Team

Dr. Oskar C. Aszmann, born in Vienna, Austria, is currently a Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Vienna's Division of Plastic Surgery. His primary focus lies in peripheral nerve reconstruction, extremity/hand rehabilitation, and pioneering bionic reconstruction at the Center for Extremity Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, collaborating with Otto Bock to improve patients' impaired extremity function through surgical and mechatronic techniques.

Contact: oskar.aszmann@meduniwien.ac.at

Karin Auer has joined the Laboratory as administrative assistant to Professor Aszmann in November 2019. Before that, she has worked as administration manager with a focus on Quality and Environmental Management Systems in two major international certification companies.

Contact: karin.auer@meduniwien.ac.at 

Dr. Christian Hofer, a Clinical Research Coordinator at Ottobock, specializes in coordinating clinical research collaborations and leads projects related to somatosensory feedback for amputees. He also serves as a Key Researcher and Deputy Head at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, focusing on advanced rehabilitation technology and diagnostics.

Contact: christian.hofer@ottobock.at

Prof. Dr. Winfried Mayr, an Associate Professor in Rehabilitation Engineering at Vienna Medical University, coordinates research on modular bionic arm prosthesis with sensory feedback and intuitive control, and his extensive expertise encompasses spinal cord injury rehabilitation, neural prostheses, functional electrical stimulation, and biomechanical and electrophysiological testing.

Contact: winfried.mayr@meduniwien.ac.at

Agnes Sturma, a physical therapist with a PhD in Applied Medical Sciences/Clinical Neuroscience, joined the Lab in 2012 and currently conducts research on phantom limb pain, outcome assessments and motor learning in amputees or people with severe nerve injuries, while also contributing to clinical rehabilitation and coordinating international research projects. Also, she is head of the Physiotherapy Degree Programme at FH Campus Wien.

Contact: agnes.sturma@meduniwien.ac.at 

Anna Bösendorfer, with a background in Occupational Therapy and a master's degree in Health Assisting Engineering, currently works as research therapist at the "Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction," collaborating with Agnes Sturma on patient rehabilitation and performing clinical research studies. In her PhD, she  focuses on novel solutions in upper limb amputations.

Contact: anna.boesendorfer@meduniwien.ac.at 

Anna Pittermann, a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist at the Medical University of Vienna's Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery since 2006, conducts psychological assessments and provides treatment for patients dealing with trauma or adaptation challenges, alongside teaching patient-doctor communication.

Contact: anna.pittermann@akhwien.at

Anna-Maria Willensdorfer, trained as a Chemotechnical Assistant with extensive knowledge in immunology, works at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, where she provides support for ongoing research and studies, bringing her scientific knowledge to various projects in the field since November 2019.

Contact: anna.willensdorfer@meduniwien.ac.at 

Aron Cserveny, an illustrator and graphic artist, specializes in visualizing scientific and medical concepts, and he currently supports the CD-Laboratory for Bionic Reconstruction in conveying their research findings and methods to a broader audience.

Contact: aron.cserveny@meduniwien.ac.at

Hans Oppel and René Roggenhofer launched the Orthopädie-Technik-Haus-Döbling in 2015, specializing in orthopedic prosthetic treatment. They contribute to our clinic's multidisciplinary excellence and help to provide patients with the best prosthetic treatment, offering innovative socket designs and prosthetic components, with a focus on hybrid hand fitting for elective amputations.

Contact: hans.oppel@othdoebling.at  /  rene.roggenhofer@chello.at 

Konstantin Bergmeister, MD, is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical University of Vienna and a plastic surgeon at the University Hospital St. Pölten. He specializes in peripheral nerve regeneration and prosthetic device testing and has received numerous research awards, including the WKO prize and Research Prize of the Medical Association of Vienna.

Contact: konstantin.bergmeister@meduniwien.ac.at

Olga Politikou is a certified hand surgeon. She completed her training and obtained diplomas in hand surgery and microsurgical techniques, and her current research focuses on cognitive nerve transfers in stroke patients and the feasibility of bionic reconstruction. She was awarded the FESSH/Foundation for Hand Surgery Clinical Research Grant in 2020 for this project.

Contact: olga.politikou@usz.ch

Matthias Sporer, a graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, is currently a PhD student and anatomy tutor. He is now focusing on neuronal plasticity and its usability for the control of prosthetic devices. This includes current works on ultra-selective nerve transfers, neonatal rat models, theranostic implants and its effects on the motor unit system.
 

Clemens Gstöttner, a medical graduate from the Medical University of Vienna, leads projects to enhance signal transduction in prosthetic interfaces, collaborates internationally on implantable neuromuscular technologies, develops 3D software for nerve surgeons, and innovates in neuromuscular reconstruction for amputees using surgical techniques and tissue transfers.

Contact: clemens.gstoettner@meduniwien.ac.at

Matthias, a graduate of the Medical University Vienna, specializes in reconstructive (micro)surgery after pursuing internships in reconstructive surgery departments worldwide. He is currently a PhD student at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, working on experimental projects involving nerve transfers, human-machine interfacing, and neurophysiological examinations of the adult motor unit, including nerve and muscle imaging.

Contact: mluft@gmx.at 

Vlad Tereshenko is currently a participant in the MD-PhD excellence program, conducting research on facial innervation patterns, cranial nerve interconnections, nerve axonal composition, and sensory feedback in bionic reconstruction. His work includes experiments, exploring selective facial innervation patterns via cranial nerves in animal models and the development of advanced immunofluorescent staining protocols for visualizing neuronal structures.

Contact: vlad.tereshenko@meduniwien.ac.at
 

Christopher Festin, a 2020 graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, is currently a full-time PhD student at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction. His research centers on restoring sensory feedback in bionic reconstruction through targeted sensory reinnervation as part of the MD-PhD excellence program.

Contact: chris.festin@gmail.com

Gregor Längle, a 2018 graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, is currently working at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction. He specializes in nerve surgery and coordinates patients for clinical research while pursuing his PhD project, which started in 2020. His responsibilities also include the coordination of the patients for clinical research both pre- and postoperative, as well as organization and communication. 

Contact: gregor.laengle@meduniwien.ac.at

Udo Maierhofer, a 2020 graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, is currently pursuing his PhD at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction. His research focuses on the evaluation of the axonal composition of the lumbosacral plexus, facilitating his main research interest of refining nerve surgery in the lower extremity.

Contact: udo.maierhofer@meduniwien.ac.at

Florian, after completing his medical studies in 2021, joined the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, where he focuses on research projects related to experimental treatments of spasticity, muscle biology and surgical approaches to Paget Schroetter syndrome. His background includes teaching anatomy, research in neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, oncology, plastic surgery and a passion for data and computer science.

Contact: florian.jaklin@meduniwien.ac.at
 

Andreas Gohritz is a plastic and hand surgeon who, as of September 2021, serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Reconstruction, focusing on complex nerve and bionic reconstruction and neurogenic pain surgery. His primary project involves collaborating on a book with Prof. Aszmann and Prof. Lee Dellon, Baltimore, covering sensory nerve reconstruction to restore sensation and alleviate pain throughout the body.

Contact: andreas_gohritz@yahoo.com

Benedikt Baumgartner, with a background in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in biomedical engineering, currently works at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction at the Medical University of Vienna. His focus is on developing an adjustable transradial socket, contributing to projects aimed at improving prosthetic control, alongside organizational responsibilities. 

Contact: benedikt.baumgartner@meduniwien.ac.at

Bernhard Fasching is a neurophysiotherapist at the Medical University Vienna's Department of Neurology, specializing in neuro-rehabilitation. He is involved in therapy science projects, focusing on motor learning and rehabilitation after central nervous system diseases like stroke and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, he finished his master's in Health Assisting Engineering with a thesis on the use of a robotic hand in post-stroke sub-acute settings.

Contact: bernhard.fasching@meduniwien.ac.at
 

Leopold Harnoncourt started studying medicine at the Medical University of Vienna in 2016. Due to his interest in surgical disciplines and anatomy, he joined the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction in autumn 2019. After graduating he is currently continuing his work at the lab as a PhD student. His research projects focus on Nerve Transfers and Sensory Fillet Flaps.

Contact: leopold.harnoncourt@meduniwien.ac.at

Johanna joined our lab in 2019 to write her diploma thesis on “Multiple Nerve Transfers to a Single Target Muscle”. After graduating at the medical university of Vienna she is now a PhD student at our lab. Her research fields include Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, Man-Machine Interface and Spasticity.  

Contact: johanna.klepetko@meduniwien.ac.at

In 2019, Dominik Dotzauer followed his passion for reconstructive surgery and became a part of the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction. Upon completing his diploma thesis, which focused on assessing the neural contribution to the facial nerve and examining the integration of proprioceptive feedback in bionic reconstruction, he was accepted in the MD-PhD excellence program. During his PhD studies, he is currently investigating the axonal composition of motor branches in the upper extremity and analyzing the distribution of axons after the reinnervation of segmented peripheral nerves.

Contact: dominik.dotzauer@meduniwien.ac.at

Lukas Proksch, currently a fourth-year medical student at the Medical University of Vienna and already holds a master’s degree in Health Assisting Engineering, is involved in a research project at the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Extremity Reconstruction, focused on developing an adaptive and anthropomorphic prosthetic foot and testing it in a patient with osseointegration.

Contact: lukas.proksch@meduniwien.ac.at