The Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine has new leadership: The Department Council has elected Prof. Dr. Anton Friedmann and Prof. Dr. Andree Piwowarczyk as the successors to Prof. Dr. Stefan Zimmer. Both will assume responsibility in their respective areas effective immediately and will jointly continue to lead the department’s development.

Prof. Dr. Anton Friedmann will assume responsibility for the department’s academic affairs. This includes, in particular, the areas of teaching and research as well as academic staff. Friedmann is the division head and holds the Chair of Periodontology, bringing extensive experience in research, teaching, and academic self-governance to his new role.

Prof. Dr. Andree Piwowarczyk will assume the medical directorate of the dental clinic. He is the department chair of Preclinical Dentistry as well as the chair and holder of the Chair of Prosthodontics and Dental Technology. In his new role, he is thus specifically responsible for the medical affairs of the Dental Clinic.

Administrative matters and responsibility for the non-medical clinic staff remain under the purview of Dr. Frank Tolsdorf.

This change in department leadership also marks the end of Prof. Dr. Stefan Zimmer’s long tenure as head of the department. Zimmer holds the Chair of Conservative Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry and heads the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry. In addition, as dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, he played a key role in the development of both the faculty and the department.

After many years at the helm of the department, Prof. Dr. Zimmer extends his heartfelt thanks for the long-standing and excellent collaboration. At the same time, he looks forward with confidence to the department’s future development: With Prof. Dr. Friedmann and Prof. Dr. Piwowarczyk taking over, two experienced colleagues will continue and further develop collaboration both within and outside the university with great dedication.

We wish Prof. Dr. Anton Friedmann and Prof. Dr. Andree Piwowarczyk every success in their new roles and look forward to continuing to work together.