(Vienna, 01 October 2025) Andreas Zuckermann took up the § 99 (1) professorship for heart transplantation at the Medical University of Vienna on 1 October. Zuckermann has been Head of the Heart Transplantation Programme at MedUni Vienna since 2006, which he has built up into one of the largest and most successful centres in Europe. More than 1,800 heart transplants have been performed here to date. Under his leadership, numerous medical milestones have been achieved, including the first ex-situ perfused heart transplant in Austria, the first transplant after cardiac arrest (DCD) and ABO-incompatible heart transplants in children.
His scientific work focuses on the further development of organ preservation and perfusion technologies, the investigation of ischaemia-reperfusion damage and immunological issues relating to rejection mechanisms. Other areas of focus include outcome research and value-based healthcare. The aim of his current projects is to improve the results of transplants through new organ preservation techniques, systematically evaluate large patient data sets and develop personalised therapy concepts. With around 300 publications in international journals, he is one of the leading voices in his field.
Zuckermann has also been active in teaching for many years. He is involved in the training of medical students and doctors as well as in the further education of transplant teams worldwide. He is particularly committed to promoting young scientists and international networking.
Zuckermann is represented in numerous professional societies and committees internationally. He was President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (2022–2023) and of the Austrian Transplantation Society (2016–2018). Since 2023, he has been a member of the Council of Science and Medicine of Eurotransplant.
Zuckermann studied medicine in Vienna and completed his specialist training in surgery and cardiac surgery at MedUni Vienna and the University Hospital St. Pölten. In 2003, he received the Venia docendi. He also completed training in healthcare strategy at Harvard Business School.
"Heart transplantation is much more than a surgical procedure – it gives people new life. My vision is not only to preserve donor hearts, but to actively improve them and further optimise the treatment of each individual patient with the help of modern data analysis and personalised approaches," emphasises Zuckermann.