The Skoog Visiting Professorship
Tord Skoog (1915–1977) founded the Department of Plastic Surgery at Uppsala University Hospital in 1951. He was appointed the first full university professor of plastic surgery in Scandinavia in 1961 and, as a pioneer of our specialty, he contributed to the surgical evolution in several diverse areas such as cleft lip and palate, burns, breast reduction, and facial rejuvenation. Today our department honors his legacy by installing the Tord Skoog Visiting Professorship.
The Skoog Visiting Professorship
Tord Skoog (1915–1977) founded the Department of Plastic Surgery at Uppsala University Hospital in 1951. He was appointed the first full university professor of plastic surgery in Scandinavia in 1961 and, as a pioneer of our specialty, he contributed to the surgical evolution in several diverse areas such as cleft lip and palate, burns, breast reduction, and facial rejuvenation. Today our department honors his legacy by installing the Tord Skoog Visiting Professorship.
Tord Skoog was born and raised on an estate in the outskirts of Uppsala. His parents were tenant farmers and the family had 3 sons. He graduated from Uppsala University Medical School in 1943 and early on developed a strong interest for surgery. A scholarship visit to Finland in 1944 brought him in contact with the Finnish Surgeon General Richard Faltin and his associates. The post war reconstructive surgery made a lasting impression on Skoog, and Faltin also introduced him to the treatment of cleft lip and palate. In 1946, Skoog spent a year as a British Council scholar and stayed with both Sir Harold Gillies and Sir Archibald McIndoe.
His thesis from 1948 was the first detailed account and analysis of McIndoe’s procedure for Dupuytren’s contracture. In 1952, he went to Korea and the Swedish field hospital in Pusan. He was invited as an observer to the US forces and field hospital to study the treatment of severe burns. These early international experiences laid the foundation for reconstructive surgery and burn treatment in Uppsala at the newly formed Department of Plastic Surgery.
Tord Skoog’s passion for reconstructive surgery, curiosity, and international outlook brought him a wide international professional network. In 1955, he was the general secretary of the first International Congress of Plastic Surgery in Stockholm-Uppsala. Over the years, he became an educator of many surgeons who traveled to Uppsala from all over the world to learn from his experience. Among Skoog’s publications, the most noteworthy are his thesis on DC from 1948 and his textbook Plastic Surgery (Saunders, 1974). The thesis became internationally recognized and led to a longer stay in the United States in 1949, with visits to several plastic and hand surgeons of the time. His textbook presented methods and refinements and became internationally acknowledged for its photographs, illustrations, and clear descriptions of his personal surgical experience.
The Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at Uppsala University Hospital carries an enduring legacy of Tord Skoog. The program of the visiting professor consists of a 3-day visit to Uppsala University Hospital with teaching activities for residents and fellows, including a lecture at hospital ground rounds on the topic of clinical excellence of the visitor. Candidates will be selected based on their contribution and spirit of work; to promote high level of education in plastic surgery.
Skoog Visiting Professors
Professor Lars-Peter Kamolz Professor and Head of Plastic , Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery , Department of Surgery Medical University of Graz, Austria Skoog Visiting Professor 7th-9th April 2026
Professor Lars-Peter Kamolz was born on 11 March 1972 in Berlin, Germany. He studied Medicine at the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria (M.D.).
In addition, he completed studies in Quality and Process Management at the Department for Knowledge and Communication Management at Danube University Krems, Austria (M.Sc.).
Professor Kamolz is a Board-Certified Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon (ÖGPÄRC). In 2012, he became Professor of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, and Head of the same division. He is also the Head of the Research Unit for Safety and Sustainability in Healthcare and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the LKH-University Hospital in Graz.
Since 2018, he has served as Director of COREMED – Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Precision Medicine at Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH. Since 2023, he has also been Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of Graz.
He is Editor and member of the Review Board of several international journals, author of more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, and editor of several books and book chapters. He has received multiple awards from various scientific organisations for his research work.
Professor Lars-Peter Kamolz is the 2026 Skoog Visiting Professor at the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital.
Professor Oskar Aszmann Director, Center of Extremity Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, Medical University Vienna, Austria Skoog Visiting Professor 2024
Dr. Oskar Aszmann is a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon with a specialization in extremity reconstruction and rehabilitation. He is currently serving as the Director of the Center of Extremity Reconstruction and Rehabilitation at the
Medical University Vienna in Austria since 2012, which is focused on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of patients with impaired extremity function. This center, partly funded by private and government sources, has become a prominent
institution under his leadership. He is also the Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Division of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Aszmann has made significant contributions to the field through his clinical expertise, research, and
editorial work.
Dr. Aszmann began his medical career by obtaining his MD from the University of Vienna in 1994. He then pursued further training in peripheral nerve surgery and regeneration at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout his
career, he has held various positions in prestigious medical institutions, including working as a Clinical Fellow in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Vienna General Hospital from 1997 to 1999 and as a Research Assistant in the same
department from 1999 to 2000. From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Aszmann served as a Clinical Fellow in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Vienna General Hospital. In 2002, he gained further experience as a Junior Consultant at the AUVA Trauma Center in Vienna. He then worked as a Junior Consultant at the Donaustadt Clinic in Vienna in both the Department of Inner Medicine and the Department of Surgery from 2003 to 2004 . Throughout his career, Dr. Aszmann has been recognized for his outstanding contributions. He has received prestigious awards, such as the Tribute of the Royal Society of Medicine, in 2010 and 2012 for his innovative concepts in treating war-injured soldiers. In 2012, he was also honored with the Theodor Billroth Prize for his work on peripheral nerve reconstruction and the Hans Anderl Award for continued research investment in extremity reconstruction and peripheral nerve research.
Dr. Aszmann's research interests encompass various aspects of reconstructive surgery, including the neurobiology of nerve regeneration, diagnosis, and evaluation of peripheral nerve lesions, tissue engineering, and biomaterial science, applied
anatomical studies in reconstructive surgery, innovation in bionic reconstruction of the upper extremity, establishment of the Center of Extremity Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, and prosthetic rehabilitation. With over 230 publications to his
name, Dr. Aszmann's work has been published in esteemed journals within his field and broader audiences. He has also served on the editorial boards of renowned journals such as the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Handchirurgie,
Mikrochirurgie, Plastische Chirurgie, Rumanian Journal for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Annals of Plastic Surgery, Clinical Anatomy, Clinical Orthopaedics, and Related Research, J Plast Rec and Aesth Surg, Europ J Plast Surg, and Science Translational Medicine.
Professor Aszmann is the 2024 Skoog Visiting Professor at the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery and Uppsala University Hospital
Professor Kevin C. Chung Professor of Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan, USA Editor-in-Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Skoog Visiting Professor 2023
Kevin C. Chung, MD, MS, the Charles B. G. De Nancrede Professor of Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, received his health services research training as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar from the University of Michigan. He obtained his general surgery training from the University
of Texas in San Antonio, his plastic surgery training from the University of Michigan and his hand surgery training from the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore. Dr Chung is Chief of Hand Surgery for Michigan Medicine and Director of the Comprehensive Hand Center.
Dr. Chung was the 75th President in 2020 for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He was past President of the Plastic Surgery Foundation. He has published over 750 peer-reviewed manuscripts (over 33,000 citations, H index 88), over 470 book chapters, and 29 textbooks. He has had continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for over 20 years. Dr. Chung is the Editor for Hand Clinics,
the Editor-in-Chief for Grabb and Smith 8th Edition, past Deputy Editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery (American) and Associate Editor for Journal of Hand Surgery (European). He is the Editor-in-Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the leading journal of this specialty for over 75 years.
Professor Milomir Ninkovic Department of Plastic-Reconstructive-Hand and Burn Surgery Bogenhausen Hospital, Munich, Germany Skoog Visiting Professor 2021
Prof. Milomir Ninkovic is Professor in Plastic Surgery and Head of the Department of Plastic Reconstructive-Hand and Burn Surgery at the Bogenhausen Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Prof Ninkovic completed his medical education including general surgery and plastic surgery in Sarajevo , followed by a one-year fellowship with Marko Godina in Slovenia. He worked in Innsbruck, and since 2003 in Munich, leading one of the most active reconstructive centers in Germany. He is an internationally recognized plastic surgeon with vast expertise in head to toe complex reconstruction, authoring over 144 peer-reviewed publications in the field.
Prof Ninkovic is well-known for his innovative approaches to complex problems in
reconstructive microsurgery with pioneer work in breast reconstruction, extremity
reconstruction or dynamic reconstruction of bladder acontractility. He is the former
president of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons (EURAPS) and received numerous awards for its contributions to the field such as the Godina Travelling Fellowship of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, Theodor-Billroth-Award Austrian Society of Surgery or the Gillies Lecturer of the BAPRAS.
The Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at Uppsala University Hospital is
honoured to host Professor Milomir Ninkovic as the 2021 Skoog Visiting Professor during the
7
th and 8
th of April of 2022.
Professor Paul van Zuijlen Director of Burn Center, Red Cross Hospital Beverwijk, The Netherlands Skoog Visiting Professor 2020
Paul van Zuijlen is a plastic surgeon and Director of the Burn Center at the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk, The Netherlands. He is an internationally recognized plastic surgeon with vast expertise burn care and complex wound healing. His research interest is in burn care, reconstructive surgery, tissue engineering and complexity/computational sciences. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed
publications and several book chapters.
He is also appointed Professor at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre (location Vumc) and initiated and supervises many projects and innovations in burn treatment and scar assessment such as the development of tissue-engineered cartilage for ear and nose reconstruction and tissue-engineered skin for improvement the outcome of wound healing. Much of his research involves
experimental studies concerning image analysis of the collagen architecture and vascularization of human skin and scar tissue. Clinical studies are supervised that aim to improve techniques for reconstructive surgery such as the use of perforator-based flaps, skin stretching and fat grafting.
He is developer of the POSAS (Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale), a practical quick scan evaluation tool for scars, an instrument for scar evaluation that has being now used wordwide.
He collaborates with the humanitarian organization “Médecins du Monde(The Netherlands)” since 2018 with missions in Africa.
Paul van Zuijlen is the Skoog Visiting Professor during the 1st and 2nd of October of 2020 at the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at Uppsala University Hospital.
Irene Mathijssen, MD, PhD Professor and Head of Department of Plastic Surgery Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands Skoog Visiting Professor 2019
Professor Irene Mathijssen is a international recognized plastic surgeon with vast clinical and research experience in craniofacial surgery. She completed plastic surgery residency at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam , a Craniofacial Fellowship in Paris and an MBA-health.
She is PhD graduated in the area of craniofacial surgery with a thesis entitled:
“Craniosynostosis: Clinical and fundamental aspects”.
She serves as Professor and Head of the department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Erasmus Medical Center. Her research group focus on congenital craniofacial anomalies and consisted of 11 PhD and 4 master students , and published 133 international peer-reviewed articles and 4 book chapters . Prof Mathijssen was promotor of 10 PhDs and co-promotors of 2 PhD Thesis.
Prof Mathijssen is currently the Coordinator of European Reference Network on Rare Craniofacial Anomalies, involving 29 European hospitals , Vice-president of the 24 coordinators of the European Reference Network , Secretary-Treasurer of the International Society for Craniofacial surgery, President committee for development of national guideline on craniosynostosis (2008/2010; and currently in revision) and Past President of Dutch Society for Plastic Surgery from 2006 to 2012.
Professor Mathijssen is the Skoog Visiting Professor during the 3th-4th of October of 2019 at the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery and Uppsala University Hospital.
Samir Mardini, MD Professor and Chair of Plastic Surgery Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US Skoog Visiting Professor 2018
Dr. Samir Mardini is Professor in Surgery and Chair of Plastic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, US.
He received his MD degree at the Medical Collegue of Virginia and completed residencies in general surgey and plastic surgery at the George Washington University Medical Center followed by fellowship training in craniofacial and microvascular surgery at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.
Dr. Mardini is an internationally recognized reconstructive surgeon with vast expertise in both craniofacial and microsurgery reconstructions .He is director of the face transplant program at Mayo Clinic that performed a face transplant in 2016. He is on the editorial board of several journals including Microsurgery or Seminars of Plastic Surgery, has published over 100 publications, 14 book chapters and is editor of several books including “ Flaps and Reconstructive Surgery” together with Fu Chan Wei, considered one of the reference books in plastic surgery. He was awarded with the prestigious Godina Travelling Fellowship Award by the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.
He collaborates with several humanitarian organizations and has performed several mission trips as volunteer surgeon with Smile Network International and the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation.
Dr Mardini is the Skoog Visiting Professor during the 6th and 7th of September of 2018 at the Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery and Uppsala University Hospital.