Prof. Dr. Peter Vajkoczy

Professor Dr. Peter Vajkoczy is the Director (Direktor) of the Department of Neurosurgery at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Europe's largest university hospital and one of the world's premier academic medical centres. Over more than 28 years of specialist practice, he has established himself as one of the world's leading cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, with a unique combination of technical virtuosity in microsurgery, visionary contributions to intraoperative imaging, and a prolific academic publication record that has shaped modern neurosurgery.

Prof. Vajkoczy's surgical expertise spans cerebrovascular surgery — the most complex and demanding subspecialty within neurosurgery — including cerebral bypass surgery for moyamoya disease and complex aneurysms, microsurgical aneurysm clipping, resection of brain tumors in eloquent cortex using awake craniotomy techniques, and extended endoscopic skull base approaches for tumors involving the anterior and lateral skull base. His surgical results in these high-stakes procedures are internationally recognised as among the best reported.

At Charité, he leads a department that combines the highest levels of clinical complexity with an internationally competitive research programme. His research group has produced foundational work on cerebral blood flow regulation, tumour microenvironment biology in glioblastoma, and the clinical application of intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography — a technique he helped pioneer that allows neurosurgeons to verify in real-time that cerebral vessels remain patent after bypass or aneurysm surgery.

Prof. Vajkoczy is an EANS-certified neurosurgeon and has served in leadership positions within the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), including as its president. He is a global ambassador for German academic neurosurgery and receives referrals from across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond for complex cerebrovascular and tumour cases.

Prof. Dr. Peter Vajkoczy completed his medical studies (Medizinstudium) at a leading German university, earning his Dr. med. degree with distinction through doctoral research in cerebral microcirculation and ischemia — a scientific foundation that would underpin his subsequent career focus on cerebrovascular physiology and surgery. He undertook his specialist training in neurosurgery within Germany's university hospital system, gaining comprehensive experience in cranial, spinal, and peripheral nerve surgery before focusing on his subspecialty interests.

He undertook advanced fellowship training in cerebrovascular neurosurgery at internationally renowned centres in North America and Europe, where he mastered the techniques of high-flow and low-flow extracranial-to-intracranial bypass surgery, giant aneurysm management, and skull base approaches. These experiences gave him the technical repertoire and global network that define his international standing.

His Habilitation — the highest academic qualification in the German university system — was awarded by Charité's Faculty of Medicine in recognition of his research contributions on cerebral blood flow and tumour biology. He was subsequently appointed to the Lehrstuhl (Chair) of Neurosurgery at Charité, one of the most prestigious academic appointments in European neurosurgery. He is a past president of the DGNC and a board member of EANS.

Prof. Vajkoczy's operative portfolio represents the full complexity of modern academic neurosurgery. In cerebrovascular surgery, he is internationally recognised as one of the world's most experienced surgeons in cerebral bypass surgery for moyamoya disease — a rare but devastating condition causing progressive cerebrovascular occlusion — performing both direct bypass (STA-MCA) and indirect revascularisation procedures. He is equally skilled in microsurgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms, including giant and complex aneurysms for which endovascular coiling is not feasible.

In neuro-oncology, Prof. Vajkoczy performs radical resection of glioblastoma, high-grade glioma, meningioma, and skull base tumors including pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, and vestibular schwannomas. He is a recognised practitioner of awake craniotomy with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring for tumors in eloquent brain areas — a technique that maximises tumour removal while minimising neurological deficits. He uses 5-ALA fluorescence-guided surgery for glioblastoma to maximise resection extent.

His pioneering application of intraoperative ICG videoangiography — introduced into clinical neurosurgery by his group at Charité — allows real-time verification of cerebral perfusion during bypass and aneurysm surgery, substantially reducing the risk of ischaemic complications and improving safety in these high-stakes operations.

Prof. Vajkoczy's research programme at Charité encompasses three major scientific domains: cerebral blood flow regulation and ischemia, the tumour microenvironment in malignant brain tumors, and the development and validation of intraoperative imaging technologies for neurosurgery. His group uses advanced intravital microscopy, functional MRI, and molecular biology techniques to study how cerebral vasculature responds to ischemia and how glioblastoma cells interact with and remodel the brain microenvironment to support tumour growth.

His work on intraoperative ICG fluorescence angiography, which he helped establish as a standard technique in cerebrovascular neurosurgery, has been published in leading neurosurgery journals including the Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery, and the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. His broader publication record encompasses more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, and his research has been supported by DFG grants, the German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe), and European Research Council (ERC) funding.

He has received the DGNC Snowball Prize, the society's highest research award, as well as the Charité Research Award, recognising the translational impact of his scientific work. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery, and is a regular invited speaker at CNS, AANS, and EANS Annual Meetings.

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is internationally recognised as one of Europe's premier destinations for complex neurosurgical care, and Prof. Vajkoczy's department receives referrals from throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North America. International patients with brain aneurysms, glioblastoma, meningioma, moyamoya disease, and skull base tumours benefit from access to the full diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of this world-class academic centre, including 3T intraoperative MRI, 5-ALA fluorescence guidance, intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, and multidisciplinary neuro-oncology tumour boards.

For international referrals, imaging (MRI, CT angiography, DSA) and clinical records can be submitted for remote assessment by Prof. Vajkoczy's team before any travel commitment. Charité's International Department (Internationale Abteilung) provides comprehensive support for international patients including appointment scheduling, interpretation services, accommodation assistance, and insurance coordination. Consultations and follow-up are available in German and English, and structured medical reports are provided for referring physicians worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Peter Vajkoczy has received the DGNC Snowball Prize, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie's highest award for research excellence, recognising his pioneering contributions to cerebral blood flow science and intraoperative imaging innovation. He also received the Charité Research Award for the translational quality of his glioblastoma and cerebrovascular research.

He served as President of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), leading Germany's national neurosurgical society during a period of significant scientific and educational development. He is a Board Member of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) and has received honorary memberships from neurosurgical societies in Asia and the Middle East in recognition of his international contributions. His innovation in ICG videoangiography has been adopted as standard practice in neurosurgical centres worldwide, representing a lasting legacy of his research-to-practice translation. He is consistently listed among the world's leading neurosurgeons in independent surveys of the specialty.