Curriculum vitae

Main Research Areas
  • Infection biology of human pathogenic fungi (especially Candida albicans)
  • Infection biology of Neisseria meningitidis
Professional Career
Since 2017 Chair of Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg and head of the research group Fungal Septomics at Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute Jena
2009-2016 Professor (W2) for Fungal Septomics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
2008 Habilitation in medical microbiology, University Würzburg
2006 Medical specialist in microbiology, virology and infection epidemiology (Bayerische Landesärztekammer)
2003 Head of a working group, Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, University Würzburg
2001-2002 Doctor in practical training (AiP), Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, University Würzburg
2002 Dr. med., “summa cum laude” University Würzburg
2001 Staatsexamen (state examination) in human medicine, University Würzburg
Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities
Since 2014 Head of the Nationales Referenzzentrums für invasive Pilzinfektionen (NRZMyk)
Since 2013 Board member of the Integriertes Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum “Center for Sepsis Control and Care” (CSCC) at the University Hospital Jena
Since 2012 Scientific Manager of the consortium “InfectControl 2020 – New Antiinfection Strategies – Science • Society • Economy” within the BMBF-Programme “Zwanzig 20 – Partnership for Innovation” (Head: Prof. A. Brakhage)
Since 2012 Editor-in-chief, Medical Mycology Case Reports, member (ex officio) of the executive board of the International Society for Human & Animal Mycology (ISHAM)
Since 2011 Elected note taker at the Deutschsprachige Mykologische Gesellschaft DMykG
2015-2016 Speaker of the ZIK Septomics
2011-2013 Editor, Journal of Basic Microbiology
2009 Hans-Rieth-poster prize from the Deutschsprachige Mykologische Gesellschaft (DMykG)
2008 Award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie
2003 Science award from the Unterfränkische Gedenkjahrstiftung
2003 Dissertation award from the medical faculty of the University Würzburg
2002 Becton-Dickinson PhD award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie

Publications

Barber AE*, Weber M, Kaerger K, Linde J, Gölz H, Duerschmied D, Markert A, Guthke R, Walther G, Kurzai O (2019) Comparative genomics of serial Candida glabrata isolates and the rapid acquisition of echinocandin resistance during therapy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 63(2), e01628-18.
Guinea J, Verweij PE, Meletiadis J, Mouton JW, Barchiesi F, Arendrup MC, Arikan-Akdagli S, Barchiesi F, Castanheira M, Chryssanthou E, Friberg N, Guinea J, Järv H, Klimko N, Kurzai O, Lagrou K, Lass-Flörl C, Mares M, Matos T, Meletiadis J, Moore CB, Mouton JW, Muehlethaler K, Rogers TR, Andersen CT, Velegraki A (2019) How to: EUCAST recommendations on the screening procedure E.Def 10.1 for the detection of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus isolates using four-well azole-containing agar plates. Clin Microbiol Infect 25(6), 681-687. (Review)
Hamprecht A, Barber AE, Mellinghoff SC, Thelen P, Walther G, Yu Y, Neurgaonkar P, Dandekar T, Cornely OA, Martin R, Kurzai O (2019) Candida auris in germany and previous exposure to foreign healthcare. Emerg Infect Dis 25(9), 1763-1765.
Koehler P, Arendrup MC, Arikan-Akdagli S, Bassetti M, Bretagne S, Klingspor L, Lagrou K, Meis JF, Rautemaa-Richardson R, Schelenz S, Hamprecht A, Koehler FC, Kurzai O, Salmanton-García J, Vehreschild JJ, Alanio A, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Arsic Arsenijevic V, Gangneux JP, Gow NAR, Hadina S, Hamal P, Johnson E, Klimko N, Lass-Flörl C, Mares M, Özenci V, Papp T, Roilides E, Sabino R, Segal E, Talento AF, Tortorano AM, Verweij PE, Hoenigl M, Cornely OA (2019) ECMM CandiReg-A ready to use platform for outbreaks and epidemiological studies. Mycoses 62(10), 920-927.
Nesseler A, Schauerte N, Geiger C, Kaerger K, Walther G, Kurzai O, Eisenberg T (2019) Sporothrix humicola (Ascomycota: Ophiostomatales) - A soil-borne fungus with pathogenic potential in the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus). Med Mycol Case Rep 25, 39-44.
Pérez-Hansen A, Lass-Flörl C, Lackner M, Aigner M, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Arikan-Akdagli S, Bader O, Becker K, Boekhout T, Buzina W, Cornely OA, Hamal P, Kidd SE, Kurzai O, Lagrou K, Lopes Colombo A, Mares M, Masoud H, Meis JF, Oliveri S, Rodloff AC, Orth-Höller D, Guerrero-Lozano I, Sanguinetti M, Segal E, Taj-Aldeen SJ, Tortorano AM, Trovato L, Walther G, Willinger B (2019) Antifungal susceptibility profiles of rare ascomycetous yeasts. J Antimicrob Chemother 74(9), 2649-2656.
Roth M, Daas L, Renner-Wilde A, Cvetkova-Fischer N, Saeger M, Herwig-Carl M, Matthaei M, Fekete A, Kakkassery V, Walther G, von Lilienfeld-Toal M, Mertens C, Lenk J, Mehlan J, Fischer C, Fuest M, Kroll S, Bayoudh W, Viestenz A, Frings A, MacKenzie CR, Messmer EM, Seitz B, Kurzai O, Geerling G (2019) Das Deutsche Pilz-Keratitis-Register: Erste Ergebnisse einer multizentrischen Erhebung [The german keratomycosis registry: Initial results of a multicenter survey]. Ophthalmologe 116(10), 957-966.
Springer J, Walther G, Rickerts V, Hamprecht A, Willinger B, Teschner D, Einsele H, Kurzai O, Loeffler J (2019) Detection of fusarium species in clinical specimens by probe-based real-time PCR. J Fungi (Basel) 5(4), 105.
Vivas W, Leonhardt I, Hünniger K, Häder A, Marolda A, Kurzai O (2019) Multiple signaling pathways involved in human dendritic cell maturation are affected by the fungal quorum-sensing molecule farnesol. J Immunol 203(11), 2959-2969.
von Lilienfeld-Toal M, Wagener J, Einsele H, Cornely OA, Kurzai O (2019) Invasive fungal infection. Dtsch Arztebl Int 116(16), 271-278. (Review)