General & Interior
General & Interior
Dr. Stephan Dobner, MD, PhD, MSc in Clinical Trials
Specialist in cardiology and internal medicine, FMH cardiology
Language skills: German, English
Services & research focus
Dr. Dobner specializes in cardiology research and clinical care, in particular:
- (Advanced) heart failure & transplant cardiology – including acute and chronic forms, e.g. after myocardial infarction or myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
- Cardiomyopathies and cardiac storage diseases (amyloidosis)
- Cardio-oncology – risk stratification before the start of oncological therapy, cardiovascular support during therapy and follow-up care after completion of oncological therapy
- Primary prevention (risk stratification, hypertension/lipid consultation), secondary prevention after cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke)
- General cardiology – clarification of coronary heart disease/valvular heart disease
- Intensive research into transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) to identify patients at risk, improve diagnosis, prognosis and optimize drug therapy
- Investigation of the influence of tafamidis on structural and functional changes in the heart using CMR ResearchGate.
- Development of AI-assisted diagnostic systems for ATTR-CM in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) ResearchGate.
- Analyzing the impact of early treatment initiation on diagnosis time and clinical outcomes in ATTR-CM ResearchGate.
- SGLT2i therapy for ATTR-CM ResearchGate.
- Further research areas:
- Semaglutide influence on blood pressure in cardiovascular patients ResearchGate.
- Evaluation of biomarker-specific risk stratification in valvular heart disease/ prior to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) ResearchGate.
Curriculum vitae
10/2021 – 09/2023
MSc Clinical Trials, University of Oxford , Degree: MSc
10/2021
Specialist in cardiology (Austrian Medical Association)
10/2021
Specialist in internal medicine (Austrian Medical Association)
08/2019
FMH Cardiology
01/2009 – 11/2011
Postdoctoral Fellow, Brigham and Women´s Hospital, Harvard Medical School ; Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
09/2005 – 12/2010
PhD Research Fellow, Medtronic Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Cape Heart Centre, University of Cape Town ; Degree: Ph.D.; Supervisor: Prof. Neil Davies, PhD
10/2000 – 12/2004
Medical School (N201), Medizinische Universität Wien ; Degree: M.D.
Qualifications
Teaching activities
Clinical supervision and training, cardiology and internal medicine residents
Clinical skills training, 5th and 6th year medical students
Problem based-learning module, 3rd year medical students
Memberships
FESC, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology; 2024-
American Society of Echocardiography
European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging
Swiss Cardiologists of Tomorrow
Awards
Austrian Heart Fund 2025
Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship abroad from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), 03/2010-11/2011
Lower Austrian Top Scholarship, 2008
Science Scholarship of the City of Vienna, 2008
Overview at a glance
| Akademische Grade | MD (MedUni Wien), PhD (University of Cape Town), MSc in Clinical Trials (Oxford) |
| Research & Publication | Over 50 publications, >1000 citations; topics: ATTR-CM, heart failure, aortic valve stenosis/TAVI, cardiac imaging, angiogenesis |
| Methodological focus | Echocardiography |
| Clinical focus |
(Advanced) heart failure & transplant cardiology Cardiomyopathies and cardiac storage diseases (amyloidosis) Cardio-oncology Primary prevention (risk stratification, hypertension/lipid consultation), secondary prevention after cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke) General cardiology – clarification of coronary heart disease/valvular heart disease |
Conclusion: Dr. Stephan Dobner is an experienced cardiologist and researcher with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of complex myocardial storage diseases [cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR-CM), hypertrophic (obstructive) cardiomyopathy (H(O)CM)], advanced heart failure, valvular cardiomyopathy (aortic valve stenosis/mitral valve insufficiency) and cardio-oncology.
Publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals
Nitsche C, Dobner S, Rosenblum HR, Patel KP, Longhi S, Yilmaz A, Merlo M, Papathanasiou M, Griffin J,
Oerlemans MIFJ, Gama F, Hamdan A, Kelion AD, Schuster A, Glaveckaité S, Akyol N, Porcari A, Schlender L,
Capovilla T, Autherith M, Hauptmann L, Halavina K, Cavalcante JL, Fontana M, Scully PR, Moon JC,
Mascherbauer J, Ristl R, Biagini E, Stortecky S, Maurer MS, Treibel TA; AS-Amyloidosis Consortium.
Cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis treatment improves outcomes after aortic valve replacement for severe
stenosis. Eur Heart J. 2025 Jun 2:ehaf362. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf362. Online ahead of print.
Draxler D, Johannes J, Nakase M, Heg D, Dobner S, Turovskij E, Fürholz M, Häner J, Lanz J, Pilgrim T,
Hunziker L, Praz F, Räber L, Rohla M, Siontis GCM, Susuri-Pfammatter N, Windecker S, Stortecky S. Clinial
outcomes in patients with acute pulmonary embolism undergoing unltrasound-assisted catheter-directed
thrombolysis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 May 6;14(9):e035916. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.035916.Epub
2025 Apr 25.
Asatryan B, Murray B, Tadros R, Rieder M, Shah R, Sharaf Dabbagh G, Landstrom A, Dobner S, Munroe P,
Haggerty C, Medeiros Domingo A, Owens A, Kullo I, Semsarian C, Reichlin T, Barth A, Roden D, James C,
Ware J, Chahal CAA. The Promise and Peril of a Genotype-First Approach to Mendelian Cardiovascular
Disease. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Nov 5;13(21):e033557. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.033557.Epub 2024
Oct 18.
Shiri I, Balzer S, Baj G, Bernhard B, Hundertmark M, Bakula A, Nakase M, Tomii D, Barbati G, Dobner S,
Valenzuela W, Rominger A, Caobelli F, Siontis GCM, Lanz J, Pilgrim T, Windecker S, Stortecky S, Gräni C.
Multi-modality artificial intelligence-based transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy detection in patients with
severe aortic stenosis. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2024 Sep 23. doi: 10.1007/s00259-024-06922-4.
Dobner S, Zarro S, Wieser F, Kassar M, Alaour B, Wiedemann S, Bakula A, Caobelli F, Stortecky S, Gräni C,
Hunziker L, Bernhard B. Effect of Timely Availability of TTR-Stabilizing Therapy on Diagnosis, Therapy, and
Clinical Outcomes in ATTR-CM. J Clin Med. 2024 Sep 6;13(17):5291. doi: 10.3390/jcm13175291.
Kennedy C, Hayes P, Cicero AFG, Dobner S, Le Roux CW, McEvoy JW, Zgaga L, Hennessy M. Semaglutide
and blood pressure: an individual patient data meta-analysis. Eur Heart J. 2024 Sep 1:ehae564. doi:
10.1093/eurheartj/ehae564.
Barbieri F, Pfeifer BE, Senoner T, Dobner S, Spitaler P, Semsroth S, Lambert T, Zweiker D, Neururer SB,
Scherr D, Schmidt A, Feuchtner GM, Hoppe UC, Adukauskaite A, Reinthaler M, Landmesser U, Müller S,
Steinwender C, Dichtl W. A Neural Network-Based Score Predicting Survival in Patients Undergoing Aortic
Valve Intervention: The ABC-AS Score. J Clin Med. 2024 Jun 25;13(13):3691.
Muller SA, Peiró-Aventin B, Biagioni G, Tini G, Saturi G, Kronberger C, Achten A, Dobner S, Te Rijdt WP,
Gasperetti A, Te Riele ASJM, Varrà GG, Ponziani A, Hirsch A, Porcari A, van der Meer MG, Zampieri M, van
der Harst P, Kammerlander A, Biagini E, van Tintelen JP, Barbato E, Asselbergs FW, Menale S, Gräni C,
Merlo M, Michels M, Knackstedt C, Nitsche C, Longhi S, Musumeci B, Cappelli F, Garcia-Pavia P, Oerlemans
MIFJ. Evaluation of the 2021 ESC recommendations for family screening in hereditary transthyretin cardiac
amyloidosis. Eur J Heart Fail. 2024 Jun 17.
Dobner S, Bernhard B, Ninck L, Wieser M, Bakula A, Wahl A, Köchli V, Spano G, Boscolo Berto M, Elchinova
E, Safarkhanlo Y, Stortecky S, Schütze J, Shiri I, Hunziker L, Gräni C. Impact of tafamidis on myocardial
function and CMR tissue characteristics in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. ESC Heart Fail. 2024
May 12.
Capek L, Huber AT, Reineke D, Dobner S, Hunziker LC, Schnegg B. Outflow Graft Obstruction due to Local
Aortic Dissection After Implantation of Left Ventricle Assist Device (HeartMate 3). ASAIO J. 2024 May 7.
Caobelli F, Gözlügöl N, Bakula A, Rominger A, Schepers R, Stortecky S, Hunziker Munsch L, Dobner S,
Gräni C. Prognostic value of 99mTc-DPDquantitative SPECT/CT in patients with suspected and confirmed
cardiac ATTR amyloidosis and preserved left ventricular function. J Nucl Med. 2024 Jun 3;65(6):944-951.
Bernhard B, Schütze J, L Leib Z, Spano G, Berto MB, Bakula A, Tomii D, Shiri I, Brugger N, De Marchi S,
Reineke D, Dobner S, Heg D, Praz F, Lanz J, Stortecky S, Pilgrim T, Windecker S, Gräni C. Myocardial
analysis from routine 4D cardiac-CT to predict reverse remodeling and clinical outcomes after transcatheter
aortic valve implantation. Eur J Radiol. 2024 Mar 13;175:111425.
Alwan L, Benz D, Cuddy S, Dobner S, Shiri Lord I, Caobelli F Bernhard B, Stämpfli S, Eberli F, Reyes M,
Kwong RY, Falk RH, Dorbala S, Gräni C. Current and Evolving Multimodality Cardiac Imaging in Managing
Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024 Feb;17(2):195-211.
Benedikt B, Zoe L, Dobner S, Demirel C, Caobelli F, Rominger A, Schütze J, Grogg H, Alwan L, Spano G,
Boscolo Berto M, Lanz J, Pilgrim T, Windecker S, Stortecky S, Gräni C. Routine 4D Cardiac CT to Identify
Concomitant Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy in Older Adults with Severe Aortic Stenosis. Radiology.
2023 Dec;309(3):e230425.
Dobner S, Bernhard B, Wieser M, Wahl A, Stark AW, Köchli V, Spano G, Boscolo Berto M, Johner C,
Elchinova E, Tanner G, Safarkhanlo Y, Stortecky S, Schütze J, Hunziker Munsch L, Gräni C. Longitudinal
evolution of ventricular function and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging tissue characteristics in tafamidis-
treated transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Amyloid. 2023 Dec 9:1-3.
Maier J, Lambert T, Senoner T, Dobner S, Hoppe UC, Fellner A, Pfeifer BE, Feuchtner GM, Friedrich G,
Semsroth S, Bonaros N, Holfeld J, Müller S, Reinthaler M, Steinwender C, Barbieri F. Impact of route of
access and stenosis subtype on outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Front Cardiovasc
Med. 2023 Nov 9;10:1256112.
Dobner S, Pilgrim T, Hagemeyer D, Heg D, Lanz J, Reusser N, Gräni C, Afshar-Oromieh A, Rominger A,
Langhammer B, Reineke D, Windecker S, Stortecky S. Amyloid Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy in Elderly
Patients With Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023
Aug 15;12(16):e030271.
Dobner S, Bernhard B, Asatryan B, Windecker S, Stortecky S, Pilgrim T, Gräni T, Hunziker L. SGLT2
inhibitor therapy for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: early tolerance and clinical response to
dapagliflozin. ESC Heart Fail. 2023 Feb;10(1):397-404.
Messerli FH, Bavishi C, Brguljan J, Burnier M, Dobner S, Elijovich F, Ferdinand KC, Kjeldsen S, Laffer CL, S
Ram CV, Rexhaj E, Ruilope LM, Shalaeva EV, Siontis GCM, Staessen JA, Textor SC, Vongpatanasin W, Vogt L,
Volpe M, Wang J, Williams B. Renal denervation in the antihypertensive arsenal – knowns and known
unknowns. J Hypertens. 2022 Oct 1;40(10):1859-1875.
Pilgrim T, Bernhard B, Fürholz M, Vollenbroich R, Babongo Bosombo F, Losdat s, Reusser N, Windecker S,
Stortecky S, Siontis GCM, Hunziker L, Lanz J, Dobner S. Paroxetine-mediated G-protein receptor kinase 2
inhibition in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction: final 1-year outcomes of the randomized
CARE-AMI trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Sep 6;11(17):e026362.
Gräni C, Stark AW, Fischer K, Fürholz M, Wahl A, Erne SA, Huber AT, Guensch DP, Vollenbroich R, Ruberti
AA, Dobner S, Heg D, Windecker S, Lanz, Pilgrim T. Diagnostic performance of cardiac magnetic resonance
segmental myocardial strain for detecting microvascular obstruction and LGE in patients presenting after a
ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Jul 14;9:909204.
Asami M*, Dobner S*, Stortecky S, Heg D, Praz F, Lanz J, Okuno T, Tomii D, Reineke D, Windecker S,
Pilgrim T. Cardiovascular outcomes in patients with left atrial enlargement undergoing transcatheter aortic
valve implantation. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2022 Feb 16. doi: 10.1002/ccd.30132.
Condoluci A, Théaudin M, Schwotzer R, Pazhenkottil AP, Arosio P, Averaimo M, Bacher U, Bode P, Cavalli A,
Dirnhofer S, Djerbi N, Dobner S, Fehr T, Garofalo M, Gaspert A, Gerull S, Heimgartner R, Hübers A, Jung
HH, Kessler C, Knöpfel R, Laptseva N, Magini G, Manka R, Mazzucchelli L, Meyer M, Mihaylova V, Monney P,
Mylonas A, Nkoulou R, Pabst T, Pfister O, Rüfer A, Schmidt A, Seeger H, Stämpfli SF, Stirnimann G, Suter T,
Treglia G, Tzankov A, Vetter F, Zweier M, Flammer AJ, Gerber B. Management of transthyretin amyloidosis.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2021 Oct 20;151:w30053.
Pilgrim T, Vollenbroich R, Deckarm S, Gräni C, Dobner S, Stark AW, Erne SA, Bosombo FB, Fischer K,
Stortecky S, Fürholz M, Siontis GCM, Heg, D, Hunziker L, Windecker S, Lanz J; Paroxetine-mediated
G-protein receptor kinase 2 inhibition to attenuate left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction:
a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. JAMA Cardiol. 2021 Oct 1;6(10):1171-1176.
doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2021.2247.
Messerli FH, Dobner S; Alcohol and atrial fibrillation: not all drinks are created equal. Eur Heart J. 2021
May 8. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab179.
Asatryan B, Yee L; Ben-Haim Y, Dobner S, Servatius H, Roten L, Tanner H, Crotti L, Skinner JR, Remme CA,
Chevalier P, Medeiros-Domingo A, Behr ER, Reichlin T, Odening KE*; Krahn AD*; Sex-Related Differences in
Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromes: Implications for Clinical Practice. Circulation. 2021 Feb 16;
143(7):739-752.
Dobner S, Gräni C, Hugi-Mayr B, Mihalj M, Rhyner D, Wieser M, Martinelli M, Hunziker L, Reineke D; LVAD
pump thrombosis and outflow graft pseudoaneurysm causing posture-dependent dynamic outflow graft
compression: two rare complications in an LVAD destination therapy patient. ESC Heart Fail. 2021 Feb 10.
Messerli FH, Rexhaj E, Dobner S. Renal Denervation: The Study That Shattered its Halo. JACC Cardiovasc
Interv. 2020 Dec 28;13(24):2934-2936.
Schwotzer R, Flammer AJ, Gerull S, Pabst T, Arosio P, Averaimo M, Bacher VU, Bode P, Cavalli A, Concoluci
A, Dirnhofer S, Djerbi N, Dobner SW, Fehr T, Garofalo M, Gaspert A, Heimgartner R, Hübers A, Jung HH,
Kessler C, Knöpfel R, Laptseva N, Manka R, Mazzucchelli L, Meyer M, Mihaylova V, Monney P, Mylonas A,
Nkoulou R, Pazhenkottil A, Pfister O, Rüfer A, Schmidt A, Seeger H, Stämpfli SF, Stirnimann G, Suter T,
Théaudin M, Treglia G, Tzankov A, Vetter F, Zweier M, Gerber B. Expert recommendation from the Swiss
Amyloidosis Network (SAN) for systemic AL-amyloidosis. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020 Dec 5;150:w20364.
Dobner S. Letter regarding the article ‘Efficacy and safety of tafamidis doses in the Tafamidis in
Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trial (ATTR-ACT) and long-term extension study’. Eur J Heart Fail.
2020 Nov 4.
Sweda R*, Dobner S*, Heg D, Lanz J, Malebranche D, Langhammer B, Okuno T, Praz F, Räber L, Valgimigli
M, Reineke D, Pilgrim T, Windecker S, Stortecky S. Discharge Location and Outcomes After Transcatheter
Aortic Valve Implantation. Am J Cardiol. 2020 Nov 2:S0002-9149(20)31191-7.
Lobenwein D, Kocher F, Dobner S, Gollmann-Tepeköylü C, Holfeld J. Cardiotoxic mechanisms of cancer
immunotherapy – A systematic review. Int J Cardiol. 2021 Jan 15;323:179-187.
Barbieri F, Senoner T, Adukauskaite A, Dobner S, Holfeld J, Semsroth S, Lambert T, Zweiker D, Theurl T,
Rainer PP, Schmidt A, Feuchtner GM, Steinwender C, Hoppe U, Hintringer F, Bauer A, Müller S, Grimm M,
Pfeifer BE, Dichtl W; Dataset on the prognostic value of cardiac biomarkers used in clinical routine in
patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing valve replacement. Data Brief. 2020 Jan 9;29:105111.
Spano G, Stutz E, Elicin O, Hugi B, Henzen D, Fürholz M, Wieser M, Rhyner D, Dobner S, Pavlicek-Bahlo M,
Robson D, Nadel J, Hayward C, Hunziker L, Martinelli M, Schnegg B. Is It Safe to Irradiate the Newest Generation
of Ventricular Assist Devices? A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review. Artif Organs. 2019 Nov 26.
Barbieri F, Senoner T, Adukauskaite A, Dobner S, Holfeld J, Semsroth S, Lambert T, Zweiker D, Theurl T,
Rainer PP, Schmidt A, Feuchtner GM, Steinwender C, Hoppe U, Hintringer F, Müller S, Grimm M, Pfeifer BE,
Dichtl W; Long-Term Prognostic Value of High-Sensitivity Troponin T Added to N-Terminal Pro Brain
Natriuretic Peptide Plasma Levels Before Valve Replacement for Severe Aortic Stenosis. Am J Cardiol. 2019
Dec 15;124(12):1932-1939.
Wieser M, Rhyner D, Martinelli M, Suter T, Schnegg B, Bösch C, Wigger O, Dobner S, Hunziker L;
Pharmacological therapy of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Ther Umsch. 2018
Sep;75(3):180-186.
Bezuidenhout D, Oosthuysen A, Davies N, Ahrenstedt L, Dobner S, Roberts P, Zilla P. Covalent
incorporation and controlled release of active dexamethasone from injectable polyethylene glycol
hydrogels. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2012 Oct 15.
Kakkar R, Hei H, Dobner S, and Lee RT; Interleukin 33 as a Mechanically Responsive Endokine Secreted
by Living Cells. J Biol Chem. 2012 Feb 24;287(9):6941-8.
Kadner K, Dobner S, Franz T, Bezuidenhout D, Sirry MS, Zilla P, Davies NH. The beneficial effects of
deferred delivery on the efficiency of hydrogel therapy post myocardial infarction.
Biomaterials. 2012 Mar;33(7):2060-6 .
Franz T, Human P, Dobner S, Reddy BD, Black M, Ilsley H, Wolf MF, Bezuidenhout D, Moodley L, Zilla P;
Tailored sizes of constrictive external vein meshes for coronary artery bypass surgery. Biomaterials.
2010 Dec;31(35):9301-9.
Dobner S, Bezuidenhout D, Govender P, Zilla P, Davies N; A synthetic non-degradable polyethylene glycol
hydrogel retards adverse post-infarct left ventricular remodeling. J Card Fail. 2009 Sep;15(7):629-36.
Davies N*, Dobner S*, Bezuidenhout D, Schmidt C, Beck M, Zisch AH and Zilla P; The dosage dependence
of VEGF stimulation on scaffold neovascularization. Biomaterials. 2008 Sep;29(26):3531-8.
Book chapters:
Stephan Dobner, Ovid C. Amadi, Richard T. Lee; Cardiovascular mechanotransduction. Muscle:
Fundamental Biology and Mechanisms and Disease (Elsevier; Editors: JA Hill, RA Kitsis, EN Olson)
Fanning JP, Dobner S, Urner M, Bělohlávek J, Peek G. Clinical Trials. Mechanical Circulatory and
Respiratory Support, 2nd ed. (Elsevier; 2024; Editors: Stephens A, Arens J, Heinsar S, Fraser J, and
Gregory S)
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