(Vienna, 15 May 2026) Tobias Winkler took up the Chair of Orthopaedics (§98) at MedUni Vienna on 15 May 2026. The renowned expert in regenerative orthopaedics and trauma surgery is thus returning to his academic and personal roots. Tobias Winkler was most recently Professor of Regenerative Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH). He takes over as Head of the Department of Orthopedics and Trauma-Surgery at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, as well as the Division of Orthopedics.
Tobias Winkler brings to Vienna many years of expertise in highly specialised joint-preserving and joint-replacement surgery, as well as a modern and international network in translational research. In particular, the surgeon focuses on the development and clinical application of innovative biological therapies to improve the chances of recovery for the musculoskeletal system in cases of degenerative diseases and following injuries. In addition, as founder of the Advanced Therapies in Orthopaedics (ATiO) Foundation, Tobias Winkler is committed to global scientific and clinical exchange and is active in numerous international committees.
At MedUni Vienna, Tobias Winkler and his team will devote themselves to the three core university tasks:
Research
Tobias Winkler’s focus is on the translation of biological healing approaches in orthopaedics and trauma surgery.
- Following his successful leadership of the HIPGEN EU consortium on muscle regeneration following endoprosthetic treatment of femoral neck fractures, Tobias Winkler will now bring the coordination of the EU Horizon project PROTO to Vienna. The project focuses on novel personalised treatment strategies for osteoarthritis patients using allogeneic cell therapies and sensor-based digital training interventions.
- Another EU consortium launching in September this year, coordinated by Tobias Winkler, is SPRiNT. In SPRiNT, Tobias Winkler’s team will spend the next six years developing regenerative therapies for Achilles tendinopathies.
- Research into inflammatory mechanisms and their modulation in musculoskeletal tissue is a key focus of Tobias Winkler’s research. His team is investigating the transition from health to chronic disease and ways to intervene preventively. In particular, new biomarkers for personalised medicine are being developed in the multinational clinical trials.
"My aim is to bridge the gap between the laboratory, the clinic and the operating theatre in order to offer patients novel treatment options in combination with established procedures," emphasises Winkler.
Teaching and Continuing Professional Development
In teaching, Tobias Winkler focuses on the early support of young scientists and the establishment of clinician-scientist programmes to firmly embed research within clinical careers. To this end, Tobias Winkler will bring elements of his Surgical Scientist Programme – developed specifically for students and postgraduate trainees interested in surgery – to Vienna. An interdisciplinary approach will place greater emphasis on integrating students into international research networks. In specialist training, his focus is on teaching modern digitally supported surgical techniques and biological reconstruction methods, as well as on early interprofessional exchange, in order to train a new generation of excellent orthopaedic and trauma surgeons at the interface with science.
Medical care
In medical care, Winkler is driving forward digitalisation and the establishment of novel, evidence-based therapies in orthopaedics and trauma surgery. His aim is to generate genuine medical progress through visionary approaches. "Scientific evidence must guide clinical practice," says Winkler, who, among other things, has implemented new forms of care in the treatment of prosthetic infections at Charité Berlin. "Modern orthopaedics and trauma surgery must not stand still. We must actively push the boundaries of what is currently feasible and bring new therapies based on valid data into clinical practice in order to create the medicine of tomorrow," says Winkler.
About the person
Tobias Winkler studied medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, where he obtained his Dr. med. univ. and Dr. scient. med. degrees. In 2004, Tobias Winkler moved to Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where he completed his habilitation in 2014 on the topic of cell therapy for skeletal muscle trauma.
Alongside his clinical work, during which he established, among other things, a multidisciplinary department for musculoskeletal infections, he completed a Master of Health Business Administration (MHBA) at FAU Nuremberg-Erlangen. Since 2020, he has held the Professorhip of Regenerative Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Charité and the BIH. For his pioneering work, he has received, among other honours, the Research Award from the German Society for Endoprosthetics and the Innovation Award from the German Society for Trauma Surgery. Tobias Winkler has a son, a stepdaughter and a partner. He is interested in modern art, plays tennis and is enthusiastic about good ideas.