Since 05/2022
Senior Physician and Head of the Department of Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Children's Hospital Basel (Prof. S. Holland-Cunz)

2020-2022
Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, University Children's Hospital Basel (Prof. S. Holland-Cunz)

2019
Deputy Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Basel (Prof. S. Holland-Cunz)

2018-2019
Senior Physician Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur (Prof. S. Breitenstein)

2016-2018
Pediatric Surgery Fellow, Children's Hospital Colorado, USA (Prof. F. Karrer)

2015-2016
Visceral and Thoracic Surgery Resident, Winterthur Cantonal Hospital (Prof. S. Breitenstein)

2013-2014
Paediatric surgery resident, Zurich Children's Hospital (Prof. M. Meuli)

2011-2013
Assistant Surgeon, Bülach Hospital (Dr B. Muff)

2008-2010
MD-PhD, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich (Prof. F. Verrey)

2019
Specialist examination in surgery (FMH)

2018
Specialist examination in paediatric surgery (FMH)

2018
European Board of Pediatric Surgery written exam

2018
ATLS Instructor

2008-2016
United States Medical Licence Examinations (Step 1, Step 2CS, Step 2CK, Step 3)

2014
Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr sc. Nat)

2012
Basic Surgery Exam

2011
Doctor of Medicine (Dr med.)

2000-2007
Medical studies, University of Zurich

• Neonatal surgery
• Visceral surgery
• Thoracic surgery (incl. thoracic wall malformations)

As a paediatric surgeon, I am often confronted with rare diseases and their treatment. Clinical decisions are usually based on limited evidence. My aim is therefore (i) to conduct highly evidence-based clinical research and (ii) to address treatment options for rare diseases in basic research (translational research):

Clinical research (i):
Systematic reviews attempt to systematically identify, appraise, synthesise and ultimately present evidence that meets predefined inclusion criteria to answer specific research questions. Because systematic reviews are only as good (or bad) as the studies they contain, Cochrane reviews set a very high threshold for study inclusion, and authors must apply certain predefined rules and methods aimed at reducing bias and confounding factors. In recent years, we have conducted several systematic reviews, including three Cochrane reviews (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/search). We were awarded the 2021 British Journal of Surgery Prize for one of these systematic reviews. As some research questions lack good evidence (e.g. due to the rarity of the disease), we established the meta-analysis group (www.metaanalysis-group.ch) in 2016 to synthesise the evidence on specific research questions where high quality evidence is lacking. In collaboration with other Cochrane groups (https://colorectal.cochrane.org, https://ugpd.cochrane.org), we also intend to share our knowledge through peer reviews, support on specific research questions and the supervision of master theses for medical students at the Universities of Zurich and Basel.

Translational research (ii):
During my MD-PhD, I worked on the expression and regulation of intestinal amino acid and other nutrient transporters in humans. Among other things, we were able to show that the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the enterocytes of the small intestine is necessary for the expression of the luminal membrane amino acid transporters B0AT1 (SLC6A19) and SIT1 (SLC6A20). The intestine could be an entry point for SARS-CoV-2, and the infection could even have started by eating food from the Wuhan market. After my PhD, I started to establish my own basic research group focussing on the expression of nutrient transporters (amino acids and monosaccharides) in the small intestine of newborns. We were able to show for the first time that human newborns do not express the prolin transporter SIT1 or the fructose transporter GLUT5. While intestinal proline transport can be provided by other transporters, this means that human newborns cannot absorb fructose at all. In 2019, I was awarded the 'Prix Nachwuchs' of the Swiss Society for Paediatric Surgery for these findings. In collaboration with the group of Prof Christoph Schneider (University of Zurich) and Prof James Dunn (Stanford University), we are currently investigating new treatment methods (intestinal distraction using an elastic spring; chronic intestinal helminth infection, etc.) for short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that mainly affects newborns after major intestinal resections.

Since 2020
Core Curriculum Paediatric Surgery for Assistant and Deputy Senior Physicians, UKBB

Since 2019
Paediatrics Club, University of Basel

Since 2019
AIP (Arzt im Praktikum) Master's programme, University of Basel

Since 2018
ATLS Instructor