Dr. Sonja Häckel is an orthopaedic spine surgeon at the Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland. Her clinical and academic work focuses on spinal trauma, with particular interest in thoracolumbar fractures, treatment decision-making, patient-centred outcomes, and the translation of emerging evidence into practice. Her research addresses key challenges in thoracolumbar spine injury care, including variability in treatment strategies, operative versus non-operative management, and the need for individualized approaches that consider fracture morphology, neurological status, bone quality, frailty, occupation, rehabilitation potential, and patient expectations. She is especially interested in outcome research, sex and gender differences after spine trauma, epidemiological trends, and digital innovation, including artificial intelligence, to support diagnosis, classification, planning, and clinical decisions.