Sign In
Swiss physician and cardiac surgeon who has served since 2008 as Director and CEO of Swisstransplant, the Swiss National Foundation for Organ Donation and Transplantation. He is responsible for the national coordination of organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation in Switzerland and plays an active role in European transplantation policy. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Chairman of FOEDUS, the European platform for cross-border organ exchange, and has also held leadership roles within the Council of Europe. Dr. Immer combines extensive clinical experience with long-standing leadership in national and international transplant systems.
Franz F. Immer, M.D. is a Swiss physician and surgeon specializing in heart and thoracic vascular surgery. Since 2008, he has served as Director and CEO of Swisstransplant, the Swiss National Foundation for Organ Donation and Transplantation, where he is responsible for the national coordination of organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation.
Dr. Immer studied human medicine at the Universities of Fribourg and Bern. He obtained board certification as a specialist in heart and thoracic vascular surgery (FMH) in 2002 and completed advanced clinical training, including a visiting physician appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. In 2007, he was awarded the Venia Docendi (habilitation) by the University of Bern.
Before joining Swisstransplant, Dr. Immer worked as a senior physician and Head of Clinical Research at the Clinic for Heart and Vascular Surgery at the University of Bern under Professor Thierry Carrel. His clinical and academic work focused on cardiovascular surgery and translational research.
In addition to his national role, Dr. Immer is actively involved in international transplantation policy and governance. He represents Switzerland in the European Committee on Organ Transplantation (CD-P-TO) of the Council of Europe and served as its Chair from 2020 to 2021. He was also Chairman of FOEDUS, the European platform for cross-border organ exchange, from 2020 to 2024, contributing to the development of international cooperation and allocation systems.
Dr. Immer is recognized as an expert in organ donation systems, transplant coordination, medical ethics, and international collaboration in transplantation medicine. He regularly contributes to expert panels, publications, and conferences at both national and European levels, and is committed to promoting transparency, quality, and public trust in organ donation.
