Oliver Kurzai is Chair for Medical Microbiology and Mycology at the University of Würzburg. He holds an MD with a specialist recognition for microbiology, virology and infection epidemiology. His clinical focus is the diagnosis of fungal infections in the immuno-compromised host. Together with his team of scientists he addresses fundamental principles of invasive fungal infections with a focus on understanding the immunobiology of these infections and identifying new diagnostic targets. He is head of the German National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections (NRZMyk).
Genomics analyzes all of an organisms’ genes and their impact on relevant attributes. Genome data have aided in understanding population structure of A. fumigatus and shed new light on the emergence of azole resistance. Host genomics helps us to analyze individual risk patterns to tailor prophylactic or therapeutic approaches. Examples for both approaches will be presented.