Yvonne AchermannView profile
Professor
Professor Yvonne Achermann is a medical doctor specialized in internal medicine and infectious diseases. She currently serves as Senior Physician in the Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Zollikerberg Hospital and previously held positions at University Hospital Zurich. She has a Venia legendi (Habilitation) from the Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Hospital Hygiene at University Hospital Zurich, establishing her academic credentials. Her scientific focus since 2008 has been on implant-associated infections, particularly prosthetic joint infections. She has been involved in numerous clinical and epidemiological studies with experts including Markus Vogt, Andrej Trampuz, and Werner Zimmerli. Her research spans biofilm infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Cutibacterium acnes, with emphasis on developing diagnostic methods and prevention strategies for orthopedic implant infections. Since 2020, she has led a research group with PD Dr. Philipp Bosshard on 'Photodynamic treatment to prevent and treat periprosthetic joint infections,' investigating how photodynamic therapy (PDT) improves biofilm eradication through bacterial killing on prosthetic joint implants without altering materials. Her work combines laboratory research with humanized preclinical models and clinical applications through multi-disciplinary collaborations with institutions including University Hospital Balgrist and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. Her publication record demonstrates growing expertise in orthopedic infections, with recent focus on improving diagnostic sensitivity for implant-associated infections and developing novel treatment options for skin pathogens in orthopedic surgery. Her research integrates molecular diagnostics, microbiology, and clinical applications to address critical challenges in infection prevention. Award of the Swiss Society of Hospital Hygiene & the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases (2010) Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) Fellowship Dr. Achermann has served as an infectious diseases consultant at major Zurich medical institutions including University Hospital Balgrist and Clinic Schulthess. Her research has been supported by the University of Zurich's 'filling the gap' program, enabling continuation of her work on diagnostic and prevention strategies for implant-associated infections. Her research group innovates in preventing and treating postoperative orthopedic infections through pioneering photodynamic therapy approaches and advanced diagnostics. They focus on three main areas: improving skin antisepsis to prevent deep orthopedic implant infections, developing diagnostic tests for better sensitivity with explanted foreign materials, and studying novel intra-operative treatment options for skin pathogens infecting foreign materials in orthopedic surgery.