New Director of the Department of Neurosurgery

Professor Tareq Juratli is to become the new Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Würzburg University Hospital (UKW) and holder of the Chair of Neurosurgery at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. He will take up his new post on 1 October.

Previously, Juratli served as Senior Consultant and Deputy Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital of the Technical University of Dresden. Since 2022, Juratli has also headed the Neuro-Oncology Centre there at the National Centre for Tumour Diseases in Dresden.

A native of Bonn, he has been working in neurosurgery for around 20 years and has extensive surgical experience in the treatment of disorders of the brain, the skull base and the spine. Juratli’s particular clinical specialisms lie in neuro-oncology, complex skull base surgery and spinal surgery. He utilises microsurgical, endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques in his work.

The aim of his care is to provide a treatment plan tailored to each individual. He attaches particular importance to providing clear explanations, involving patients’ families and ensuring comprehensive post-operative care.

Microsurgical robotics and intraoperative imaging

Tareq Juratli’s scientific work focuses on the molecular characterisation of brain and spinal cord tumours, as well as on the development of new surgical techniques and technologies. A particular focus is on the co-development and clinical testing of innovative instruments, minimally invasive approaches, intraoperative imaging techniques and microsurgical robotics.

In doing so, Juratli pursues translational approaches, that is, the direct transfer of scientific and technical developments into surgical practice and into new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients.

Professor Juratli has received numerous national and international awards for his scientific work, including from the German Society for Neurosurgery (DGNC), the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), the Hannelore Kohl Foundation and the Sibylle Assmus Foundation.

In addition, he has secured substantial funding from the European Union, the German federal government and the German Research Foundation (DFG). As a reviewer and member of scientific committees, Juratli is also actively involved in national and international professional associations.

Further enhancing the quality of care

Tim J. von Oertzen, Medical Director and Chairman of the Executive Board at the UKW, explains: “With his proven expertise, Professor Juratli will be ideally placed to further develop our highly specialised range of services in the field of neurosurgery. This will enable us to further enhance the quality of care for our patients in the region and beyond. We extend a warm welcome to him at the UKW.”

Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Würzburg, adds: “With his research in the field of neuro-oncology, Professor Juratli will be an excellent addition to the scientific portfolio of Würzburg University Medicine. The National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) WERA will also benefit from this.”

Tareq Juratli is 44 years old, married and the father of two children. He studied medicine at Philipps University of Marburg and completed his training in neurosurgery at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital of the Technical University of Dresden.

Molecular characterisation of brain tumours

Juratli spent two and a half years at Massachusetts General Hospital, part of Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he undertook a significant part of his scientific training. There, he focused in particular on the molecular characterisation of brain tumours and the development of targeted therapies.

Further international clinical and research posts took Juratli to, amongst others, the University of California, San Francisco; the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Ohio State University; the University of Oxford; Yokohama City University; and Huashan Hospital at Fudan University in Shanghai. These postings and numerous collaborative projects have given rise to a broad international clinical and scientific network.

Excellent conditions in Würzburg

In Würzburg, Juratli sees excellent conditions for bringing clinical neurosurgery, modern tumour medicine and technological innovation closer together. Together with the clinic’s staff and colleagues from related disciplines, he aims to further develop state-of-the-art surgical care, interdisciplinary neuro-oncology and molecularly-oriented treatment approaches. Close collaboration with colleagues in private practice, regional and supra-regional hospitals, the emergency services, and the rehabilitation and aftercare facilities providing follow-up treatment is particularly important to him.

The academic environment of the university and the University Hospital, the further development of the Department of Neurology, and the structures of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) WERA offer particular opportunities in this regard. Juratli intends to draw on his experience from the NCT site in Dresden and his international network to establish new collaborations and translate scientific findings into clinical practice more quickly.

On a personal level, Juratli and his family are also looking forward to moving to Würzburg. As a keen walker, he is particularly looking forward to the vineyards, the River Main and the wide range of activities on offer in the surrounding area.

“I would like to build on the excellent infrastructure available here and break new ground together with the team and our partners. My aim is to achieve modern neurosurgery that combines surgical excellence with molecular diagnostics, innovative technologies and application-oriented research. The medical centre in Würzburg offers excellent conditions for this. It is crucial that innovation is not an end in itself, but directly benefits our patients,” said Professor Juratli.