of us. We will miss you!