Curriculum vitae

Main Research Areas
  • Immune escape of human pathogenic micro-organisms
  • Infection-associated function of the complement system
  • Genetic susceptibility for infections
Professional Career
Since 2000 Professor for infection biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (FSU Jena) 
Since 2000 Head of the department infection biology, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute Jena
1999 Nontenured professor, University Hamburg
1993 Habilitation in immunology and molecular biology, University Hamburg
1989-2000 Group head at the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for tropical medicine Hamburg
1989 Visiting associate, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
1985-1988 Postdoc, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
1984 PhD as Dr. rer. nat., University Bremen
1980-1985 Research assistant, University Bremen
1980 Diploma in biology, University Bremen



Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities
Since 2009  Member at the editorial board of molecular immunology, frontiers in innate immunity
2009 Excellence award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie
Since 2008 Representative of the graduate school International Leibniz Research School for Microbial and Biomolecular Interactions (ILRS)
2008 EFIS lecture award of the European Federation of Immunological Societies
Since 2007 Principal investigator of the excellence graduate school Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC)
2007 Heinz Spitzbart award of the European Society for Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ESIDOG)
Since 2006 Principal investigator of the graduate school International Leibniz Research School for Microbial and Biomolecular Interactions (ILRS)
2007-2011 President of the European Complement Network
2005 – 2012 Board member of the European Complement Network
2004 Thuringian research award
Since 2002 Deputy Director of the Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute Jena
Since 2000 Project leader for infection biology, L2
1999-2001 Member at the editorial board of experimental and clinical immunology, thrombosis and haemostasis, section editor molecular immunology
Member of the European Working Party on the Genetics of Complement mediated Kidney Diseases, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Immunologie, Gesellschaft für Genetik, Gesellschaft für Nephrologie

Publications

Reuter M, Zipfel PF (2011) Immunevasion des Gram-positiven Bakteriums Staphylococcus aureus und der multiresistenten Formen MRSA. Medizinisch-orthopädische Technik 131, 22-22.
Singh B, Jalalvand F, Mörgelin M, Zipfel PF, Blom AM, Riesbeck K (2011) Haemophilus influenzae protein E recognizes the C-terminal domain of vitronectin and modulates the membrane attack complex. Mol Microbiol 81(1), 80-98.
Thywißen A, Heinekamp T, Dahse HM, Schmaler-Ripcke J, Nietzsche S, Zipfel PF, Brakhage AA (2011) Conidial dihydroxynaphthalene melanin of the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus interferes with the host endocytosis pathway. Front Microbiol / Fungi and their interactions 2, 96.
Weismann D, Hartvigsen K, Lauer N, Bennett KL, Scholl HP, Charbel Issa P, Cano M, Brandstätter H, Tsimikas S, Skerka C, Superti-Furga G, Handa JT, Zipfel PF, Witztum JL, Binder CJ (2011) Complement factor H binds malondialdehyde epitopes and protects from oxidative stress. Nature 478(7367), 76-81.
Zipfel PF, Skerka C, Kupka D, Luo S (2011) Immune escape of the human facultative pathogenic yeast Candida albicans: the many faces of the Candida Pra1 protein. Int J Med Microbiol 301(5), 423-430.
Zipfel PF, Wolf G, John U, Kentouche K, Skerka C (2011) Novel developments in thrombotic microangiopathies: is there a common link between hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytic purpura? Pediatr Nephrol 26(11), 1947-1956.
Behnsen J, Lessing F, Schindler S, Wartenberg D, Jacobsen ID, Thoen M, Zipfel PF, Brakhage AA (2010) Secreted Aspergillus fumigatus protease Alp1 degrades human complement proteins C3, C4, and C5. Infect Immun 78(8), 3585-3594.
Brakhage AA, Bruns S, Thywissen A, Zipfel PF, Behnsen J (2010) Interaction of phagocytes with filamentous fungi. Curr Opin Microbiol 13(4), 409-415.
Reuter M, Caswell CC, Lukomski S, Zipfel PF (2010) Binding of the human complement regulators CFHR1 and factor H by streptococcal collagen-like protein 1 (Scl1) via their conserved C termini allows control of the complement cascade at multiple levels. J Biol Chem 285(49), 38473-38485.
Siegel C, Hallström T, Skerka C, Eberhardt H, Uzonyi B, Beckhaus T, Karas M, Wallich R, Stevenson B, Zipfel PF, Kraiczy P (2010) Complement factor H-related proteins CFHR2 and CFHR5 represent novel ligands for the infection-associated CRASP proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi. PLOS One 5(10), e13519.