“From the outset, my most immediate goal is to develop a research friendly climate and to generate enthusiasm for research among my employees, and then gradually develop research priorities,” explains Mielke. The planned development of various research priorities, which include the treatment of tumours and functional neurosurgery, will significantly strengthen the importance of Augsburg as a place for neurosurgery. 

Modern research and teaching concept

Neurosurgical research stands in close connection with the surgical treatment of diseases of the nervous system. “I want to identify promising therapies and methods and implement them before they are generally well-established. For this, I will gladly make use of the optimistic mood at the ‘new’ Faculty of Medicine,” says Mielke. Her research concepts envisage a close relationship between the neuroscientific disciplines and the fundamental research institutes, where her motto for research is “Preserving functional integrity despite maximising the effectiveness of neurosurgical operations.” With surgical know-how and available technical developments, surgery can be designed so that the risks of symptoms of failure are minimised even though they cannot be completely eliminated. “Further perfecting this motto is one of our goals,” emphasises Mielke.  

High-quality teaching is also especially important to Mielke. For this, she has not only developed a customised teaching concept but also plans to establish a student academy. “The academy will provide students with experienced medical mentors, who can answer questions about neuroanatomy and act as contact persons throughout their entire studies,” she explains. It is also important to her that students develop a close connection to neurosurgery early on in their studies. This especially important for being able to recruit future doctors for specialist training.

About Prof. Dorothee Mielke

Prof. Dorothee Mielke studied human medicine at Charité Berlin and Karl-Rupprecht University in Heidelberg, graduating in 2004. During her studies she gained practical experience in various hospitals, including in South Africa, the United States, and Switzerland. She gained her doctorate in 2006 at the Freie Universität Berlin. Following positions as an assistant doctor at University Hospital Leipzig, University Hospital Gießen and Marburg, and at the University of Göttingen, she qualified as a specialist in neurosurgery in 2010. From 2012, she worked as a senior physician and from 2018 as managing senior physician and deputy clinic director in the department of neurosurgery in Göttingen. In 2016, she was awarded the title of APL Professor of Neurosurgery. She has held the Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of Augsburg since 15.01.2024.