Susanne Polywka

Susanne Polywka is a Senior Lecturer and Medical Specialist in Microbiology, Virology, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). She holds dual leadership roles as Head of Microbiology at the Outpatient Health Care Center and Head of the Hepatitis/HIV Department. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, her work emphasizes clinical and translational research in viral infections, particularly hepatitis E and HIV.

Her research focuses on viral hepatitis pathogenesis, blood-borne infections in immunocompromised patients, and the clinical management of co-infections. Key projects include investigating hepatitis E transmission risks via blood products, immune responses in chronic infections, and the development of preclinical models for antiviral drug evaluation.

Dr. Polywka is actively involved in professional organizations such as the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). She contributes to guideline development for post-exposure management of infectious injuries and maintains clinical expertise in virology diagnostics and epidemiology.