Torsten Olbers

Torsten Olbers is a Professor of Surgery at Linköping University and a researcher at the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM). He leads the Swedish Nationwide BEST project and the AMOS research program for adolescent bariatric surgery. His clinical expertise includes over 2,000 laparoscopic bariatric procedures, refining the double-loop gastric bypass technique widely used in Scandinavia. Olbers holds leadership roles at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Carlanderska Hospital, overseeing bariatric surgery and research groups. He has authored key studies on obesity surgery outcomes, including long-term cardiovascular effects and gut microbiome changes post-surgery.

Education: MD from Lund University (1991), PhD from Sahlgrenska Academy (2004), postdoc at Harvard Medical School (2006-2007). He completed pedagogical courses for teaching skills at Sahlgrenska (2005, 2009, 2012).

Research Focus: Bariatric surgery innovation, metabolic disease, and adolescent obesity treatment. He investigates surgical techniques, comorbidity resolution, and long-term patient outcomes. His work includes the SOS study, a landmark investigation into obesity surgery’s effects.

Awards: Swedish Surgical Society award (2008), Best Resident (1998), and teaching recognition (2006). He serves on editorial boards, including Scandinavian Journal of Surgery, and chairs the Swedish Bariatric Surgery Association.

Administration: Directorships in Minimal Invasive Surgery and Obesity Centers, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at Carlanderska Hospital, and leadership roles in national and international obesity surgery registries.