Thomas Otto

Prof. Otto has been operating for more than 25 years, with the first years of surgery dedicated to general surgery, trauma surgery and vascular surgery. Since 1987 Prof. Otto has worked in the operative urology of the clinics of the University of Essen, the Municipal Clinics Neuss, the Rheinisch Westfälische Center for Pelvic Surgery and the West German Tumor Center. The professional training has been deepened by stays in numerous renowned national and international specialist institutions.

Focuses are tumor surgery, plastic surgery and surgical reconstructive urology with potency and sexuality preservation. Under his direction, the first Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - ITERM in Germany and the second facility of its kind in Europe has been implemented with the aim of repairing defective organs by means of endogenous cells. Goals are also here to improve the quality of life and prognosis of tumor patients. Prof. Otto was a member of the board of the AUO (German Association of Urological Oncology) of the German Cancer Society and has been a leader in the guidelines of the German Society of Urology for bladder cancer and prostate cancer. He is 1st Chairman of the Rheinisch Westfälische Zentrum für Beckenchirurgie, 1. Chairman of the German Center for Testing and Development of Innovative Methods in Medicine, on the extended board of the West German Tumor Center and heads the Institution for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. His expertise has enabled him to partner with the International Tissue Engineering Research Association, the Theodor Bilharz Reseach Institute, Cairo, Egypt and Wakeforest University in North Carolina, USA. In the field of oncology, Prof. Otto has introduced numerous new treatment concepts for bladder carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, penile carcinoma and prostate carcinoma as well as new developments of pharmaceuticals in tumor treatment with consecutive patenting. The expression of these activities is the coordination and guidance of clinical trials for diagnosis and therapy. 22 "Good Clinical Practice" (GCP) compliant studies have so far been completed by Prof. Otto. This research activity results in decades of continuous work as project leader of the German Research Foundation. Prof. Otto has worked on the basics of gene chip technology for the National Genome Research Network (NGFN).