New head of psychiatry in Würzburg: Professor Walther is coming!

New head of psychiatry in Würzburg: Professor Walther is coming!

At the University Hospital in Würzburg (VHF) there will soon be a change of management in the Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy. From October 1, 2024, Professor Sebastian Walther will take direct responsibility after working as deputy clinic director at the University Clinic Bern. With his extensive knowledge and experience, Walther plans to further develop the already renowned clinic.

"The Würzburg clinic is very well positioned and has a wide range of treatment, both inpatient and outpatient," explains the 47-year-old Walther. Around 3,000 patients are treated in the clinic annually, with a team of experts working together from various disciplines. The furnishings are well equipped with specialized stations, day -clinical facilities and main focal timing in order to meet the needs of the patients. A recent highlight is also the Würzburg trauma outpatient clinic, which has been offering its services since 2023.

research and clinical focus

A central concern of Professor Walther is to research motor disorders in connection with psychiatric diseases. "Movement problems can be an early warning for diseases. This is still an often neglected area, which is of great importance, however, in order to start with suitable therapy in good time," he explains. Walther also includes the possibility that certain medications can lead to movement disorders themselves. His perspective not only includes the brain of the patient, but the entire person and his environment.

Walther also emphasizes the importance of a broad spectrum of treatment options. Combination therapies that include psychotherapy, drug treatment and innovative procedures such as transcranial or invasive brain stimulation could bring significant improvements in severe depression. "Psychotherapy alone is often not sufficient. Successful treatments are often the result of a combination of approaches," notes Walther.

The new director has already shown impressive references: after studying medicine at the University of Jena, he worked at the Charité in Berlin, among others, before moving to Bern in 2005. There, Walther received recognition for his research work, such as the research award of the Swiss Brain League in 2018 and the award of the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Nerve medicine (DGPPN) in 2020.

The medical director and CEO of the UK, PD Dr. Tim von Oertzen warmly welcomes the new director: "With Professor Walther, we have won an internationally recognized expert who optimally complements our highly specialized supply offer. This will improve the high quality of treatment for our patients."

Professor Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Medical Faculty in Würzburg, emphasizes that Walther will also enrich the scientific profile of university medicine. "With his innovative approaches, he will establish new projects in Würzburg and also ensure that our students develop interest in the field," he adds.

The first measures that Professor Walther wants to take are not yet known, but the signs are good for signs in new, promising directions in psychotherapeutic care in Würzburg.