Prof. Dr. Hans-Günther Machens

Academic Career and Research Areas

The clinical and experimental interests of Prof. Machens (*1962) lie in translational research in the field of regenerative medicine. In the field of tissue engineering, he focuses on researching new techniques for matrix-based angiogenesis induction in vitro and in vivo. In regenerative medicine, he has developed and patented techniques for the autoregeneration of skin, fat, cartilage and bone tissue as well as for the development of applications of systemic and locally applied rh-erythropoietin for local tissue regeneration. His main clinical interest is in reconstructive surgery and innovative approaches to wound therapy.

After studying human medicine in Hanover, Göttingen, Heidelberg and Chicago, he obtained his doctorate in Heidelberg in 1988. During his specialist training in surgery (1995) and plastic surgery (1999), Prof. Machens habilitated on techniques for angiogenesis induction through cell-based gene transfer (1999). After holding senior medical posts in Hanover and Lübeck, he was appointed to the Chair of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery at TUM in 2007. He is the initiator of several BMBF-funded clinical multicenter studies on the introduction of new therapies for the treatment of burn-injured adults and children. Under his leadership, the world's first bilateral limb transplantation in humans was performed in 2008. He is the initiator of the establishment of a CTA team (Composite Tissue Allotransplantation) for performing limb transplants at the TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar.

Awards

• Heinz Maier Leibnitz Medal of TUM (2008)
• Karl Max von Bauernfeind Medal of TUM (2008)
• Brettschneider Prize (2004)
• Science Prize of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (2000)
• Science Prize of the DAH (German Association for Hand Surgery) (1997)