(Vienna, 01 July 2023) On 1 July 2023, Clemens Aigner will take over the professorship for thoracic surgery (§98) at MedUni Vienna and head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital. He is returning to MedUni Vienna after leading positions as Professor of Thoracic Surgery and Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University Medical Center Essen - Ruhrland Clinic in Germany and most recently as Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Floridsdorf Clinic.
Clemens Aigner's planned focal points for the professorship for thoracic surgery are the expansion of thoracic surgical oncology and the surgical treatment of advanced functional lung diseases.
Established focal points of the department such as lung transplantation, larynotracheal surgery and the surgical treatment of pulmonary hypertension are to be further developed in a targeted manner and Department of Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna is to expand its internationally leading role as a center for cutting-edge medicine, research and teaching.
The nationally and internationally networked clinical study activity will be expanded with the support of the translational research laboratories in oncological thoracic surgery, lung transplantation and applied immunology. Ex-vivo lung perfusion and isolated organ perfusion models are of particular importance.
The interdisciplinary cooperation of the department in the Comprehensive Center for Chest Diseases and in the Comprehensive Cancer Center ensures comprehensive individualized treatment at the highest university medical level in close cooperation with external cooperation partners.
Internationally networked teaching from students to clinical and theoretical advanced training in special areas of thoracic surgery contribute to the training and further education of the next generation of leading thoracic surgeons.
About the person
Clemens Aigner studied medicine at the MedUni Vienna and completed his surgical specialist training at the university departments of the MedUni Vienna in the AKH Vienna with several stays abroad. After habilitation, MBA studies at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and years as a specialist in the Clinical Division for Thoracic Surgery (today Department for Thoracic Surgery) with Walter Klepetko, he changed in 2016 to become a university professor for thoracic surgery and head of the clinic for thoracic surgery and thoracic endoscopy at the University Medicine Essen - Ruhrland Clinic in Germany. Since October 2022 he has headed the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Floridsdorf Clinic in Vienna. He has received numerous grants and awards for his work and has published > 200 scientific papers and book chapters.