Professor Wolfgang Högler MD FRCPCH

Professor Wolfgang Hogler

Department of Metabolism and Systems Science
Honorary Professor
Professor of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Contact details

Telephone
+43 5768084 22001
Fax
+43 5768084 22004
Email
w.hoegler@bham.ac.uk
Secondary Email
wolfgang.hoegler@jku.at
Address
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Johannes Kepler University
Linz
Austria

Professor Wolfgang Högler is Chair of Paediatrics at the Johannes Kepler University and Chief of Paediatrics at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz, Austria. He maintains strong research links with the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science at University of Birmingham. Professor Högler is an expert in paediatric endocrinology and osteology.

Professor Högler’s clinical research group focuses on pathophysiology and management of bone and endocrine disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta, hypophosphatasia, rickets, short stature and disorders of vitamin D and growth hormone/IGF-1 metabolism. He has developed a bed-benchside-bed focus in rare bone disorders.

Applicants for PhD or MSc are invited if prepared to work 1) collaboratively with colleagues at UoB/BWCH, 2) in the Austrian research lab investigating mechanism of rare bone disease (lab language is English), 3) in the clinical research team (German language required), or 4) overseas (e.g. India, Saudi Arabia) in international studies on vitamin D or rare bone disorders.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 2009
  • CCT in Paediatric Endocrinologist & Diabetologist 2007
  • Diploma in Clinical Trial Investigation 2005
  • Privat-Dozent (by Habilitation) in Paediatrics 2005
  • CCT in Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2005
  • MD in Medicine 1995

Biography

Professor Högler qualified in Medicine from the University of Innsbruck, Austria in 1995. Following core paediatric training at the Department of Paediatrics at the Medical University Innsbruck, he embarked on a 2.5 year clinical research fellowship at the Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, supported by the Austrian Research Council (FWF). On his return to Innsbruck, he was appointed Associate Professor of Paediatrics in 2005 and qualified as a paediatric endocrinologist in 2007, before joining Birmingham Children’s Hospital as a consultant, and the UoB as a Senior Lecturer.

Under his lead, the Department of Endocrinology & Diabetes at Birmingham Children’s Hospital developed into the largest such unit in the UK. His strong research interest in bone and growth disorders led him up the honorary academic route at UoB until his appointment of Chair of Paediatrics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria in 2018.

Professor Högler has published over 180 peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on paediatric endocrinology and bone metabolism. He enjoys teaching the next generation of endocrinologists, engages actively in various societies and leads the ISCBH Bone School. https://theiscbh.org/

His current clinical/lab research team consists of an Assistant Professor, two postdocs, 2 PhD students and several lab technicians.

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • Paediatrics (JKU Linz)
  • Endocrinology (JKU Linz)

Postgraduate

  • PhD Doctoral School (JKU Linz)
  • National and International Seminars/Schools

Postgraduate supervision

MSc, PhD (UoB, JKU) in paediatric endocrinology and bone health are welcome

Applicants for PhD or MSc are invited if prepared to work 1) collaboratively with colleagues at UoB/BWCH, or 2) in the Austrian research lab investigating mechanism of rare bone disease (lab language is English), or 3) in the clinical research team in Austria (German language required), or 4) overseas (e.g. India, Saudi Arabia) in international studies on vitamin D or rare bone disorders.

Research

Professor Högler’s research focusses on mechanism of rare diseases (bed-benchside-bed) and improved diagnosis and new treatments for children with bone and endocrine disorders, as well as prevention of disease.

Laboratory bone research

Wolfgang’s group is investigating cellular mechanisms and the structural bone phenotype of disorders affecting bone fragility and mineralisation. His group receives blood/skin/bone samples of individuals with variants of unknown significance in interesting genes. Using a multiomics approach, the group assesses molecular genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and how mutated proteins influence cell biology. From molecular biology to bioinformatics, the group searches for possible targets for (repurposed) drugs. The research lab curates the ALPL gene variant database, and assesses the residual function of alkaline phosphatase in specific ALPL mutations, leading to reclassification of variants as pathogenic or benign.

Clinical bone research

The group also assesses novel diagnostic tools (diagnostic, metabolic, imaging) for rare and common bone, growth and endocrine disorders. Also, the characterization of rare diseases and their translational investigation is a main focus of ongoing work. Through multicentre treatment studies, the Högler group offers children and young people with rare diseases promising new treatments in clinical trials.

Vitamin D and public health

One main research focus is the interplay between calcium intake, vitamin D and PTH and at which level of calcium deprivation mineralisation begins to fail. His team is investigating ways how to diagnose osteomalacia (poor bone mineralisation) biochemically. The rise of nutritional rickets and osteomalacia are major a public health concern hence there is a focus on public health and health economic projects.

Research groups and centres

Other activities

  • Editorial Board, Hormone Research in Paediatrics
  • Steering Committee, ICCBH
  • Co-Chair, Hypophosphatasia Global Registry
  • Consensus Lead, Global Consensus on Prevention and Management of Rickets, 2014
  • Task Force Member for the ISCD (International Society of Clinical Densitometry) on Pediatric Position Papers 2007, 2013, 2019
  • Chair of Endocrine Branch, IPOKRaTES Foundation www.ipokrates.info, Organizer of Postgraduate Paediatric Seminars
  • Chair, POC, 7th ICCBH, Salzburg, Austria, 2015
  • Chair, ESPE Working Group “Bone & Growth Plate” 2010-2014
  • External Expert for the Paediatric Committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA

Publications

Expertise

Nutritional Rickets

Rare Bone Disease

Paediatric Endocrinology