Prof. Luigi Vezzulli, Ph.D.: “Rise of Vibrio pathogens linked to climate change: new insights from genomics and metagenomics”

Friday, December 13, 2019, 10.00 am, Hygiene Institute, Lecture Hall 1, Kinderspitalgasse 15, Vienna IX

COLLOQUIUM IN PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, INFECTIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

» Invitation

Luigi Vezzulli obtained his PhD degree in Marine Sciences in 2003 from the University of Genoa. Since 2005 he was Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the University of Genoa, since 2018 is Full Professor. His research activity is carried out in the field of Marine Microbiology and is mainly focused on the study of human and nonhuman bacterial pathogens of the genus Vibrio in the marine environment. In particular, his recent activity has been devoted to the study of the ecology of vibrios and the effects of ocean warming on Vibrio populations. He has given invited lectures at many international conferences and research institutes around the world and participated to several national and international research projects. In 2005 he was elected as ‘Honorary Fellow' of the ‘Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS)' in Plymouth (UK). Since 2002, he has published 74 peer-reviewed scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals, 27 of which is the first author and 6 is the last author (H-Index Scopus: 27).

Selected publications:

• Vezzulli L, Grande C, Reid PC, Hélaouët P, Edwards M, Höfle MG, Brettar I, Colwell RR, Pruzzo C (2016) Climate influence on Vibrio and associated human diseases during the past half-century in the coastal North Atlantic. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 23;113(34):E5062-71.
• Vezzulli L, Pezzati E, Stauder M, Stagnaro L, Venier P, Pruzzo C (2015) Aquatic Ecology of the Oyster Pathogens Vibrio splendidus and Vibrio aestuarianus. Environmental Microbiology 17(4): 1065–1080.
• Vezzulli L, Brettar I, Pezzati E, Reid PC, Colwell RR, Höfle MG, Pruzzo C (2012). Long-term effects of ocean warming on the prokaryotic community: evidence from the vibrios. The ISME Journal, 6: 21-30.
• Vezzulli L, Previati C, Pruzzo C, Marchese A, Bourne DG, Cerrano C and the VibrioSea consortium (2010). Vibrio infections triggering mass mortality events in a warming Mediterranean Sea. Environmental Microbiology 12(7): 2007-2019.
• Vezzulli L, Guzmán CA, Colwell RR, Pruzzo C (2008). Dual role colonization factors connecting Vibrio cholerae’s lifestyles in human and aquatic environments open new perspectives for combating infectious diseases. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 19: 254-259.

Host: Alexander Kirschner