Carmen Aguilar

Dr. Carmen Aguilar serves as a Junior Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) within the Medical Faculty of the University of Würzburg since 2022, where she leads research on host-pathogen interactions in urinary tract infections. Her laboratory is housed in Building D15, Room 01.040, and operates under the Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF).

Her research focuses on UPEC (uropathogenic E. coli) interactions with urinary tract epithelium using adult stem cell-derived organoid models. Key interests include identifying host factors controlling infection outcomes, signaling pathways in UPEC pathogenesis, and developing host-based therapeutic approaches against recurrent urinary tract infections. This work bridges molecular microbiology, tissue engineering, and translational medicine.

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent expertise in microRNA regulation during bacterial infections (particularly Salmonella and Shigella), organoid-based infection modeling, and host-pathogen signaling dynamics. Her research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between molecular biology, infectious disease mechanisms, and novel therapeutic development.

Dr. Aguilar actively mentors doctoral students including Maria Guedes, Kimberley Klapproth, and Guelcin Nozhatzadeh, and collaborates with technical staff and postdoctoral researchers like Dr. Simon Peters. Her laboratory utilizes advanced organoid systems to study infection persistence mechanisms with potential clinical applications for antibiotic-resistant UTIs.