(Vienna, July 1, 2025) Stephan Polterauer will take up the professorship for gynecological oncology (§99-1) at the Medical University of Vienna on July 1, 2025. The head of the Gynecological Cancer Unit at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology will focus on the further development of personalized therapy approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure the highest quality of care for patients.
Stephan Polterauer's clinical focus is on the surgical and medical treatment of gynecological cancers. His research concentrates on three main areas: personalized, modern surgical treatment approaches, clinical studies on targeted drug therapies (precision medicine), and a translational research program with international cooperation partners. "I am very much looking forward to further developing the field of gynecological oncology together with an interdisciplinary team and implementing new, innovative projects in this area," says Polterauer.
About the person
Stephan Polterauer studied medicine in Vienna and completed his specialist training in gynecology and obstetrics at MedUni Vienna. This was followed by a clinical fellowship in gynecological oncology (ESGO accreditation). From 2010 to 2011, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. During this research stay, he investigated the role of the MUC16 gene in the oncogenesis of ovarian cancer. The focus was on identifying the protein-protein interaction network of MUC16-CA125 and its significance in epithelial ovarian cancer.
In 2011, at the age of 30, Polterauer qualified as a Privatdozent with a thesis on Inflammation and Cancer – Prognostic Models in Gynecologic Oncology. After returning to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University of Vienna, he was appointed a position as Associate University Professor in 2014. This was followed by numerous translational and clinical projects on surgical interventions and innovative therapeutic approaches for preinvasive and invasive diseases, for which he received several research grants and awards.
Since 2019, Stephan Polterauer has lead the Clinical Research Unit with a focus on gynecological oncology. He is active in the ENGOT and GCIG research networks and conducts phase 2/3 clinical trials with his interdisciplinary team. He focuses on innovative surgical techniques and targeted systemic therapies.
In 2023, he initiated the establishment of a biobank for gynecological malignancies in close collaboration with pathology and laboratory medicine, thereby establishing a translational research program with local and international partners.
Since 2019, he has also headed and coordinated the Gynecologic Cancer Unit at the CCC. He co-founded the Young CCC and is currently a member of the Cancer School management team and the CCC Executive Board.
Since 2022, Polterauer has been 2nd Deputy Head of the Division of General Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology (Head: Nicole Concin). He has published over 150 scientific papers, including articles in Lancet and the Journal for Clinical Oncology, and is an active editor and reviewer for numerous scientific journals. In addition to his scientific and clinical work, Stephan Polterauer is involved in various professional associations. Most recently, he was vice president of AGO-Austria and is currently head of the scientific committee. The training of young doctors has always been an important focus to Stephan Polterauer. In 2009, he founded the Surgical Skills Training Center, which he lead until 2020. He is currently working at the Division of General Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology as program director of the ESGO Fellowship Program.