Tomasz K Prajsnar

Tomasz K Prajsnar is an Associate Professor at Jagiellonian University in the Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Kraków, Poland, with expertise in immunology of infectious diseases and bacterial pathogenesis. His research primarily utilizes zebrafish models to investigate host-pathogen interactions, focusing on how immune cells combat bacterial infections.

Dr. Prajsnar completed his Master's studies at Jagiellonian University's Department of Microbiology (2004-2006), followed by PhD studies at the University of Sheffield's Department of Infection and Immunity (2006-2010). He served as a BIA Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield's Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (2014-2015) before joining Jagiellonian University as an Associate Professor.

His research focuses on innate immunity mechanisms against pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Dr. Prajsnar has made significant contributions to understanding how autophagy, phagocytosis, and immune cell functions mediate host defense against bacterial infections. His work has revealed how pathogens can subvert phagocytes to establish disseminated infection and how non-canonical autophagy pathways contribute to host defense.

Analysis of Dr. Prajsnar's recent publications shows a growing emphasis on cellular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions, particularly examining neutrophil and macrophage functions during infection. His research increasingly investigates autophagy pathways in defense against bacterial pathogens and the cell wall biology of opportunistic pathogens, often employing zebrafish models to provide in vivo insights that complement mammalian systems.

Dr. Prajsnar leads his own research laboratory at Jagiellonian University where his team investigates evolutionary immunology and host-pathogen interactions. His collaborative network spans multiple institutions worldwide, with strong connections to researchers at the University of Sheffield and Leiden University, reflecting the international nature of his research in infectious disease immunology.