معرفی
Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Suerbaum is Professor and Chairman of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology at the Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich. A physician-scientist trained in internal medicine and medical microbiology, he leads a research group that integrates experimental microbiology with comparative genomics to understand and combat gastrointestinal infections, in particular those caused by Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni.
Education & Training
- Medical School: Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Wien, and Harvard Medical School
- MD thesis, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (1988)
- Clinical training in Internal Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg
- Specialty board certification in Medical Microbiology, Virology and Infection Epidemiology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
- Post-doctoral fellowship, Institut Pasteur, Paris (1991–1993)
- Habilitation in Medical Microbiology
Research Focus
The Suerbaum laboratory combines in vivo models, human samples, high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to dissect bacterial adaptation during chronic infection. Central themes include the extreme genome plasticity and epigenetic methylation landscapes of Helicobacter pylori, the evolution of antibiotic resistance, the development of rapid culture-independent diagnostic workflows integrating endoscopy and molecular resistance testing, and the interplay between gastric/intestinal microbiota and disease outcomes such as gastric cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Scientific Awards & Honours
- Gerhard Hess Award, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- DGHM Main Award, German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology
- Eva and Klaus Grohe Award, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
- Elected Member: German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, American Academy of Microbiology, European Academy of Microbiology, Academia Europaea
Leadership & Service
Prof. Suerbaum served as President of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) 2010–2014 and currently chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Robert Koch Institute while also sitting on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Robert Koch Foundation. He is actively involved in national guideline committees (DGVS S2k guidelines on H. pylori and gastrointestinal infections) and directs structured doctoral programs at the Max von Pettenkofer Institute.
Laboratory & Team
The Research Group ‘Suerbaum’ is located in the Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Pettenkoferstraße 9a, 80336 München. The team includes post-doctoral researchers, PhD candidates and technical staff working in state-of-the-art BSL-2 facilities with access to clinical sample biobanks and next-generation sequencing platforms.
