Professor Ueli Möhrlen Receives Surgeon Honours for Breakthrough in Personalized Spina Bifida Therapy
Professor Ueli Möhrlen has been awarded the prestigious research prize by the Holm-Schneider Foundation for his pioneering work in refining prenatal surgery criteria.
The Board of the Holm-Schneider Foundation for Prenatal Therapy has selected Professor Ueli Möhrlen from the University of Zurich as this year's recipient of their research prize. This recognition, endowed with 10,000 euros, specifically honours his 2023 publication regarding the repair of spina bifida before birth. In this influential work, Professor Möhrlen demonstrated that strictly adhering to the established MOMS criteria allows for safe deviations that result in highly effective personalised medicine. By proving that a defendable expansion of these surgical indications is possible, the team at the Faculty of Medicine has opened a vital discourse across Europe regarding the treatment of spina bifida aperta. The foundation praised this approach for clearing the path toward individualised therapies that significantly improve outcomes for fetal patients who might otherwise have been ineligible for surgery. The award acknowledges the University of Zurich's continued leadership in high-end fetal surgery and its direct positive impact on patient quality of life.
The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zurich, Professor Frank Rüehli, warmly congratulates Professor Ueli Möhrlen on this award and commends his innovative approach.