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

Weiss E, Ziegler S, Fliesser M, Schmitt AL, Hünniger K, Kurzai O, Morton CO, Einsele H, Loeffler J (2018) First insights in NK-DC cross-talk and the importance of soluble factors during infection with Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 8, 288.
Brandes S, Dietrich S, Hünniger K, Kurzai O, Figge MT (2017) Migration and interaction tracking for quantitative analysis of phagocyte-pathogen confrontation assays. Medical Image Analysis 36, 172-183.
Dix A, Czakai K, Leonhardt I, Schäferhoff K, Bonin M, Einsele H, Guthke R, Kurzai O, Löffler J, Linde J (2017) Specific and novel microRNAs are regulated as response to fungal infection in human dendritic cells. Front Microbiol 8, 270.
Fischer M, Müller JP, Spies-Weisshart B, Gräfe C, Kurzai O, Hünniger K, Hochhaus A, Scholl S, Schnetzke U (2017) Isoform localization of Dectin-1 regulates the signaling quality of anti-fungal immunity. Eur J Immunol 47(5), 848-859.
Hsieh SH, Kurzai O, Brock M (2017) Persistence within dendritic cells marks an antifungal evasion and dissemination strategy of Aspergillus terreus. Sci Rep 7(1), 10590.
Martin R, Pohlers S, Mühlschlegel FA, Kurzai O (2017) CO2 sensing in fungi: at the heart of metabolic signaling. Curr Genet 63(6), 965-972.
Pinder N, Pelzl LH, Walther G, Backhaus J, Kurzai O, Hoppe-Tichy T (2017) Caspofungin infusion solutions (50 mg/100 mL): chemical stability and antifungal activity against Candida spp. Pharmazie 72(4), 197-199.
Pohlers S, Martin R, Krüger T, Hellwig D, Hänel F, Kniemeyer O, Saluz HP, Van Dijck, Ernst JF, Brakhage A, Mühlschlegel FA, Kurzai O (2017) Lipid signaling via Pkh1/2 regulates fungal CO2 sensing through the kinase Sch9. mBio 8(1), e02211-16.
Walther G, Stasch S, Kaerger K, Hamprecht A, Roth M, Cornely OA, Geerling G, Mackenzie CR, Kurzai O, von Lilienfeld-Toal M (2017) Fusarium Keratitis in Germany. J Clin Microbiol 55(10), 2983-2995.
Ziegler S, Weiss E, Schmitt AL, Schlegel J, Burgert A, Terpitz U, Sauer M, Moretta L, Sivori S, Leonhardt I, Kurzai O, Einsele H, Loeffler J (2017) CD56 Is a Pathogen Recognition Receptor on Human Natural Killer Cells. Sci Rep 7(1), 6138.