Dr Norbert Pallua (Germany)
Plastic Surgeon
Prof. Norbert Pallua is a full Professor at the University Hospital of the Rhenish Westphalian Technical University Aachen and Honorary Prof. mult. He is a specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery and is also a Specialist in General Surgery.
After graduating from high school in his home country of Italy, where he alsocompleted his 18-month military service, he studied medicine in Austria. In 1979, he completed his studies at the University of Vienna with a doctorate. In 1980 his medical diploma obtained abroad (Austria) was recognized by examination and nostrification at the University of Bologna and he was granted the license to practice medicine in EU countries.
In 1980 he began his training as a general surgeon at the Rudolf Virchow University Clinic in Berlin West. As a specialist in General Surgery, he began his further training as a specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery at the Hannover Medical School in 1989, which he completed in 1992.
In 1995, he got the ‘Venia Legendi’ for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery (associate professorship) at the Hanover Medical School. The topic of his PhD thesis was #39;The systemic inflammatory reaction after severe burn trauma and its significance for the development of sepsis #39;.
In 1996 he successfully passed the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) examination and became a ’Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (FEBOPRAS)’.
In 1997, he was appointed by the Ministry of Science and Research as a University Professor for life and Director of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand, and Burn Surgery at the University Hospital of the Rhenish Westphalian Technical University (RWTH) Aachen, where he headed the clinic until his retirement in 2017.
After retiring as Chairman and Professor of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital Aachen in 2017, he has been working full-time at the private Pallua-Clinic for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery in Düsseldorf/Germany.
In 2003 Prof. Pallua was appointed as an Honorary Professor and as Permanent Honorary Director of the Department of Surgery at the Nanjing University of Chinese Traditional Chinese Medicine/ Nanjing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Nanjing, China.
In 2005 he was appointed as Permanent Honorary Director of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Yixing, China.
During his career, Prof. Pallua has held numerous professional political offices, including as President of the European Association of Societies of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (EASAPS) for two legislative periods from 2010 to 2013. From 2014 to 2016 he was President of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS), and from 2015 to 2017 General Secretary of the International Society of Plastic Regenerative Surgeons (ISPRES). From 2018 to 2019 he was President of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons (EURAPS). Since 2019 he has been a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Plastic Regenerative Surgeons (ISPRES) – from 2021 to 2023 as a Parliamentarian and since January 2024 as President-Elect. During his work at the university hospitals, Prof. Pallua and his team conducted many experimental and clinical studies, which were published in over 400 scientific publications.
He was the reviewer of many national and international Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery peer-reviewed Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Journals and a Member of the Editorial Board of many national and international Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Journals.
As a special feature in 2015, Prof. Pallua was honored as ‘Commendatore’ by the President of the Italian Republic Matarella, and the Premier of the Italian Republic Renzi.