IRIDS Virtual Science Talks

Dr. Johannes Nemeth is a distinguished infectious disease specialist with a deep clinical and research focus on tuberculosis, HIV, and bacterial infections. Currently serving as a Senior Physician at the University Hospital Zurich, Dr. Nemeth brings a wealth of global expertise to his field. His professional background includes extensive international research, notably at the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Seattle and the Medical Research Unit in Lambaréné, Gabon. Driven by a commitment to advancing medical knowledge, his work is particularly dedicated to investigating the complexities of tuberculosis and the innate immune system.

Dr. Qian Feng is a virologist and immunologist with extensive academic research experience in host-pathogen interactions and immune response in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the U.S. She currently serves as Clinical Development Lead and Immunology Indication Lead at Roche Diagnostics, where she supports and coordinates research and development programs focused on infection and immune response across multiple disease areas.

Markus Eckl is a chemist with 25 years of experience in in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) at Roche Diagnostics. As a Product Owner, he combines deep expertise in virology and immunology with R&D leadership. Leading cross-functional teams, Markus delivers robust global diagnostic solutions for infectious diseases. He drives the development of critical Elecsys assays, including those for IGRA TB, Lyme, and arboviruses. Recently, he has also expanded his scope into laboratory automation, conceptualizing advanced solutions for sample preparation, handling, and storage.

Prof. Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer is a distinguished clinician and researcher currently serving as the Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School (MHH). After studying medicine and musicology, he rose through the academic ranks to become a leading expert in viral hepatitis and inflammatory liver diseases. His leadership extends to major professional organizations, including serving as the current President of the German Society for Gastroenterology,Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) and as Chair of the Board for the German Liver Foundation. With a prolific scientific output of over 800 publications and a Hirsch index of 124, his research has been instrumental in developing international clinical guidelines and managing massive real-world patient registries like the German Hepatitis C Registry. Throughout his career, his contributions to transplant medicine and hepatology have been recognized with prestigious honors such as the Hans Popper Award and the Solko W. Schalm Award.

Dr. Cortese Maria Francesca is a Molecular virologist at Fundació Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (IIS-HUVH) and member of CIBEREHD. She obtained her PhD in Microbiology, Virology, and Infectious Disease from Rome Tor Vergata University (Italy).  After her postdoctoral work at IrsiCaixa Institute (Badalona, Spain) on host factors associated with innate resistance to HIV, she joined Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (Barcelona, Spain) where she is currently Principal Investigator in the Liver Unit of the Microbiology group.  She is specialized in viral hepatitis, particularly Hepatitis B and D infections, with an emphasis on viral diversity and genotypes, molecular diagnostics, and biomarkers discovery. Through close collaboration with clinical teams, her work aims to support patient stratification and advance personalized management strategies, bridging molecular research and clinical application.

Dr. Rajiv Dua, Team Lead/Director, Molecular Research and Early Development (Oncology & Genetics)  directs early-phase molecular assay development. With over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry, he specializes in translating complex biological research into actionable clinical diagnostic applications. Throughout his career, Rajiv has spearheaded the early development of molecular assays across major oncology, infectious disease, and immunology programs. He is dedicated to advancing early-stage R&D to create high-value in vitro diagnostic (IVD) assays that enhance disease diagnosis and patient monitoring. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago and completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where his research focused on DNA replication and repair mechanisms.

Dr. Ben LaBrot serves as the Global Medical Affairs Lead for the HIV, Hepatitis, and Plasma Separation Card (PSC) portfolios at Roche Molecular Systems. Bringing over 15 years of boots-on-the-ground clinical and operational experience in Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) settings, Ben specializes in translating complex molecular capabilities into practical public health infrastructure. Throughout his career, Ben has focused on expanding diagnostic access to underserved and hard-to-reach communities. He currently drives strategic initiatives across the Infection & Immunity disease area, championing menu expansions for alternative sampling matrices like the PSC  and spearheading high-impact public health frameworks, including Diagnostic Network Optimization (DNO) and multi-disease program integration. He is dedicated to ensuring that Roche’s high-medical-value solutions seamlessly align with real-world clinical workflows to optimize patient care where it is needed most.

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.