IRIDS Virtual Science Talks

Dr. Doherty holds a Doctorate of Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, where his research focused on advancing the clinical use of novel antimicrobial polypeptides for persistent or treatment-resistant infections. An experienced educator and researcher, Dr. Doherty serves as an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at University College Cork and has published extensively on antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention.

Catherine Dempsey is a Specialist Medical Scientist in Microbiology in Cork University Hospital and specializes in Molecular Techniques. Catherine has worked in Microbiology for over twenty years, and has extensive experience in various aspects of the Microbiology Laboratory, having previously worked in University Hospital Waterford, and in Cork University Hospital since 2016. Catherine holds a degree in Biomedical Science from University College Cork, and a Master’s degree in Virology from John Moores’ University, Liverpool. She is on the ACSLM virology advisory body and is part of the National SARS CoV-2 whole genome sequencing surveillance programme. 

Sonia Rao graduated from Purdue University College of Pharmacy and completed two years of post-graduate residency training specializing in Infectious Diseases. Sonia has over 10 years of Medical Affairs experience spanning both the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industry. Sonia’s professional interests include antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, and the ability to impact patient care and outcomes through molecular diagnostic technologies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panisadee Avirutnan is a leading infectious disease researcher and physician specializing in dengue virus pathogenesis and immunology. As Chief of the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research Unit at Mahidol University, Dr. Avirutnan has established herself as a key investigator in understanding the mechanisms underlying dengue severity and immune evasion.

Her research focuses on the complement system's role in dengue infection and the immune evasion strategies employed by the dengue virus. Her seminal work has elucidated how the viral non-structural protein NS1 manipulates host complement pathways to facilitate viral spread and pathogenesis. Her research portfolio spans molecular virology, immunology, and clinical investigation, with a particular emphasis on identifying biomarkers for dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and developing therapeutic interventions.

At the **Siriraj Center for Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens (SiCORE-Dengue)**, Dr. Avirutnan leads collaborative efforts in three key areas:

- **Drug development and repurposing** — evaluating therapeutic candidates through laboratory and clinical trial settings
- **NS1 protein characterization** — investigating the protective and pathogenic roles of this critical viral protein using advanced molecular and proteomic approaches
- **Controlled human infection models** — establishing dengue infection trials in endemic settings to accelerate vaccine and drug development

Dr. Holm is a pharmacist and virologist by training. His doctoral research at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany focused on hemorrhagic fever viruses and structural characterization of polymerases involved in viral replication. During the Ebola virus outbreak Western Africa in 2015 he participated as a field specialist in the European Mobile Laboratory (EMlab) project on diagnostics and research in Guinea, Africa. Dr. Holm joined Roche Diagnostics in 2018, where his team is responsible for developing assays for viral diseases, with a major focus on HIV and emerging viruses. In recent years, he and his team were fully engaged in developing diagnostics for HIV and Dengue infections.

Head of the National Reference Center for Borrelia at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit) and serves as Science Officer for Germany's leading laboratory dedicated to Lyme borreliosis diagnostics and research.

As director of Germany's National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Dr. Fingerle is responsible for confirmatory testing, strain characterization, and surveillance of *Borrelia burgdorferi* and related species that cause Lyme borreliosis. His reference center plays a crucial role in the German healthcare system by:

- Providing confirmatory serology and molecular diagnostics for complex or unclear cases

- Monitoring epidemiological trends of Lyme borreliosis across Germany

- Supporting clinical laboratories with quality assurance and standardization

- Contributing to national and international surveillance networks

- Advancing scientific knowledge on Borrelia species and infection patterns

Based in Oberschleißheim, Bavaria—a region with significant Lyme borreliosis prevalence—Dr. Fingerle's expertise encompasses the full spectrum of Lyme disease diagnosis, from early-stage infection through late manifestations. His work is essential for accurate patient diagnosis, appropriate clinical management, and public health understanding of this tick-borne infection in Germany and across Europe.

Extraordinary Professor at the Goethe University Frankfurt's Medical Faculty and Chief Physician of the Central Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, and Hospital Hygiene at Hospital Nordwest, Frankfurt a.M., Germany.

Dr. Hunfeld holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, complemented by specialized certifications in hospital hygiene and antibiotic stewardship. His dual board certifications in laboratory medicine and medical microbiology, virology, and infection epidemiology establish him as a comprehensive expert in diagnostic medicine and infection control. He is also recognized as a physician in the Bundeswehr Medical Reserve as of 2025.

Throughout his career, Dr. Hunfeld has balanced rigorous clinical practice with academic contributions. He held senior positions at the University Hospital Frankfurt's Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene before advancing to medical leadership roles. From 2013 to 2020, he served as Deputy and then Chief Medical Officer at Hospital Nordwest, demonstrating his commitment to institutional governance and quality improvement. Since 2009, he has held an appointment as Extraordinary Professor at the Goethe University Frankfurt's Medical Faculty, where he continues to mentor students and residents across multiple programs.

Furthermore, he is a recognized leader in quality assurance and laboratory standards, Dr. Hunfeld has held significant positions within national and international professional organizations, including his role as Vice Chair of INSTAND (Society for Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories) since 2016. He serves on examination boards for the Hessian Medical Association and contributes to clinical guideline development, particularly regarding Lyme borreliosis. His editorial board memberships span peer-reviewed journals focused on antibiotics, tick-borne diseases, and laboratory medicine.

Prof. Lange is a pulmonologist and infectious diseases specialist. He is the Medical Director of the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Professor of Respiratory Medicine & International Health at the University of Lübeck, and Head of the Clinical Tuberculosis Unit at the German Centre for Infection Research. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Union, the world’s oldest and largest professional society for tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

Prof. Lange’s broad research interests include the epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis, as well as the implementation of research findings into clinical practice. He is the founding Chairman of the Tuberculosis Network European Trials Group (TBNET).

He is one of the clinical leads of the UNITE4TB project, an EU-funded international clinical trials platform for the evaluation of novel anti-tuberculosis medicines operating in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.

Oxana Rucșineanu holds a Master in Public Health. As a survivor of drug-resistant TB, she leads the Moldova National Association of Tuberculosis Patients “SMIT” (Society of Moldova against Tuberculosis), providing psychosocial support and peer education while advocating for the rights of those affected by the disease.

Oxana is dedicated to ending stigma and ensuring community engagement in TB research and development. Nationally, she is an active member of the TB NGOs and Key Affected Populations Platforms, the Country Coordinating Mechanism, and the National Committee of Experts. Internationally, her work extends to the TB Global Community Advisory Board, the Global Coalition of TB Activists, TB People, and the WHO Regional Committee (RCC-THV). 

With years of experience as a consultant for WHO/Europe and the TB Europe Coalition, Oxana remains a leading voice in fostering constructive partnerships and ensuring patient-led perspectives drive the global TB response.

Jan De Waele is a surgery-trained intensivist at the department of Intensive Care Medicine of the Ghent University Hospital, full professor of Medicine at Ghent University and Senior Clinical Investigator with the Research Foundation Flanders, Belgium. His research activities focus on optimizing antibiotic therapy in severely ill infected patients to improve outcome and combat resistance development, with specific interest in PK/PD, therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics as well as antimicrobial stewardship. Interests also include abdominal infections, source control and sepsis management.

Jan participates in several guideline initiatives and serves as external reviewer for several national and international peer reviewed journals. He is the 2024-2026 President of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM).