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

Mehta G, Ferreira VP, Skerka C, Zipfel PF, Banda NK (2014) New insights into disease-specific absence of complement factor H related protein C in mouse models of spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Mol Immunol 62(1), 235-248.
Mohan S, Hertweck C, Dudda A, Hammerschmidt S, Skerka C, Hallström T, Zipfel PF (2014) Tuf of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a surface displayed human complement regulator binding protein. Mol Immunol 62(1), 249-264.
Noone D, Waters A, Pluthero FG, Geary DF, Kirschfink M, Zipfel PF, Licht C (2014) Successful treatment of DEAP-HUS with eculizumab. Pediatr Nephrol 29(5), 841-851.
Pauly D, Nagel BM, Reinders J, Killian T, Wulf M, Ackermann S, Ehrenstein B, Zipfel PF, Skerka C, Weber BH (2014) A novel antibody against human properdin inhibits the alternative complement system and specifically detects properdin from blood samples. PLOS One 9(5), e96371.
Poolpol K, Orth-Höller D, Speth C, Zipfel PF, Skerka C, de Córdoba SR, Brockmeyer J, Bielaszewska M, Würzner R (2014) Interaction of Shiga toxin 2 with complement regulators of the factor H protein family. Mol Immunol 58(1), 77-84.
Watson R, Lindner S, Bordereau P, Hunze EM, Tak F, Ngo S, Zipfel PF, Skerka C, Dragon-Durey MA, Marchbank KJ (2014) Standardisation of the factor H autoantibody assay. Immunobiology 219(1), 9-16.
Weinberger AW, Eddahabi C, Carstesen D, Zipfel PF, Walter P, Skerka C (2014) Human complement factor H and factor H-like protein 1 are expressed in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Ophthalmic Res 51(2), 59-66.
Zipfel PF, Skerka C (2014) Staphylococcus aureus: the multi headed hydra resists and controls human complement response in multiple ways. Int J Med Microbiol 304(2), 188-194.
Ansari M, McKeigue PM, Skerka C, Hayward C, Rudan I, Vitart V, Polasek O, Armbrecht AM, Yates JR, Vatavuk Z, Bencic G, Kolcic I, Oostra BA, Van Duijn CM, Campbell S, Stanton CM, Huffman J, Shu X, Khan JC, Shahid H, Harding SP, Bishop PN, Deary IJ, Moore AT, Dhillon B, Rudan P, Zipfel PF, Sim RB, Hastie ND, Campbell H, Wright AF (2013) Genetic influences on plasma CFH and CFHR1 concentrations and their role in susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 22(23), 4857-4869.
Caesar JJ, Wallich R, Kraiczy P, Zipfel PF, Lea SM (2013) Further structural insights into the binding of complement factor H by complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 1 (CspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 69(Pt 6), 629-633.