Marcelo Gama de Abreu appointed to the Medical University of Graz

Professor Marcelo Gama de Abreu has been appointed to the post of University Professor of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Medical University of Graz with effect from 13 April 2026, in accordance with Section 98 of the University Act. At the same time, he will take over as Head of the Division of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine 2 on 1 May 2026.

In Marcelo Gama de Abreu, the Medical University of Graz gains an internationally recognised expert who will significantly enrich research, teaching and patient care in this highly specialised field. With this appointment, the Medical University of Graz is sending a strong signal of scientific excellence and international networking.

Professional career

Marcelo Gama de Abreu was born in 1965 in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, and studied Electronic Engineering and Medical Technology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, as well as Medicine at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. In 1997, he obtained his PhD summa cum laude from the University of Heidelberg. He completed his specialist training in anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine in Dresden.

In 2005, he qualified as a professor in the field of anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine at Dresden University of Technology, where he was appointed to a W2 professorship in translational research in anaesthesiology and intensive care in 2013. There, he also served as Senior Consultant and, from 2016 to 2021, as Deputy Director of the Department of Anaesthesiology at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden.

Between 2021 and 2026, Marcelo Gama de Abreu served as a Staff Physician and Vice-Head Director of Research in the Division of Intensive Care and Resuscitation, as a Staff Physician in the Outcomes Research Group, and as a Staff Physician in the Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anaesthesia within the Department of Anaesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA. He was also an active member of the Cleveland Clinic ECMO Group and helped to shape it.

Marcelo Gama de Abreu has made significant contributions to anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, impressively demonstrating his scientific expertise and leadership skills. Among other things, he initiated the acquisition of €5.98 million for an AI-based research project at TU Dresden, led the Dresden ECMO Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, was appointed deputy head of the research department of the cardiovascular and thoracic intensive care unit, and designed and coordinated two large multicentre studies on intraoperative lung-protective ventilation in high-risk patients.

In addition, Marcelo Gama de Abreu has published numerous scientific papers in renowned journals and has filed several patents for innovative devices and methods to improve ventilation techniques and to measure pulmonary blood flow.

Research Focus

Marcelo Gama de Abreu’s research focuses on improving perioperative outcomes through innovative approaches in anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine. His scientific focus includes, in particular, investigating the relationship between mechanical force and ventilation-induced lung injury, developing lung-protective ventilation strategies, researching pro-inflammatory responses to lung distension, and the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications.

The aim of his research is to achieve a sustainable reduction in perioperative morbidity and mortality through a deeper understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms.

The man

Outside of work, Marcelo Gama de Abreu spends his free time with his family, who live in Dresden, and pursuing his hobbies of skydiving, diving and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, for which he also travels around the world.

Vision for the future at the Medical University of Graz

At the Medical University of Graz, Marcelo Gama de Abreu aims to make a significant contribution to further improving perioperative care for cardiac and non-cardiac surgical patients. Plans include the establishment of an ECMO centre and a research unit for outcomes research.

Marcelo Gama de Abreu also focuses on innovative concepts in teaching: through modern teaching methods and the establishment of a skills lab, the aim is to optimally combine theoretical and practical training. Furthermore, he is particularly keen to inspire students to pursue anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, thereby strengthening the next generation of medical professionals in these fields in the long term.